1 




C AAuhA f\UJMy(Jidj^ 




GENEALOGICAL 



AND 



FAMILY HISTORY 

OF 

SOUTHERN NEW YORK 

AND THE 

HUDSON RIVER VALLEY 

A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a 
Commonwealth and the Building of a Nation 



COMPILED UNDER THE EDITORIAL SUPERVISION OF 

CUYLER REYNOLDS 

Curator of The Albany Institute and Historical and Art Society, since 1898; Director of 

New York State History Exhibit at Jamestown Exhibition, 1907; Author of 

'Albany Chronicles," "Classified Quotations," etc., etc. 



VOL. I 



ILLUSTRATED 



NEW YORK 

LEWIS HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY 

1914 



Tns 



PREFACE 

THE purpose of this work is in line with that of the early Egyptian who de- 
picted in a decorative fashion the life history of a man upon his sarcophagus. 
We have grown so familiar with this form of literature that to comment too 
much upon it seems an impertinence. It is not the intent of this foreword to set 
forth an excuse for the collecting of family records and the desire to preserve them in 
a practical form, although many writers appear to have entertained the thought that to 
do so was necessary. 

A large percentage of the progress of the people of this country is directly due to 
le fact that they have made a review of its record the foundation upon which to 
'lild its future. The known facts have been to the individual a reliable guide, the same 
3 a chart or compass is to the sailor. One may not succeed without them. 

The government, corporations, firms and families have prosecuted the work of 
ibulation with an amazing persistency and precision, until the person who desires to 
'Iter upon an untried proposition, or who learns of a loss and would rectify it, has this 

• jwerful adjunct in the way of wisdom, the epitome of experience, by which to pro- 

• cd in a profitable manner. A railroad corjjoration's head has at his hand the result 
f careful calculations which show the unit of loss through work and wear, or the profit 

to be produced from every train which travels a mile, and upon such figures he is able 
to base reliable deductions to secure increa.sed efficiency. The scientist has named 
and catalogued the firmament of stars at an expense of hundreds of thousands of dollars, 
though nine-tenths of the people know not the sense nor the service; men of science 
have classified the rocks, plants, insects, birds and fish, whether man has ever seen or 
expects to see them, regardless of whether he believes them to serve a purpose or score 
a profit. All this is done that the race may advance at rapid rate, through being able 
readily to reach conclusions. We must be in command of an infinite amount of infor- 
mation, and it must be both accurate and accessible. 

Strange and surprising would it be if the names and habits of ten thousand dis- 
tinct types of species of spiders were studied, scheduled, portrayed and published, 
yet no thought given to preserving in permanent printed form the names and the 
deeds of human beings. Why then should we be at pains to enter the name and date 
of death upon the cemetery ledger, if henceforth no one is to read and use such entry? 
But if such memoranda are made, then printing them that they may be accessible is the 
logical outcome. The result is known as a genealogy. 

Two things establish my faith that the family record is regarded as an essential. It 
is to be noted that one-third of the persons one finds studying in a library are intent 
upon biography, and the librarian never fails to add to his stock of genealogies, no 
matter what may be his other needs. It is true that there are many other reasons why 
nearly everyone is more or less inclined to participate in the preparation and preserva- 
tion of biographies. Some have a strong instinct to leave for others the same sort of 



material for which they have searched, for in a peculiar sense it is eternal existence, 
best expressed in the words: "To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die." 

Verily, that person who has led a useful life yearns to live that he may give more. 
But, prevented, he still has the desire to direct, to advise, admonish, and to assist 
after he has gone from his unfinished task, — his toil ended when so much remained to 
do. Men of this calibre, holding such thoughts, have left us their autobiographies, and 
they did so as men not vain of name or fame. But their writings depict the lives of 
the great. 

On the other hand, we are bound to realize the fact often brought to attention, that 
the judgment of some minds is to the efifect that a biography or any sort of family 
record represents a vainglorious spirit and is the stamp of smallness of intellect. They 
taunt the toiler in his work of rescuing records with the declaration that the person 
failing to create an enduring monument by his acts is the one who is obliged to resort 
to the printing of his achievements in the hope of creating a character to cover the 
lack. I have never known a man who compiled his own history to be a person of that 
type, nor is it supposed or intended by the preparation of this work that either emi- 
nence or social standing will be enhanced, augmented or achieved. 

It is a truth that like begets like, as is the father so is the son. Hence it is only 
natural that a family started through the struggles of the plucky Puritan or daring 
Dutchman, passing on to a period of civilization and culture, should result in a strain 
of men of character and common-sense. This explains why so many men whose lives 
are recorded in these pages have left a name which is as much alive to-day as ever ; 
nevertheless, the purpose is to preser^'e and not promote the glamor of a man. 

A person of sense, as well as the captious critic, should realize that years of perse- 
verance in the arduous task of careful compilation have hallowed his work so that the 
author neither conceives nor creates greatness where greatness does not exist. This 
was so admirably expressed by the late Hon. Frank S. Black, Governor of New York 
State, in a stirring speech delivered at Cornell University in 1909, that the editor be- 
lieves nothing better could be read : 

"Lincoln's greatness did not depend upon his title, for greatness was his when the title was 
bestowed. He leaned upon no fiction of nobility and kissed no hand to obtain his rank ; but the stamp 
of nobility and power which he wore was conferred upon him in that log hut in Kentuck-y that day in 
1809, when he and Nancy Hanks were first seen there together, and it was conferred by a power which, 
unlike earthly potentates, never confers a title without a character that will adorn it. When we under- 
stand that tremendous advantages of a humble birtli, when we realize that the privations of youth are 
the pillars of strength to maturer years, then we shall cease to wonder that out of such obscure 
surroundings as watched the coming of Abraham Lincoln, should spring the colossal and supreme 
figure of modern history." 

Albany, New York, May 30, 1914. CUYLER REYNOLDS. 



PUBLISHERS' NOTE 

In addition to Mr. Cuyler Reynolds, Supervising Editor, the publishers would 
express their obligations to the various estimable gentlemen who have rendered valu- 
able aid in the production of this work — Mr. William Ruchard Cutter, A. M., His- 
torian of the New England Historic-Genealogical Society, of Woburn, Massachusetts ; 
Mr. William A. Woodworth, A. B., LL.B., Law Librarian, of White Plains, New York ; 
Mr. Edmund Piatt, Editor of the Daily Eagle, Poughkeepsie, New York ; Mr. Joseph 
Van Cleft, of Newburg, New York, of the Newburg Bay and Highlands Historical 
Society; Major John Waller, of Monticello, New York, Editor and Publisher of The 
Sullivan County Republican; Miss Ida M. Blake, Editor of the Putnam County (New 
York) Republican; Mr. Benjamin M. Brink, of Kingston, New York, former Editor of 
The Leader, publisher of "Olde Ulster" ; Mr. Alonzo Bedell, of Haverstraw, New 
York; Rev. James H. Robinson, D.D., of Delhi, New York; former Senator Clar- 
ence E. Bloodgood, A. B.. of Catskill, New York; Mr. Willard Peck, A. M., LL.B., of 
Hudson, New York. 



OTHI'K r.r.NF.ALOCICAL PUBLICATIONS BY THE LEWIS HISTORICAL PUBLISHING 

COMPANY: 

"New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial"; "Genealogical and Personal Memoirs, Massa- 
chusetts," also similar separate works on Boston and Eastern Massachusetts, Worcester Coimty, and 




'AiRUUN KIL.IAUN VAN RENSSELAER 



He boufhl Irom Oil- linllon^ his Imimrlniil tmcl Ihol Included the sue o( Albany. N. Y., on July 27. 1630 
Prom oil ix.rlroll owned by lloword Van Rensselaer. M. D.. Albany 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



This family will 
VAN RENSSELAER ever stand in his- 
tory as the original 
owner of a very important and large area of 
land in the New World. Everyone in the 
United States either bearing that name or of 
the blood, must turn to Albany in order to 
trace his or her descent, which leads to the 
single progenitor of the family in America. 
For nearly three centuries it has been a fam- 
ily whose members have invariably maintained, 
by culture and mode of living, an undisputed 
prominence, yet with a well-known reluctance 
to force itself into public affairs, preferring 
that retirement which refinement usually seeks, 
avoiding notoriety and the contiict concomi- 
tant with affairs of business life and public 
ofifice. 

The family, however, has never siU^ered the 
complaint of any lack of patriotism nor of 
failing to respond to a genuine appeal to serve 
the government in an official capacity. It can 
with full right count its numbers who have 
done both with a verdict of fullest credit from 
the people. The direct line has had its rep- 
resentation in the congress of the nation, in 
the state senate and assembly of New York, 
and in the chair of the lieutenant-governor of 
the Empire State. 

(I) Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, son of Hen- 
•drick Van Rensselaer and Maria Pafraet, was 
born in Hasselt, Province of Overyssel, in the 
Netherlands, about 1580, and died in Amster- 
dam, Holland, in 1644. He was the first Pa- 
troon, and the founder of the colony of Rens- 
selaerswyck in America ; was a wealthy mer- 
chant of Amsterdam, known to be a dealer in 
pearls and precious stones, to have had some 
reputation as a banker and general merchant, 
and owned large estates in Holland. He ex- 
hibited sagacity in his stand taken with regard 
to the policy of the colony, as against the de- 
sires of his associates who desired to grow 
wealthy with rapidity. They sought to have 
those sent out engage in hunting for the pur- 
pose of immediate and large shipments to for- 
eign lands, while he desired that the colonists 



become settlers, owning their houses, leading 
happy and contented lives, so that they would 
be willing to remain there, raise large families, 
and continue to work on an ever increasing 
scale as they prospered. He not only had the 
courage to found a colony in the wilds of an 
luiknown America ; but possessed the energy 
to i)ush the work, once begun, and discourag- 
ing at times, until it prospered. 

In January, 1631, he sent Marinus Adri- 
aensz, from \'eere, with some assistants, as 
tobacco planters, and in July he sent Laurens 
Laurensz, from Kopehaven, with another 
Northman, to operate the saw and gristmill, 
also a number of laborers and some ten calves. 
Knowing that they could not succeed in their 
support for the first two or three years, he 
allowed them from 150 to 180 guilders per 
annum. He also provided the colonists with 
implements, and allowed the farm hands from 
forty to ninety guilders a year. Between 1630 
and 1632 he transported on these terms ten 
persons in the first year, and twelve in the 
next two succeeding years. 

On March 6, 1642, Patroon Kiliaen Van 
Rensselaer requested the classis of Amsterdam 
to send "a good, honest and pure preacher" to 
his colony, and that body selected Dominie 
Johannes Megapolensis Jr., pastor of Schorel 
and berg of the Alkmaar classis, who ac- 
cepted the call of six years, conditioned on a 
salary of one thousand guilders ($400) that 
he need not be required to work as a farmer, 
the same to be paid in meat, drink and what- 
c\er he might claim. 

Authentic records show that Kiliaen Van 
Rensselaer, first Patroon, died in 1644, in 
Amsterdam, Holland, although it has been 
published that his death took place in 1645 
and also 1646. He was twice married. His 
first wife was Hillegonda Van Bylaer (or 
Bijler), daughter of Jan Van Bylaer, member 
of a prominent family in Holland. By her 
he had three children. She died in Holland, 
and was buried January i, 1627, in the Oude 
Kerk. His second wife was Anna Van Wely 
(or Weely), whom he married December 14, 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



1627, and by her he had seven children. She 
was the daughter of Jan Van Wely the young- 
er, of Barneveldt, residing at The Hague, and 
of Leonora Haukens (or HaeckensJ, of Ant- 
werp. To Anna \"an Wely was presented in 
1684 the first thimble, made by a goldsmith 
named Nicholas Van Benschoten, as a protec- 
tion for her dainty fingers. She died June 12, 
1670. The first and second wives were ap- 
parently cousins. 

The children of Kiliaen Van Rensselaer 
were: i. Hendrick, died in childhood. 2. 
Johannes, baptized September 4, 1625, died in 
the latter part of 1662, or early in 1663. He 
was the second Patroon, but never came to 
America. Being a minor, of about nineteen 
years, when his father died in 1644, tlie es- 
tates in Holland and at Rensselaerswyck were 
placed in charge of executors. They selected 
Brant Arentse Van Slichtenhorst to take 
charge of the colony, in place of Arent Van 
Curler, resigned, who arrived at Fort Orange, 
March 22, 1648. 3. Maria, died without issue. 
4. Hillegonda, buried August 23, 1664; with- 
out issue. 5. Eleanora, died without issue. 6. 
Susanna, lived and died in Holland; married 
Jan de la Court, August 5, 1664. 7. Jan Bap- 
tist, born in Holland; was the first of the name 
to visit America, coming as "Director" of 
Rensselaerswyck colony in 165 1, returned to 
Holland in 1658. 8. Jeremias, born in Amster- 
dam, Holland, 1632, became the third Pa- 
troon; (see forward). 9. Rev. Nicolaas 
(Nicholas), born in Holland, died there about 
1695. He came to America, arriving at Rens- 
selaerswyck, June 30. 1664, and in that year 
built for himself a residence on the west bank 
of the Hudson river, about four miles north 
of Albany, called The Flatts, which was long 
afterwards known as Schuyler's Bouwerie. 
and to this day is known as the Schuyler 
Flatts, because he sold it, June 22, 1672, to 
Philip Pieterse Schuyler, the father of Al- 
bany's first mayor, Pieter Schuyler. 

(H) Colonel Jeremias Van Rensselaer, son 
of Kiliaen Van Rensselaer and .'Vnna Van 
Wely, was born in Amsterdam. Holland, in 
1632, and was the third Patroon. He died in 
Rensselaerswyck, October 12, 1674. Because 
he was the first patroon who resided in the 
colony, he was considered the first lord of the 
manor nf Rensselaerswyck. It has constituted 
considerable confusion to distinguish in the 
series the proper numerical position of the 



patroon and the lord of the manor, many his- 
torians employing the terms as though synony- 
mous expressions, in error. It fell to the lot 
of Jeremias \'an Rensselaer to witness the 
overthrow of the Dutch rule at Fort Orange, 
September 24, 1664. and to find it again to 
revert to the Dutch government, August 5, 
1673, when the fort at Albany became known 
as Willemstadt. 

He continued the work of his father on 
much the same lines. His eftorls saw the com- 
pletion of the Dutch church edifice, a rude, 
wooden affair, in July, 1646. One may form 
an excellent idea of the colony's aspects by 
what Father Isaac Jogues, the Jesuit mission- 
ary residing there, wrote thereof on August 
3, 1646: 

"There arc two things in this settlement — first, a 
miserable little fort called Fort Orange, built of logs. 
with four or live pieces of Breteuil cannon and as 
many swivels. This has been reserved and is main- 
tained by the West India Company. This fort was 
formerly on an island in the river. It is now on the 
mainland toward the Iroquois, a little above the said 
island. Second, a colony sent here by this Rens- 
selaer, who is the patroon. This colony is composed 
of about a hundred persons, who reside in some 
twenty-five or thirty houses, built along the river as 
each one found most convenient. In the principal 
house lives the patroon's agent: the minister has his 
apart, in which service is performed. There is also 
a kind of bailiff here, whom they call the seneschal, 
who administers justice. Their houses are solely of 
boards and thatched, with no mason-work except 
the chimneys. The forest furnishes many fine pines ; 
they make boards by means of their mills, which 
they have here for the purpose. They found some 
pieces of cultivated ground, which the savages had 
formerly cleared, and in which they sow wheat and 
oats for beer, and for their horses, of which they 
have great numbers. There is little land fit for 
tillage, being hemmed in by hills, w-hich are poor 
soil. This obliges them to separate, and they al- 
ready occupy two or three leagues of the country. 
Trade is free to all ; this gives the Indians all things 
cheap, each of the Hollanders outbidding his neigh- 
bor, and being satisfied, provided he can gain some 
little profit." 

Colonel Jeremias Van Rensselaer, the third 
Patroon. married, at New Amsterdam, July 
12. 1662, Maria \'an Cortlandt. She was borii 
July 20. 1645, died January 24. 1689, daughter 
of Oloff Stevensen \'an Cortlandt, who came 
to New .\msterdam in 1637 from W'yck by 
Duurstede, Province of Utrecht, Holland, and 
died in New York City. April 4, 1684. having 
married Anna Loockermans, who died in May, 
1684. 

Children of Jeremias Van Rensselaer and 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



3 



Maria \'an Cortlaiidt: i. Kiliaeii, mentioned 
. below. 2. Johannes, died without issue. 3. 
Anna, born at Rensselaerswyck, August 1, 
1665; married (first) Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, 
son of Johannes Van Rensselaer and Eliza- 
beth Van Twiller, who died in 1687; ( second j 
William Nicoll. 4. Hendrick, born at Rens- 
selaerswyck, October 23, 1667; resided in 
Greenbush, Rensselaer county (Rensselaer, N. 
Y.), where he died July 2, 1740. 5. Maria, 
born at Rensselaerswyck, October 25, 1672 ; 
married, at that place, September 14, 1691, 
Peter Schuyler, son of Philip Pieterse Schuy- 
ler and Margareta Van Slechtenhorst. 

(Ill) Kiliaen (2), son of Colonel Jeremias 
Van Rensselaer and Maria Van Cortlandt, be- 
ing the fourth Patroon of Rensselaerswyck, 
was born there August 24, 1663, being "Fri- 
day morning towards eight o'clock," and "was 
baptized the next Sunday." He died at Rens- 
selaerswyck in 1719. He was left in the man- 
agement of the manor for account of the heirs 
of the first patroon until 1695. At this date, 
all the children of Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, the 
projector of the colony, were dead, except two, 
Eleanora and Richard, and the latter was the 
treasurer of Vianen, a legalized asylum in 
Holland for criminals. The \'an Rensselaer 
estate was not yet divided among his heirs, but 
for nearly fifty years had been held in com- 
mon. Besides the manor there was a large 
estate in Holland (the Crailo) and other prop- 
erty. The time had now arrived for the heirs 
to make a settlement. Controversies had 
arisen among them, and, to end the disputes. 
Kiliaen Van Rensselaer (son of Jan Baptist 
Van Rensselaer) was delegated by the heirs 
in Holland to visit America and if possible 
make a complete settlement with the children 
of Jeremias, the third Patroon, as the only 
heirs in this country. Kiliaen, eldest son of 
Jeremias, and the fourth Patroon, was ap- 
pointed with power of attorney to act for the 
family of which he w-as a member. The 
'cousins met, and after a prolonged discussion 
in which, as is usual, both lost their temper, 
they at last came to an amicable agreement to 
their mutual satisfaction. The indenture is 
dated New York, November i, 1695. The 
heirs in Holland released to the heirs in Al- 
bany all right and title in the manor, which 
was reciprocated by the release of the latter 
to the former of all right and title to the land 
in Holland, known as the Crailo, and another 



tract in Guelderland. They also agreed to 
deliver the titles to three farms in the manor, 
reserving the tenths, and to pay in addition 
seven hundred pieces of eight. They also re- 
leased all claims on personal property in Hol- 
land, as well as on certain expectations from 
relatives on their decease. Bonds were ex- 
changed between the cousins for the faithful 
performance of the contract, and the work was 
complete. At last, in 1695, the vast estate of 
the old Patroon was settled, and the colony he 
founded in 1630, with its territory of practi- 
cally twenty-four by forty-eight miles, was in 
possession of one family, consisting of Kiliaen, 
Johannes, Hendrick, Maria (wife of Mayor 
Pieter Schuyler), and Anna (wife of William 
Nicoll). Besides the manor they owned an- 
other tract of land containing 62,000 acres, 
known as the CJaverack patent, and quite com- 
monly called the "Lower Manor." The latter 
was on the eastern side of the river, in the 
vicinity of what is now Hudson, New York. 
At this time the province was under the Eng- 
lish law, and the eldest son was heir-at-law 
of the real estate belonging to his father. To 
Kiliaen, the eldest son of Jeremias Van Rens- 
selaer, deceased, a patent was granted May 
20, 1704, for the entire manor, including the 
Claverack jiatent. His brother Johannes hav- 
ing died without issue, there were only three 
others interested. Kiliaen conveyed to his 
brother Hendrick, on June i, 1704, the Clav- 
erack patent and some 1,500 acres on the east 
side of the river, opposite Albany, later known 
as Greenbush, and then as Rensselaer, New 
York. To his sister Maria or her heirs he 
gave a farm of a few hundred acres adjoin- 
ing The Flatts, above Albany, and to his sister 
.Anna or her heirs he gave a farm larger in 
extent, but at that time no more valuable, lo- 
cated on the west bank of the river, in the 
tow-n of Bethlehem. 

Kiliaen Van Rensselaer devoted much of his 
life to the public service. He was an officer 
of the militia and one of the magistrates, and 
represented the manor in the assembly from 
1693 to 1704, in which latter year he was ap- 
pointed to the council, remaining a member 
until he died in 1719. The settling of the 
manor was much retarded by Indian wars. 
It was a common practice for the tribes to 
resell the lands to others after they had sold 
to Van Rensselaer in 1630. Kiliaen's grand- 
father's old miller, Barent Pieterse Coeymans, 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



who came out in 1636, purchased from the 
Catskill Indians, in 1673, a tract of land eight 
miles along the river by twelve miles deep, 
which was actually the manor lands. He even 
procured a patent for it from Governor Love- 
lace, April. 1673, and the legal contest over 
it was not decided until 1706. Of his children, 
two of the three sons, Jcremias and Stephen, 
survived him, and these were successively 
patroons. Two of his daughters, Anna and 
Gertrude, married brothers, sons of Arent 
Schuyler, of Belleville, New Jersey. 

It was while Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, fourth 
Patroon, was alive and at the head of the 
colony, that Albany became a city by charter 
granted by Governor Thomas Dongan, July 
22, 1686. Naturally it created a serious state 
of affairs, for it meant the determination of 
the prescribed areas of Rensselaerswyck and 
Albany, which had been geographically very 
closely connected, for the legal security of 
which Van Rensselaer had secured purchaser's 
rights from the Indians. Dongan came to 
Albany in May, 1686, and was requested by 
the most prominent men to issue a charter by 
which the village might acquire larger bound- 
aries and by virtue of being a city would have 
a higher guarantee of property titles than that 
of magistrates. This forced Dongan to obtain 
a relinquishment of the Van Rensselaer claim'^ 
to the land the people would include within 
the bounds, and his decision, as reported Feb- 
ruary 22. 1687. to the privy council of King 
James, regarding the rights of each party, is 
as follows : 

"The Town of .-Mbany lyes within the Ranslaers 
Colony. And to sav the truth the RanMaers had the 
right to it, for it was they settled the place, and upon 
a petition of one of them to our present King (James 
II.) about .Mbany the Petitioner was referred to his 
Matvs Council at Law, who upon perusal of the 
Ranslaers Papers, made their return that it was their 
opinion that it did belonR to them. Upon which 
there was an order sent over to Sir Edmund Andros 
that the Ranslaers should be put in possession of 
Albany. & that every house should pay some two 
Beavers, some more, some less, according to their 
dimensions. Pr annum, for thirty years and after- 
wards the Ranslaers to nut what rent upon them 
they co\dd agree for. What reason Sir Edmund 
Andros has given for not nutting these orders into 
execution I know not. The Ranslaers came and 
brought mec the same orders which I thought not 
convenient to execute, judgeing it not for his Matys 
Interest that the second Town of the Government & 
which brink's his Maty soe great a Revenue, should 
bee in the hands of any particular men. The town 
of itself is upon a barren sandy spot of Land, & 



the Inhabitants live wholly upon Trade with the In- 
dians. By the means of .Mr. James Graham, Judge 
(John) Palmer & Mr. (Stephanus van) Cortlandt 
that have great influence on the people, I got the 
Ranslaers to release their pretence to the Town and 
sixteen miles into the Country for Commons to the 
King, with liberty to cut firewood within the Colony 
for one & twenty years. After I had obtained this 
release of the Ranslaers I passed the patent for Al- 
bany, wherein was included the aforementioned Pas- 
ture to which the People apprehended they had so 
good a right that they expressed themselves discon- 
tented at my reserving a small spot of it for a garden 
for the use of the Garrison. That the people of .-M- 
bany has given mee seven hundred pounds is untrue. 
I am but promised three hundred pounds which is 
not near my Prquisits, viz. ten shillings for every 
house & the like for every hundred acres patented 
by mee." 

Kiliaen \'an Rensselaer, the fourth Patroon, 
married Alaria Van Cortlandt, in New York 
City, (Jctober 15, 1701. She was born on her 
father's extensive estate, the Van Cortlandt 
Manor, near Croton, New York, April 4, 1680. 
She wrote her name Maritje. Her father was 
Stephanus Van Cortlandt (born May 7, 1643, 
died November 25, 1700), son of Oloff Stev- 
eiiscii \'an Cortlandt and Anna Loockermans, 
who had married. September 10, 1671, Ger- 
trude Sciiuyler (born February 4, 1654, died 
after (Jctober 7, 1719), daughter of Philip 
Schuyler and Margareta Van Slechtenhorst. 
Maria \'an Cortlandt, when Van Rensselaer's 
widow. iii;irried Dominie John Miller, or Mel- 
len. Children, born at Albany: i. Maria, 
July 31, 1702; married Frederick Van Cort- 
landt. 2. Gertrude, (Jctober 4, 1703; died May 
9, 1705. 3. Jeremias, March 18, 1705; died at 
Albany, and was buried May 8, 1745, without 
issue; he came of legal age in 1726 and was 
made the fifth Patroon, or third Lord of the 
Manor, and represented the manor in the as- 
sembly from September, 1726, to September, 
1743. 4. Stephen, mentioned below. 5. Jo- 
hannes, December 10, 1708, died 1711, with- 
out issue. 6. Daughter, born August 28, 1710; 
died September 2, 1710. 7. Johannes, Novem- 
ber 15. 1711; died December 9, 1711. 8. 
Jacobus (James), March 29, 1713; died 1713. 
9. Gertrude, October i, 1714; married Ado- 
niah Schuyler (born 1717, died 1763), son of 
Arent Schuyler and Swantje Dyckhuyse. 10. 
John Baptist. January 29, 1717; died 1763, 
without issue. 11. Anna, January i, 1719; 
died 1791 : married John .Schuyler, son of 
Arent Schuyler and Swantje Dyckhuyse. 

(IV) Stephen, son of Kiliaen Van Reus- 



SCJUTHERX NEW YORK 



selaer and Maria Van Cortlandt, was born at 
Albany, New York, March 17, 1707; was bap- 
tized March 23 by Dominie Lydius, of the 
Dutch Reformed Church, with General PhiHp 
Schuyler, godfather, Maria Van Cortlandt and 
Elizabeth Johanna Schuyler, godmothers; died 
at the Manor House in Albany, and was 
buried "at the mills" on July i, 1747. He was 
the sixth Patroon, and known as the fourth 
Lord of the Manor. His elder brother, Jere- 
mias Van Rensselaer, had been the fifth Pa- 
troon, but died unmarried in 1745, as the old- 
est son of Kiliaen Van Rensselaer. Stephen 
therefore succeeded him in control. His con- 
stitution was not robust, and he never took a 
very active part in public affairs, and only two 
years after his succession died at the age of 
forty. The population of the province of New 
York at that time was 61,589. Colonel Will- 
iam Johnson was at that period sending bands 
of Indian allies into Canada, for in Septem- 
ber, 1746, he had been appointed "chief man- 
ager of the Indian war and colonel over all 
the Indians by their own approbation." The 
savages had burned the farms at Saratoga 
(Schuylerville) November 17, 1745, and the 
French were expected to move upon Albany 
at any time. He married, at Albany, July 5, 
1729, Elizabeth Groesbeck, born at Albany, 
baptized August 17, 1707, buried December 
31, 1756. Her father was Stephanus Groes- 
beck, a trader (son of Claas Jacobse Groes- 
beck, from Rotterdam in 1662), buried July 
17, 1744, who married, July 16, 1699, Eliza- 
beth Lansing (born 1679), daughter of Johan- 
nes Lansing (born in Hassel and buried at 
Albany, February 28. 1728) and Gertrude Van 
Schaick. Children of sixth Patroon Stephen 
Van Rensselaer and Elizabeth Groesbeck: i. 
Kiliaen. born at Albany, baptized December 8, 
1730; died 1730, without issue. 2. Marie, bap- 
tized August 13, 1732; died 1734, without is- 
sue. 3. Elizabeth, baptized July 12, 1734; 
married at Albany, November i, 1763, General 
Abraham Ten Broeck (son of Mayor Dirck 
Ten Broeck and Margarita Cuyler), who was 
mayor of Albany from April 9, 1779, to June 
26, 1783, and from October 15, 1796, to De- 
cember 31, 1798; born at Albany, May 13, 
1734, died there January 19, 1810. 4. Kiliaen, 
baptized April 17, 1737 ; died without issue. 5. 
Maria, baptized August 19, 1739; died without 
issue. 6. Stephen, seventh Patroon, born at 
Rensselaerswyck, baptized June 2, 174". died 



October 19, 1769; married Catherine Living- 
ston (see forward). 7. Kihaen, born 1743; 
died without issue. 

(V) Stephen (2), son of Stephen Van 
Rensselaer and Elizabeth Groesbeck, was born 
at Rensselaerswyck, baptized June 2, 1742, and 
died at Watervliet, Albany county, October 19, 
1769. He was the seventh Patroon. His fa- 
ther had died when he was only five years old 
and the estate had to be managed for him. At 
about that time (in 1749) the population of 
Albany county was 10,634, and of the colony 
of New York 73,348. The boundary between 
New York and Massachusetts was in dispute 
in 1752, as the manors of Hendrick Van Rens- 
selaer and Robert Livingston, on the east side 
of the Hudson, were being encroached upon. 
In 1753 the Albany council petitioned Gov- 
ernor Clinton to levy a tax on the province 
in order to raise $30,000 to erect a stone wall 
about -the city, claiming it required such de- 
fense as a frontier town. The various prov- 
inces sent commissioners to the colonial con- 
gress held in Albany, June, 1754, and 1755 
marked the great conflict with the French, with 
serious engagements along Lakes Champlain 
and George, which were of vital concern to 
Albany. On September 17, 1755, General 
Philip Schuyler married Catharine Van Rens- 
selaer, only daughter of Colonel John Van 
Rensselaer, of the Claverack Manor, and 
granddaughter of the original owner of the 
vast tract on the east side after the first divi- 
sion of the Van Rensselaer patent. In 1756 
the population of Albany county had risen to 
17,524, and the Schuyler Flatts were burned 
that year. So serious was the Massachusetts 
boundary dispute in July, 1757, that ofifers 
were made to take Hendrick Van Rensselaer 
dead or alive. Troops assembled here in great 
numbers under General James Abercrombie in 
1758, and following the death of Lord Howe 
at Ticonderoga, July 6th, his body was brought 
here for burial in St. Peter's Church. 

The A'an Rensselaer Manor House, ■ • he 
"Patroon's," as it was more commonly cal'cd, 
was built by Stephen Van Rensselaer in 1765. 
At the time of its erection it was unquestion- 
ably the handsomest house in the colonies, and 
as such exerted a wide influence over the archi- 
tecture of the more ambitious dwellings. Onq 
or two (possibly three) other edifices had been 
used by the head of the family before this, and 
likewise styled the Manor House ; but they 



SOUTH KRN NEW YORK 



were ])oor affairs compared with this one or 
with the average residence of these days in a 
country village. The original house was built 
of brick of unusual size (9 x 4'^ x 2 inches) 
and it was painted in the colonial colors, cream 
and white. A short Hight of steps led up to 
the Dutch "stoop," a small porch whose roof 
was upheld by two Doric columns, above 
which, in the second story, was the great Pal- 
ladian window. The house was flanked at 
cither end with octagonal wings one story in 
height. Tlie walls were of unusual solidity, 
and the entire construction was the heaviest. 
The floor beams were of hewn pine, ranging 
from 3 X 12 to 9 X 11 inches. All about it 
were gardens and lawns, surrounded by enor- 
mous elms, and the gradual slope towards the 
Hudson river was beautified for acres with 
floral effects, fountain and statuary. Located 
one mile north of State street, it stood directly 
at the head of Broadway, which made a turn 
to the west in order to continue northward as 
the Troy road. Patroon's creek was the south- 
ern demarcation of the property, spanned by a 
massive brownstone bridge, and at its edge 
stood the lodge where the keeper lived. It was 
to this handsome home that Stephen Van Rens- 
selaer brought his bride, Catherine Livingston ; 
but he enjoyed it only a brief spell, for within 
six years of his marriage he died. 

Stejjhen \'an Rensselaer, the seventh Pa- 
troon, married, in New York City, januarj' 
2^, 1764. Catherine Livingston, born August 
25, I74> died .April 17, 1810. Her father was 
Philip Livingston, signer of the Declaration of 
Indc]icndence for Mew York state, born Janu- 
ary 15, 1716, died at York, Pennsylvania. June 
12, 1778, who married, April 14, 1740. Chris- 
tina Ten Broeck, born December 30. 1718. died 
June 29, 1801. When a widow, following the 
death of her husband, October 19, 1769, Mrs. 
Van Rensselaer married, at .Mbany, July 19. 
1775, Dominie Eilardus Westerlo, pastor of 
the Dutch Reformed Church in Albany, who 
was born in Groeningen, came to Albany in 
1760, and died in Albany, December 26, 1790, 
by whom she had Rensselaer Westerlo, born 
in the Manor House, May 6, 1776, died April 
18, 185 1, married May 5, 1S05, Jane Lansing, 
daughter of Chancellor John Lansing; and a 
daughter, Catherine, born in the Manor House, 
August 23, T778. died at .Albany, September 
27, 1846. married Judge John Woodworth. 
Children of seventh Patroon Stephen Van 



Rensselaer and Catherine Livingston: 1. 
Stephen, born in New York City, November 
I, 1764. (See forward.) 2. Philip Schuy- 
ler, born at the Manor House, Albany, 
April 15, 1766; died at No. 85 State street, 
Albany, September 25, 1824; was thirty- 
second mayor of Albany, officiating the 
longest of any mayor, January i, 1799, to July 
7, 1816, and July 3, 1819, to February 18, 1821, 
and was president of the Bank of Albany ; 
married, 1787, Anna de Peyster Van Cort- 
landt, born 1766, died January 10, 1855, and 
was daughter of General Philip Van Cort- 
landt and Catherine De Peyster ; no issue. 3. 
Elizabeth, born at the Manor House in Al- 
bany, August 15, 1768; died in Albany, March 
27, 1841 ; married in Albany. September 18, 
1787. John Bradstreet Schuyler, born in Al- 
bany, and was baptized July 23, 1765, died at 
Sarat<5ga (Schuylerville). August 19, 1795, 
son of (leneral I'hilip Schuyler and Catherine 
\'an Rensselaer, by whom she had two sons — 
Philip, born in Albany, October 26, 1788, mar- 
ried (Irace Hunter; and Stephen Van Rens- 
selaer, born May 4, 1790, died young. After 
the death of John B. Schuyler, Elizabeth, his 
widow, married John Bleecker, in 1800. by 
whom she had one daughter, who married 
Cornelius Glen Van Rensselaer, and several 
sons who died unmarried, among them Ste- 
phen \'an Rensselaer Bleecker, born January 
5, 1803: died April 16, 1827. 

(\T) General Stephen Van Rensselaer, the 
eighth Patroon, son of Stephen (2) \"an Rens- 
selaer and Catherine Livingston, was born in 
the house of his grandfather, Philip Living- 
ston, the Signer, in New York City, Novem- 
ber I, 1764, and died in the Manor House at 
Alljany, New York, January 26, 1839. The 
new manor house of the Patroon was not 
completed until he was one year old, in 1765, 
and his father brought him and his mother 
there so soon as it was ready. His father 
died October 19, 1769, at the age of twenty- 
seven, when the son was less than six years 
old, so the care of the great landed and feudal 
estate, which had fallen exclusively to him by 
the rule of primogeniture, was committed to 
his uncle. General .Miraham Ten Broeck. It 
was managed by him with rare ability through- 
out the minority of his ward, despite the dis- 
turbed condition of affairs during the revolu- 
tionary period, when Albany was the scene of 
serious preparation for war in collecting men 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



and supplies for the great conflict at Bemis 
Heights and old Saratoga or Schuylerville. 
General Ten Broeck was a participant in this 
military movement to the north, and was the 
twenty-eighth mayor of Albany, officiating 
from April 9, 1/79, to Jime 26, 1783, and a 
second term from October 15, 1796, to De- 
cember 31, 179S. He had married Elizabeth, 
daughter of Patroon Stephen \'an Rensselaer 
and Elizabeth Groesbeck, November i, 1763. 
Under his direction the manor house was 
erected. Stephen was given his earliest edu- 
cation at Albany by John Waters, who was 
what was then known as a professional school- 
master, and, being before the days of printed 
spelling-books, he was taught from a horn- 
book. A little later his grandfather, Philip 
Livingston, took charge of his education, plac- 
ing him at a school in Elizabethtown, New 
Jersey; but the troublous times of the revolu- 
tion drove Livingston with his family from 
his home in New York City, and they took 
refuge in Kingston. Fortunately he estab- 
lished a classical academy there under John 
Addison, a fine Scotchman possessing thor- 
ough scholarship and who was later a state 
senator. It then became necessary to supply 
the young man with an advanced education, 
and he was sent to Princeton, when the cele- 
brated Dr. Witherspoon, scholar, divine and 
patriot, was president. Witherspoon aban- 
doned education for the pursuit of war, was 
a Signer of the Declaration, and young Van 
Rensselaer, to avoid the seat of war, was sent 
to Cambridge, where he became a Harvard 
graduate in 1782. In i82'5 Yale conferred 
upon him the degree of Doctor of Laws. The 
year following his graduation in 1782, peace 
had been restored in the United States, and 
the new nation firmly established. There was 
no occasion for the young man, when nine- 
teen years of age, to fight. Instead, he turned 
his attention to matrimony, and married Mar- 
garet Schuyler, at "Old" Saratoga (Schuyler- 
ville). New York, in 1783. She was third 
daughter of General Philip Schuyler and 
Catherine Van Rensselaer. Her next elder 
sister, Elizabeth, had married Alexander 
Hamilton, who were thus the uncle and aunt 
of General Stephen Van Rensselaer. Mar- 
garet Schuyler was born in Albany, and bap- 
tized there September 24, 1758, and she died 
there on March 14, 1801. Her remains re- 
pose in the center of the Van Rensselaer lot 



in the Albany Rural Cemetery. Her father 
was General Philip Schuyler, commander of 
the Army of the North in 1777, and trusted 
friend of Washington, who was born in Al- 
bany, November 11, 1733, married Septem- 
ber 17, 1755, and died in Albany, November 
18, 1804. Her mother was Catherine \"an 
Rensselaer, born in "The ,Crailo," Greenbush 
(Rensselaer, New York), November 4, 1734, 
died in the Schuyler Mansion, Albany, March 
7, 1803, and was daughter of Johannes Van 
Rensselaer and Engeltie (Angelica) Living- 
ston, the latter being the daughter of Robert 
Livingston, Jun., twelfth mayor of Albany. 
John \'an Rensselaer became heir of the 
Claverack patent, when his father, Hendrick, 
died July 2, 1740, and was thus the owner of 
"The Crailo" in Greenbush, called Rensselaer 
later. It will be remembered that Hendrick 
Van Rensselaer was a brother of the last 
Patroon by the name of Kiliaen, in other 
words, the younger brother of Stephen's great- 
grandfather. Hendrick was born in 1667, 
died in 1689, and had married Catharina Van 
Brough (or Verbrugge), whose share in the 
property left by their father Jeremias was the 
Claverack property. At this time Stephen Van 
Rensselaer's mother was the wife of Dominie 
Eilardus Westerlo, whom she had married in 
Albany, July 19, 1775, and they were residing 
in the Manor House, which she had a right 
to do as the Patroon's widow. He was an 
original Dutchman, born in Groeningen, 
known widely as a fine scholar, an eminent 
divine, and as the pastor for a long period of 
the Dutch Reformed Church in Albany, 
preaching in the Dutch language for the first 
fifteen or twenty years of his charge. As 
Dominie Westerlo and his wife, the mother 
of Stephen, were occupying the Manor House, 
consequently the young man brought his bride 
to the mansion at the southeast corner of 
North Market street (Broadway) and North 
Ferry street, which had served as an ample 
parsonage. When, however. Stephen reached 
his majority. Dr. Westerlo and his wife ex- 
changed residences with the young Patroon 
and his bride, the latter couple leaving the 
parsonage to occupy the manor house. The 
day of his attaining his majority was made 
one of great celebration, and from miles 
around the tenantry and the social set of the 
city flocked to participate in his hospitality. 
Mr. Van Rensselaer found it necessary to 



8 



SOUTHERN XRW YORK 



look critically after the interests of his manor, 
for in order to secure good returns it was 
essential that the lands should be cultivated, 
and while speculators would buy lands, the 
farmers, or laborious tillers of the soil, were 
unwilling to contract for the fee. By offering 
leases in fee or for long terms at a moderate 
lental, he readily succeeded in bringing a large 
proportion of his lahds, comprising the greater 
portion of the counties of Albany and Rens- 
selaer, into cultivation, thus acquiring a good- 
ly income, yet those who knew him have said 
"he had none of that morbid appetite for 
wealth which grows ravenous by what it feeds 
on." He received his first military commis- 
sion, as a major of infantry, in 1786, when 
twenty-two years old, and two years later was 
promoted to colonel and given command of a 
regiment. In 1801 Governor John Jay direct- 
ed the cavalry of New York to be divided 
from the infantry, and the cavalry formed a 
single division, with two brigades, and the 
command of the whole was conferred upon 
Stephen \'an Rensselaer. He bore the com- 
mission of major-general of cavalry to his 
death. In 178" he took an important step in 
his career as a man of character, when twen- 
ty-three years of age and on the threshold of 
a life which might have been one pampered 
with wanton and luxurious excesses, he de- 
liberately chose, by a formal profession of 
religious faith and a personal vow of religious 
obedience, according to the doctrines and dis- 
cipline of the Christian church as adopted by 
the Dutch reformers, to pledge himself to a 
life of temperance, simplicity, truth and pur- 
ity. How well he kept his vow is known to 
all who were intimately acquainted with the 
manner of his life, for his domestic relations 
were the most tender, and his character be- 
fore the world harmonious and beautiful, as 
well as replete with deeds of public service. 
Towards the close of 1787 the convention sit- 
ting in Philadelphia to frame a constitution, 
terminated its labors and submitted its work 
for the ju<lgnient of the people. Mr. Van 
Rensselaer took ground promptly, and was 
pronouncedly in favor of the constitution. 
The next spring delegates to the state con- 
vention were to be chosen from Albany coun- 
ty, and both Yates and Lansing, who had left 
the riiiladclpliia convention before its labors 
were completed, were residents of the same 
county and held great power as anti-Federal- 



ists. It was to be expected that their views 
would prevail, yet Mr. Van Rensselaer, urged 
by his party to uphold their moral force in 
the controversy, consented to stand as a can- 
didate for the assembly, and despite his popu- 
larity was beaten. In the spring of the next 
year. 1789, however, Mr. Van Rensselaer was 
again a candidate, and, with the previous ques- 
tion settled, was elected by an enormous ma- 
jority. In the spring of 1790 he was elected 
to the state senate and was re-elected, serving 
continuously until 1795, as a faithful, vigilant 
and influential member. On standing com- 
mittees, of which there were few then, he was 
always an important member. At the next 
gubernatorial election, 1795, he was chosen 
lieutenant-governor, with Hon. John Jay as 
executive, Messrs. Yates and Floyd heading 
the opposition ticket. In 1798 both were re- 
nominated and elected by handsome majori- 
ties. This time Chancellor Livingston was 
Mr. Jay's opponent, while Mr. Van Rens- 
selaer was the candidate of both Federalists 
and the antis, so universally popular had he 
become. At the same time, the plan was to 
attract votes for Livingston away from Jay. 
In January, 1801, a convention was held at 
the Tontine Coffee House in Albany, and Mr. 
Van Rensselaer was unanimously named the 
candidate for governor. His nomination was 
enthusiastically seconded in New York City 
and at public meetings all over the state. His 
purity, reliable judgment and competent ac- 
quaintance with interests and business of the 
state commended hiin; but the parties were 
at such great odds, the rancor so fearful, that 
it poisoned even whole families with hatred 
one for another. De Witt Clinton was named 
as his opponent. He was also deservedly 
popular and a man of great energy in affairs 
of moment. In the midst of the state cam- 
paign aimouncement of the election of Thom- 
as Jefferson was announced. It helped in 
large measure to turn the tide, and Mr. Van 
Rensselaer was defeated by a majority of less 
than 4,000 votes. In October, 1801, a state 
convention met at Albany to revise the con- 
stitution, and Mr. Van Rensselaer was a mem- 
ber, presiding during much of the delibera- 
tions as chairmS'>, although Aaron Burr was 
its president. Ih 1807 he was elected to the 
assembly, with his friend, .'\braham Van 
A'echten. as colleague. In March. 1810. a 
commission was chosen l)v the legislature, con- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



State of New York, and was subsequently the 
chancellor until his death. In December, 1823, 
General Van Rensselaer took his seat in con- 
gress for the first time, and was continued in 
his place by re-election for three successive 
terms, retiring March 4, 1829. He held the 
position of chairman of the committee on agri- 
culture. His report on tariff laws affecting 
agriculture, made in March, 1824, was a valu- 
able one. His ballot on the presidency, in 
February, 1S25, determined the vote of his 
state's delegation in favor of Mr. Adams. On 
May 5, 1824, the Albany Institute was organ- 
ized for the purpose of engaging in fields of 
observation of the natural sciences, for study 
of new theories and discoveries, and the prepa- 
ration of learned papers. General Van Rens- 
selaer was elected its first president, having 
the local prestige of being the president of the 
Albany Lyceum of Natural History. This so- 
ciety elected him annually through fifteen 
years, until his death. He perceived the ad- 
vantage of placing knowledge before the peo- 
ple, and his first movement was to employ 
Professor Eaton, with several competent as- 
sistants, to traverse the state near the route 
of the Erie canal, taking apparatus and speci- 
mens to aid the delivery of lectures before 
business men and farmers in all the villages 
along the line. These were given on chemis- 
try, natural philosophy and various branches 
of natural history, and were given in the sum- 
mer of 1824 at his expense. The experiment 
was a success. He had also been accustomed 
to send his schoolmaster among his tenants 
in the same capacity, and this led him, on 
November 5, 1824, to provide a suitable build- 
ing in Troy. New York, for the conduct of a 
school under Rev. Dr. Blatchford, to whom 
he delivered a set of rules for its government. 
He endowed it with professors, and it was in- 
corporated in 1826 as the Rensselaer Institute. 
Through the next two years he paid one-half 
of its current expenses, and at his death he 
endowed it. Not alone did he institute the 
Rensselaer Polytechnic, but to two colleges he 
gave $5,000 each, and to a single agent for the 
prosecution of scientific research and advance- 
ment of education no less than $30,000. His 
benefactions were not only most liberal, but 
wisely devoted, and in those days these sums 
were considered fortunes in themselves. He 
was connected with the institution of Masonry, 
having been initiated in 1786, when twenty- 



two years old, and was placed in official sta- 
tion, becoming successively junior and senior 
warden, and then master. In 1793 he declined 
further election in Master's Lodge, but in 
1825 was installed in the highest office of 
Masonry, that of grand master, which act was 
conducted by Governor DeW'itt Clinton. The 
funeral of General Van Rensselaer was a most 
impressive one, perhaps more so than any 
other at Albany before or afterwards. The 
religious service was held at the North Dutch 
Church, and the body, in a simple, unadorned 
casket, was borne nearly a mile to the family 
vault, upon men's shoulders, the bearers fre- 
quently relieving each other, for no hearse was 
permitted to receive the hallowed burthen. 
The mourners, composed of the family, civic 
officials. Masonic bodies, school societies, the 
chief magistrate and other executive officers of 
the state, members of the legislature, were all 
on foot, not a carriage being in use. The mili- 
tary were in citizens' dress ; all badges of of- 
fice were laid aside ; no plumes nodded ; no 
helmets glistened ; no music murmured ; sol- 
emn, slow and silent, the vast throng moved 
through the highway to the north. It is of 
interest to note the manner in which in those 
days the intelligence of his death was sent to 
New York City, where he was well known, 
and it being necessary to transmit the news 
because of his prominence in the state's public 
life. It is recorded in Munsell's "Notes from 
the Newspapers," as an item of news on that 
day. January 26, 1839: 

".\n express was started by Messrs. Baker & 
Walker, to carry the intelligence of the Patroon's 
death to New York. A Mr. Dimmick left .\lbany 14 
miniues before 6 p. m. in a sulkey. .^t Redhook, he 
found a bridge gone, but mounted his horse and 
swam the stream, drawing the sulkey after him. M 
Fishkill, the obstruction was much more formidable. 
The bridge was gone, and the road for more than 
half a mile inundated. He again mounted his horse, 
who pushed gallantly into the flood and swam, with 
his rider and sulkey, over a quarter of a mile, bring- 
ing both safely to the opposite shore. Notwithstand- 
ing these and other obstructions the express arrived 
at the Carlton House at 20 minutes past eight o'clock 
in the morning, having rode over the distance of 
about 150 miles in 14 H. -^i M." 

General Stephen Van Rensselaer, the eighth 
Patroon, married (first) Margaret Schuyler, 
daughter of General Philip Schuyler and 
Catherine Van Rensselaer, at Schuylerville, 
New York, June 6, 1783; and married (sec- 
ond) Cornelia Paterson. at New Brunswick, 
New Jersey, on May 17, 1802. She was born 



SOUTllliKN NEW YORK 



sjsting of seven persons — Gouverneur Morris, 
DeW itt Clinton and Stephen Van Rensselaer 
among the more important — for exploring a 
route for a proposed western canal. In the 
summer of that year, accompanied by a sur- 
veyor, he traveled by horseback inspecting a 
route for the projected undertaking which 
resulted in the Erie canal, and they gave their 
findings in February, 1811. With all his 
enormous energy he advocated the measure 
in the assembly, thus giving the plan an im- 
petus very needful because of considerable 
opposition. War against Great Britain was 
declared in June, 18 12. This was another 
crisis in his life. A requisition was made on 
Grivcrnor Tompkins, of New York, and the 
patriotic governor promptly obeyed, selecting 
Major-General Stephen Van Rensselaer for 
the command. They were then regarded as 
rival candidates for the chief magistracy. The 
lines of party W'ere distinctly drawn, and the 
Federalists were charged with being hostile 
to the war as being premature and unneces- 
sary. General Van Rensselaer was a Feder- 
alist. The appointment placed him in a po- 
sition of embarrassment, for, should he de- 
cline, it would tell against his party, and, on 
the other hand, he was expected to defend 
both the northern and western frontier, with 
no experience in warfare, and dealing with 
decidedly impracticable material in the make- 
up of fighters. He did not hesitate an instant, 
but accepted the service. His country had 
summoned him to the field, and he was ready. 
He was not a loiterer, for in an incredibly 
short time he had thrown off the citizen sur- 
rounded by political advisers, and had formed 
his military family. In ten days he arrived at 
Ogdensburgh, having inspected Sackett's Har- 
bor on the way. On August 13th he was in 
camp at Lewiston, just one month from his 
call, and just two months later, on October 
13th. he was engaged in one of the most gal- 
lant and brilliant affairs of the whole war. 
He carried his American arms into the ene- 
my's territory and planted the flag of the 
United States triumphantly on the Heights of 
Quccnstown. Although gaining a complete 
victory, unfortunately it was of brief duration, 
on account of the defect' ' of his troops. 
Had they remaincrl by him, ne could have re- 
tained the peninsula of the upjjcr province of 
Canada for the winter, for it was originally 
planned that Fort George should also be 



stormed by regular troops. Very valuable to 
him had been the services of his aide, Colonel 
Solomon Van Rensselaer, who was wounded 
a number of times when in the thickest of the 
tight. By the shameful refusal of his yeoman 
soldiery, under ' the plea of constitutional 
scruples, to march into the camp which had 
been won for them, he should have felt wroth ; 
but he reported it as an unvarnished relation 
of facts, telling the truth plainly, but without 
complaint or reproaches, for he had done his 
full duty. The British had lost their General 
iJrock by the engagement, and during the ces- 
sation of hostilities agreed upon for six days, 
both sides proceeded to humanitarian duties 
of burying the dead and caring for the 
wounded General \'an Rensselaer informed 
his antagonist that he should order a salute to 
be fired at his camp and also at Fort Niagara 
on the occasion of the funeral solemnities of 
tl:e brave and lamented Brock, to which the 
stern General Sheaft'e replied: "I feel too 
strongly the generous tribute which you pro- 
pose to pay for my departed friend and chief, 
to be able to express the sense I entertain of 
it." General Van Rensselaer entered the gu- 
bernatorial campaign against Daniel D. Tomp- 
kins in the spring of 1813, but his party was 
in the minority, even though giving him a 
united support, and he was defeated in the 
state by 3.600 votes out of the S3,ocx> cast in 
the election. In 1816 he was again elected to 
the assembly, and in March the canal commis- 
sioners, with Mr. \'an Rensselaer at their 
head and acting as chairman, presented their 
report to the legislature, requesting that body 
to adopt immediate measures for prosecuting 
the enterprise. In April this great work was 
authorized, the mana.gement committed to a 
board of canal commissioners, with General 
Van Rensselaer as a member. He was presi- 
dent of that board for fifteen years, succeed- 
ing DeWitt Clinton in April, 1824, and serv- 
ing until his death in 1839. 

In 1819 the legislature was induced to pass 
an act for the encouragement and improve- 
ment of agriculture, appropriating money to 
be divided ratably among the counties, which 
were to form county societies, with presidents, 
who should form a central board. The dele- 
gates from twenty-six county societies met at 
the capitol in January, 1820. and elected Gen- 
eral A'an Rensselaer president. In 1819 he 
wa'^ .■).•. ii-.l regent of the University of the 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



June 4. 1780, and died in New York City, 
August 6, 1844. Her father was Chief Justice 
\\'iUiam Paterson, a resident of New ijruns- 
wick, New Jersey, born at sea, December 24, 
1745, and died September 9, 1806, while on a 
visit at the Manor House in Albany. He was 
United States Senator in 1789; in 1791 chosen 
second governor of New Jersey, and General 
\\'ashington appointed him in 1793 a justice 
of the United States supreme court, which 
position he held up to the time of his death. 
He married Cornelia Bell, daughter of John 
Bell, in 1779. Three children were the result 
of the first marriage, and nine by the latter. 

Children of General Stephen \'an Rensse- 
laer and Margaret Schuyler : i . Catherine 
Schuyler, born in July, 1784, baptized August 
9 ; died at Albany, April 26, 1797, without 
issue. 2. Stephen, June 6. 1786; died 1787. 
3. Stephen, (q. v.) Children of General 
Stephen Yan Rensselaer and Cornelia Pater- 
son : 4. Catharine, born at Albany, October 
17. 1803; died in New York City. November. 
1874: married, 1830, Gouverneur Morris W'il- 
kins. 5. William Paterson, mentioned below. 
6. Philip Schuyler, October 14, 1806; died 
June I, 1871 ; married, October 17, 1839, 
Mary Rebecca Tallmadge, born May 16, 1817, 
died Au,gust 3, 1872. and had: James Tall- 
madge : Philip, died 1882 ; Cornelia ; Clinton ; 
Franklin ; Cortlandt. 7. Cortlandt, May 25, 
1808 : died at Burlington, New Jersey, July 
25, i860; married, September 13, 1836, Cath- 
erine Ledyard Cogswell, born September 22. 
181 1, died December 24, 1882, daughter of 
Mason Fitch Cogswell, M. D., by whom: 
Philip Livingston; Alice (Hodge); Elizabeth 
W'adsworth ( Burd-Grubb ) ; Ledyard Cogs- 
well ; Alexander. 8. Henry Bell, May 10, 1810; 
died at Cincinnati, Ohio, March 23, 1864 ; 
married, August 22, 1833. Elizabeth Ray King 
(daughter of Governor John Alsop King and 
Mary Ray), born August 17, 1815; by whom: 
Euphemia. Elizabeth ( Waddington), John 
King. Katherine (Delafield). and Henry. 9. 
Cornelia Paterson. July 8. 1812; married 
Robert Turnbull, M."D., February 16, 1847; 
by whom: Cornelia Paterson (Turnbull) and 
Catherine Euphemia (Turnbull). 10. Alex- 
ander. November s. 1814: died. 1878; mar- 
ried, 1851, Mary Howland ; (second), 1864, 
Louisa Barnewell, and had : Samuel How- 
land, Mary, Louisa Baylies, Mabel, and Alice. 
II. Euphemia White, September 25, 1816; 



died Alay 27, 1888; married. May 2, 1843, 
John Church Cruger; by whom: Stephen Yan 
Rensselaer (Cruger), Cornelia (Cruger). and 
Catherine (Cruger). 12. Westerlo, born at 
Albany, March 14, 1820; died at Albany. |uly 
8, 1844. 

(VII) William Paterson, third son of Gen- 
eral Stephen (3) \'an Rensselaer, and second 
child of his second wife, Cornelia Paterson, 
was born March 6. 1805, in Albany, and died 
November 13, 1872, in New York City. He 
married (first) in New York, March, 1833, 
Eliza Rogers, born there in 1812, died in 
Cuba, March, 1836, leaving one child. He 
married (second) in New York, April 4, 1839, 
Sarah Rogers, born October 29, 1810, in New 
York, died November 19. 1887, in Rye. New 
York, daughter of Benjamin \\'oolsev and 
Susan (Bayard) Rogers. Children of second 
marriage : William Paterson, born January, 
1835, '^^^^ ^^ his nineteenth year; Susan Bay- 
ard, January 31, 1840, died in her twenty- 
fourth year; Cornelia, September 22, 1841, in 
Albany, married. April 22. 1862, John Erving; 
Walter Stephen. November 2, 1843. 'i'^fl 'n 
his twenty-second year, in Rye ; Captain 
Kiliaen. mentioned below ; Sarah Elizabeth, 
January 18. 1847, died in Rye, at the age of 
twelve years; Arthur, September 28. 1848, 
died in New York, in his twenty-first year ; 
Catherine Goodhue, 1850, in Norwalk. Con- 
necticut, married, June 11, 1891. Rev. Anson 
Phelps Atterhury ; Eleanor Cecilia. November, 
1853, in Rye, married there, June i, 1887, 
Hamilton R. Fairfax. 

(VIII) Captain Kiliaen (3) Van Renssa- 
laer, third son of William P. and Sarah 
(Rogers) Van Rensselaer, was born February 
14. 1845. in Albany, and soon after his father 
settled in New York, in which city the son was 
educated. At the beginning of the civil war 
he was but sixteen years of age, but before the 
close of the conflict he entered the army and 
became captain of Company I, in the Thirty- 
ninth Regiment New York Volunteers, which 
served under Generals Grant and Hancock, 
and he participated in some fourteen different 
enga.gements. After the close of the war he 
traveled extensively abroad, and subsequently 
engaged in the brokerage business in New 
York. He died, November 26, 1905, in New 
York City. Captain \'an Rensselaer was ac- 
ti\e in many societies of religious and phil- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



anthropic character, as well as others. He 
was a director of the American Tract So- 
ciety, of the City Missions, president of the 
Grand Army Mission, and of the Sanitary 
Aid Society. He took great interest in the 
work and prosperity of the New York Pres- 
byterian Church, in which he was an elder, 
and gave much of his time to the cause of 
similar organizations. He was a member of 
the Holland, St. Nicholas, and Huguenot So- 
cieties, of the Loyal Legion, and the Grand 
Army of the Republic. Politically he was a 
Republican. 

He married, December 13, 1870, Olivia At- 
terbury, of New York, a granddaughter of 
Anson G. Phelps, the noted merchant and 
philanthropist. She was a lineal descendant of 
the celebrated Bishop Atterbury, of England, 
and was a great-great-niece of Elias Boudinot. 
first president of the congress of the United 
States. Captain and Olivia (Atterbury) Van 
Rensselaer were the parents of seven children : 
Olive, married Lewis B. Gawtry, and resides 
in New York ; Sarah Elizabeth, married Ben- 
jamin W. Arnold, and li\es in Albany, New 
York; Katherine Boudinot, died young; Edith, 
died young; Kiliaen. mentioned below; Me- 
lissa, died young; William Stephen. 

(IX) Kiliaen (4), senior son of Kiliaen 
(3) and Olivia (Atterbury) Van Rensselaer, 
was born May 21, 1879, at Seabright, New 
Jersey. He attended the Lawrenceville school, 
and entered Princeton University, but did not 
complete the course, going out as a soldier 
in the Spanish war in 1898. He was a mem- 
ber of the Twelfth New York Regiment, 
which was stationed at Chickamauga, Georgia, 
Lexington, Kentucky, Americus, Georgia, and 
^L'lntanzas, Cuba. After the close of this 
service he settled in New York City, where 
he became an investment broker, and now re- 
sides in that city. He was a member of 
Squadron A, National Guard State of New 
York, from 1900 to 1905. He is a member 
of the Union and Racket and Tennis Clubs 
of New York, in religious faith a Presby- 
terian, and politically a consistent Republi- 
can. 

He married, in New York, November 23, 
1905, Dorothea Manson, daughter of Thomas 
L. and May (Groot) Manson. They have a 
daughter, Barbara, born April 13, 1908, in 
New York. 



(VH) General 
VAN RENSSELAER Stephen (4) Van 

Rensselaer, son of 
General Stephen (3) Van Rensselaer, the 
eighth Patroon, and Margaret Schuyler, was 
born in the Manor House at Albany, New 
York, March 29, 1789, and died in the same 
place, May 25, 1868. He was given a thorough 
education, and enjoyed the benefits of culture 
acquired by travel abroad and by continual 
association with people of retinement. In so- 
cial and public life he was greatly respected, 
and in his family much beloved. A leading 
event in his life, as it affected him and his 
family, was the anti-rent feud. Anti-rentism 
had its origin in Albany county. Its exist- 
ence dated from the death of General Van 
Rens.selaer in 1839, the la.st holder of the 
Manor of Rensselaerswyck under the British 
crown and its regulations. He was known to 
that generation as "the Patroon," was some- 
t'nies styled the "good Patroon," and after 
his death as "the old Patroon." Primogeni- 
ture was the law of inheritance in England, 
so it had been to some e.xtent in the British 
colonies, and, as the eldest son, Stephen Van 
Rensselaer had inherited the Manor. But the 
revolution and subsequent laws changed the 
rule of inheritance, giving alike to all the chil- 
dren if no w'ill were made. In order to break 
the force of this radical change, and so as to 
continue this vast landed interests in the hands 
of his two eldest sons, Stephen and William 
Paterson Van Rensselaer, General Van Rens- 
selaer (1764-1839), on reaching his majority, 
had adopted the system of selling lands in 
fee, reserving to himself in the conveyances, 
and to his heirs and assigns, all mines and 
minerals, all streams of water for mill pur- 
poses, and beyond this, certain old-time feudal 
returns, denominated rents, payable annually at 
his Manor House, usually specified as so many 
bushels of good, clean, merchantable winter 
wheat, four fat fowl, and one day's service 
with carriage and horses ; finally, the reserva- 
tion or exaction of one-quarter of the pur- 
chase price on every vendition of the land. In 
other words, one condition alone provided 
an income to him every time the purchaser 
of land should resell it. It is said that the 
mind of .Mcxander Hamilton conceived and 
framed this form of lease or conveyance for 
Van Rensselaer's especial benefit. Under such 
peculiar conditions the land of the Patroon in 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



13 



Albany and Rensselaer counties was sold to 
innnmerable purchasers for farms. The sys- 
tem operated successfully during the life of 
the Patroon ; but when his son Stephen (born 
in 1789), inherited the land by his father's 
death in 1839, a new and serious trouble arose. 
The first purchasers did not object, for they 
had bought with the definite understanding 
clearly before them ; but on the death of the 
Patroon and also of the purchaser, the suc- 
cessors of the latter, as new owners, began to 
grow restive under the burdens imposed, and 
when either Stephen or William P. Van 
Rensselaer pressed for payments of the money 
due as reserved in the deeds the owners of 
the land began the question the legality of the 
reservation. To Stephen Van Rensselaer and 
his younger brother, William Paterson Van 
Rensselaer, the Patroon, General Stephen Van 
Rensselaer, had devised by his will, drawn on 
April 18, 1837, all interest in the lands thus 
sold by him in fee, with the reservations of 
rents — in other words, they believed that they 
owned or retained the soil. Stephen, the old- 
est son, was to receive the rents in Albany 
county, and William P. Van Rensselaer those 
in Rensselaer county. The rents of this time 
came in more sparingly and were paid more 
I relunctantly than they had been to the father, 
I who had been noted as one of the most gentle, 
kind-hearted and benevolent of men, often 
generously reducing the rents and in many 
; ways calling forth the love and gratitude of 
I the land-holders. The only course open for 
i his son was to sue in the courts, and it was 
I not long before a strong hostility developed. 
The legal contests of a quarter of a century 
might have been avoided if the lawyers had 
perceived that the deeds of the Patroon, being 
; absolute conveyances of all interest in the 
lands, the reservations were, for that reason, 
in\alid as incumbrances, made so by the Eng- 
lish statute, known as the statute of quia 
cinptores, which rendered it impossible for a 
British subject, on a conveyance in fee of 
his land, to make, or if made, to enforce by 
re-entry or forfeiture, such feudal reserva- 
tions. That was a right remaining in and be- 
longing to the crown alone. It is probable 
that Hamilton assumed that that statute was 
never in force in the colonies, for it was 
adopted back in the reign of Edward I., and 
later lawyers might have dismissed the consid- 



eration of it on the assumption it was not the 
law of either colony or state. 

In the spring of 1839 the anti-renters held 
their preliminary meeting, numerously at- 
tended by all the farmers living in the Helder- 
berg towns. They appointed a committee to 
wait on Mr. Van Rensselaer to ascertain 
whether a compromise might not be efifected. 
On May 22 the committee visited the office 
of Mr. Van Rensselaer, but he refused to 
recognize them and instructed his agent, Douw 
B. Lansing, to inform them that he would 
communicate in writing. He did so, inform- 
ing them that he considered it would be an 
injustice to himself and his family to consent 
to their claims. From that time on his agents 
had much difficulty in collecting rents, and 
frequently, when attempting to do so, were 
held off by shotguns. In December, Sheriff 
Archer was obliged to call to his aid, in serv- 
ing process, the posse coinitatis, or power of 
the county. Politicians were alive to bring 
the landholders into line, and urged the press 
to take the matter up. After many years the 
question was allowed to drop from politics and 
the court of appeals rendered decisions in 
special cases in 1852, 1859, and finally in 1863, 
after which the matter rested. 

The large area of the once famous "Lum- 
ber District" extending along the river front 
from North Ferry street northward for a 
mile, and real estate in or close to the city, 
were not encumbered by perpetual leases, 
and remained as a source of income for mem- 
bers of the three generations following. 
.\mong the papers preserved by the family is 
the account-book of General Abraham Ten 
Broeck, the guardian during the minority of 
Stephen, and under the entry of a "charge for 
beef and liquor consumed in a dinner to the 
tenantry on this your glorious twenty-first 
birthday" is a brief mention of a transaction 
which many years later took from the Van 
Rensselaers many of their acres. On that day 
the Patroon sold in fee, with warranty of 
title, his farming lands in Albany and Rens- 
selaer counties, and no less than nine hundred 
farms of 150 acres each, or more than 207 
square miles, were leased on that day. 

^^'hen Stephen (4) Van Rensselaer died. 
May 25, 1868, he left behind him an enviable 
reputation for the sterling virtues which had 
distinguished the line from which he liad 
descended. He was liberal in his benefactions 



14 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



and dispensed wealth freely to all charitable 
objects and church. On his death, about 2,500 
acres between Troy and Shaker roads, north 
of the Manor House, and in which he had a 
life estate, reverted to his half-brother, Will- 
iam Paterson Van Rensselaer. 

General Stephen (4) \'an Rensselaer and 
Harriet Elizabeth Bayard were married in 
New York City, by Bishop Hobart, of the 
Episcopal church, January 2, 1817. She was 
burn in New York City, February 12, 1799, 
and died in the Manor House at Albany, June 
ly, 1875. She was the daughter of William 
Bayard, who died September 18, 1826, who 
married, (October 4, 1783, Elizabeth Cornell, 
born in 1764, died at the Manor House, Al- 
bany, January 17, 1854. William Bayard was 
the son of Colonel William Bayard and Cath- 
erine McEvers. 

Colonel William Bayard was a prominent 
and opulent merchant of New York City, 
where he was born on June i, 1729, and died 
at Southampton, England, in 1804. He re- 
sided at Castle Point, Hoboken, New Jersey, 
and, although hf joined the Sons of Liberty, 
his estate was confiscated because his prin- 
ciples would not permit him to aid the move- 
ment for independence. He was a direct 
descendant of Nicholas Bayard, born in Al- 
phen. Holland, about 1644, who came to 
America with the Dutch Governor, Pieter 
Stuyvesant, landing at New Amsterdam on 
May II, 1647, and died in New York in 1707. 
He was mayor of New York in 1685, secre- 
tary of the Province of New York in 1673, 
and receiver-general in 1663. Colonel Will- 
iam Bayard's wife, Catherine McEvers, was 
born in 1732 and died in 1814. Mrs. Stephen 
\'an Rensselaer was a woman of superior edu- 
calif>n and culture, given to the most cordial 
hospitality, and her life was consecrated to 
kind acts. Following her death in 1875 there 
was a division of the property among the 
heirs, and the Manor House was closed for- 
ever as a family habitation. In October, 1893, 
the building was razed, and the land there- 
abouts ])laced on the market. Twenty-five 
years later it was the scene of a number of 
maiuifacturing plants, and what were once 
handsome grounds and a forest park were 
bisected by spurs of railroad tracks. 

The children of General Stephen \'an Rens- 
selaer and Harriet Elizabeth Bayard were as 
follows: I. Elizabeth Bayard, born at Albany, 



bctober 4, 1817; died July 7, 1819. 2. Mar- 
garet Schuyler, born at Albany May 12, 1819, 
died there September 15, 1897; married (first) 
at Albany, April 12, 1837, John DePeyster 
Douw ; married (second) April 24, 1851, Wil- 
mot Johnson. 3. Harriet Elizabeth, May 
30, 1821 ; died September 19, 1821. 4. Cor- 
nelia Paterson, January 24, 1823 ; died at Bos- 
ton, Massachusetts, March 4, 1897; married, 
at Alliany, June 10, 1846, Nathaniel Thayer, 
of Boston. 5. Stephen, June 12. 1824; died 
April 9, 1861 ; married Annie Wild, no issue. 

6. Catherine. June 24, 1827; died at \\"ashing- 
ton, D. C, November i, 1909; married, in the 
Manor House, Albany, 1856, Nathaniel Berry. 

7. Justine, September 18, 1828 ; died in New 
York City April 6, 1912 ; married, in the 
Manor House at Albany, February 2. 1853. 
Howard Townsend. M. D. (see Townsend). 

8. William Bayard. 1830; died young. 9 Bay- 
ard, of whom further. 10. Harriet. Albany. 
July 3. 1838: died at Manchester (Mass). 
December 17, 1911 ; married, in the Manor 
House, Albany, June 20, 1863, Colonel John 
Schuyler Crosby, of New York (see Cros- 
by). II. Eugene, of whom further. 

( VHI) Bayard, son of General .Ste])lien \'an 
Rensselaer and Harriet Elizabeth Bayard, was 
born at Albany. New York. September 8. 1833. 
and died at Pau. France. January 12. 1859. 
He was the third son and ninth child, but his 
eldest brother died without issue, and his next 
elder brother died in infancy before he was 
born, hence the family name of William Bay- 
ard, bestowed upon the infant, was carried 
down by baptizing him Bayard. By birth, 
culture and associations he was one of the 
leaders in the most brilliant social set in Al- 
bany, and belonged to a number of clubs and 
organizations, among them the Burgesses' 
Corps, then composed of the most prominent 
young men in the city. His health being far 
from robust, he sought to improve it by a sea 
voyage in 1858 and a sojourn in the most in- 
vigorating climate of France. Unfortunatelv. 
the results were not as beneficial as expected, 
for he died in France. He married, at the 
bride's residence. No. 25 Pearl street. 
Albany, Bishop Horatio Potter, of St. Peter's 
Episcopal Church, officiating. February i, 1854. 
Eaura Reynolds. She was born in Albany. 
November 22, 1830. and died in her home 
there. No. 98 Columbia street. January 26, 
1012. Her father was Marcus Tullius Rev- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



nolds, born at Minaville, Montgomery county, 
New York, December 29, 1788, died at No. 25 
Pearl street, Albany, July 11, 1864, who mar- 
ried. May 6, 1823, at Albany, Elizabeth Ann 
Dexter, born at Albany, March 24, 1797, died 
at No. 7 Park Place, Albany, August 30, 1840. 
Children, both mentioned below: i. William 
Bayard. 2. Howard. 

(IX) William Bayard, oldest son of Bay- 
ard \"an Rensselaer and Laura Reynolds, was 
born in Albany, New York, October 4, 1856, 
and died in Albany, September 25, 1909. He 
was a direct lineal descendant of Kiliaen Win 
Rensselaer, of Amsterdam, Holland, and had 
not the laws of New York prohibited the en- 
tailing of the property, he would have been 
the eleventh Patroon, and owner of the Rens- 
selaerswyck property. 

In early boyhood, after returning from Eu- 
rope, where he had been taken by his parents, 
he went for a while to the Albany Boys' 
Academy. A little later he was sent to a pri- 
vate boarding school at Catskill, where he 
spent two years, or until 1869, when, a boy of 
thirteen, he went to St. Paul's School at Con- 
cord, New Hampshire, where he remained for 
six years, entering Harvard as a freshman in 
1875. He was a graduate of the class of 
1879 and then attended the Harvard Law 
School. At' school, college and the law school 
he was prominently identified with all the 
leading societies and clubs. After leaving the 
law school he entered the office of M. T. & L. 
G. Hun, in Albany, and was admitted to the 
bar in the fall of 1882, opening an office at 
No. 25 Pearl street. Active duties of 
a general counselor were to some extent set 
aside in 1881 by Mr. Van Rensselaer's ap- 
pointment as the one most suitable person 
to have full charge of the Van Rensselaer 
estate. His knowledge of the laws govern- 
ing real estate and his conservative judg- 
ment were a guarantee of most capable 
management. In the fall of 1885. following 
his suggestion, the many heirs of the late 
General Stephen ^'an Rensselaer conveyed 
their interest in the Albany property to the 
Van Rensselaer Land Company, and he was 
made treasurer, which office he continued 
to hold until his death. Mr. Van Rensselaer 
became a director of the New York State 
National Bank in 1885, and was made its 
vice-president in 1900. He was elected a 
trustee of the Albany Savings Bank in 1883, 



vice-president in 1897. His grandfather. 
General Stephen Van Rensselaer, had been 
the first president of this bank when char- 
tered, March 25, 1820. As chairman of the 
building committee he devoted untiring 
energy to the erection of the handsome new 
edifice which was ojiened April 25, 1899. 
On August 15, 1900, about a month after 
the death of J. Howard King, he was elected 
the bank's president, and was its chief ex- 
ecutive through a texm of years the most 
successful in its long and remarkable his- 
tory. In 1901 he was chosen chairman of 
the executive committee of the Savings 
Banks Association of the State of New 
York, and on May 12, 1904, was elected 
president of that body because of his widely 
recognized ability and conservatism. In 
1893 he organized the Albany Terminal 
\\'arehouse Company, and a large building 
was erected on the Van Rensselaer property 
in the north part of the city, part of which 
was used as a bonded warehouse. He was 
a director of the Cohoes Company, incorpo- 
rated in 1823, by his grandfather, which 
supplies all the factories of Cohoes, New 
York, with their water power. On organ- 
ization of the Union Trust Company, he 
was made its vice-president, and he was also 
a trustee for numerous estates, giving close 
attention to their careful management. 
Among various appointments in rendering 
]Hiblic service was his appointment by Gov- 
ernor Morton on the Albany Bi-Centennial 
Celebration Committee, and he was named 
by Governor Hughes one of the state's rep- 
resentatives on the Hudson-Fulton Com- 
mission in 1909. He was one of the organ- 
izers and charter members of the Fort 
Orange Club of Albany, a member of the 
Albany Country Club and of the Albany 
Institute and Historical and Art Society ; 
also a member of the Holland Society. Re- 
form Club and University Club of New 
York City. He was on the board of trus- 
tees of the New York State Normal Col- 
lege and of the Rensselaer Polytechnic In- 
stitute, also one of the officers of the Al- 
bany Chamber of Commerce. In politics 
Mr. \^an Rensselaer was a Republican, but 
at times asserted his independence. Though 
repeatedly urged to accept, yet he never 
sought or held political office. As a thought- 
ful man, he was, however, much interested in 



i6 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



governmental ati'airs. To the advancement 
of the Cathedral of All Saints, as one of the 
chapter, he gave his best endeavor, promot- 
ing the work of securing the new and hand- 
some edifice. He traveled extensively, going 
abroad a number of summers, and in the 
winter season entertained with great fre- 
quency at his home. No. 385 State street, 
all dis'tinguished visitors coming to Albany, 
being met at his table. His house was fur- 
nished with many of the articles once be- 
longing to his ancestors. 

Mr. \'an Rensselaer married, at Cam- 
bridge. Massachusetts, November 3, 1880, 
Louisa Greenough Lane. She was born at 
Cambridge, November 21, i860, and still 
lives, residing in Albany. Her father was 
Professor George Martin Lane, of Harvard 
University, born in Charleston, December 
24. 1826. died in Cambridge, June 30, 1897, 
son of Martin Lane and Lucretia Swan. 
Her mother was Frances Eliza Gardiner, 
born at Shelter Island. New York, July 31, 
1828; died in Cambridge, August 31, 1876, 
daughter of Samuel G. Gardiner, and Mary 
Catherine L'Hommedieu. 

(IX) Howard Van Rensselaer, M. D., son 
of Bayard. Van Rensselaer and Laura Rey- 
nolds, was born at No. 98 Columbia street, 
Albany, New York, June 26. 1858. Before 
he was a year old he was taken abroad liy 
his parents, returning in 1859. on the death 
of his father, when he was but nine months 
old. He was placed in the State Normal 
School at Albany to learn the elementary 
branches, and later changed to the Albany 
Boys' Academy. Remaining there a short 
time, he was sent to Miss Gaylord's pri- 
vate boarding-school at Catskill, New York, 
noted for its excellent moral training. When 
twelve years old he entered St. Paul's 
School at Concord, New Hampshire, where 
he pursued his literary studies witli especial 
diligence, and was made an e^litor of The 
llorac. While here he was an enthusiastic 
athlete. He established the one- and three- 
mile walking records, which still remain un- 
beaten. He was stroke oar on the success- 
ful crew, was on the first eleven of the 
cricket club, and was president of the .Ath- 
letic Association. At the age of eighteen he 
entered Yale, taking the Sheflield Scientific 
course preparatory to the study of medicine, 
and graduating in i88t with the degree of 



Ph.B. He was also a student of the Yale 
Art School, took a literary prize, and was a 
member of the Berzelius Society, the oldest 
scientific society in this country. After his 
graduation from Yale he immediately en- 
tered the College of Physicians and Sur- 
geons in New York City, then under Drs. 
Clark, Sands, and Dalton, graduating in 
1884. During this period of three years he 
attended all the courses of lectures and read 
with avidity in every spare moment. He 
was made the interne at the Chambers 
Street Hospital, where he gained practical 
knowledge of medical science. After that 
he passed the severe competitive examina- 
tion which entitled him to the position so 
much to be desired by the aspiring student 
of medicine, of house physician at the New 
York Hospital, for a service of eighteen 
months. While still studying in New York 
he entertained the idea of visiting Europe 
with a view of studying disease in its va- 
rious forms and symjjtoms and the modes of 
treatment adopted by the celebrated physi- 
cians. He crossed to Germany in January, 
1887, and visited all the great hospitals of 
Europe excepting those of Spain, studying 
in the large ones in Berlin, Paris, Vienna, 
Munich, London and Edinburgh. Two 
years were thus spent, and at intervals he 
made side trips as opportunity opened, see- 
ing sights in the Old World from the North 
Cape to Constantinople and Greece. He re- 
turned from abroad in February, 1889, and 
opened an office in his native city. He was 
at once appointed visiting physician to St. 
Peter's Hospital, and the dispensary of the 
Child's Hospital. In the fall of 1889 he was 
ajipointed instructor of nervous diseases 
and diseases of the chest at the Albany 
Medical College of Union University. In 
December, 1889, he was given the position 
of attending physician to the Hospital for 
Incurables, and in January, 1890, was 
elected visiting physician to the Home of 
the Friendless. In June of the same year 
he was called to the position of lecturer 
on materia medica at the Albany Medical 
College. In 1892 he was advanced to the 
position of associate professor of materia 
medica. In 1894 he was elected full profes- 
sor of materia medica and therapeutics, and 
associated professor of the practice of medi- 
cine, positions which he still holds. He is 



SOUTHERX NEW YORK 



17 



a member of the Medical Society of Albany 
county, the New York State Medical So- 
ciety, and is vice-president of the American 
Therapeutic Society; also, of the Fort 
O'-ange, Albany Country and Albany 
C imera Clubs, the Chamber of Commerce, 
tl e Albany Institute and Historical and Art 
Society, and likewise of the Calumet Club of 
New York City. He was a prime mover in 
establishing the Country Club, and has been 
for many years its president. Dr. Van 
Rensselaer has written a number of notable 
scientific papers, which have been published 
and widely read. He was editor of the 
Alba)iy Medical Annals for six /years. He is 
a medical examiner for several prominent life 
insurance companies, and gives his services 
as the attending physician of four Albany 
hospitals and two charitable institutions. 
He has been for several years president of 
the Albany Boys' Club. Besides his visits 
to Europe, he has traveled extensively on 
the American continent, touring the Rocky 
Mountain and Yellowstone regions, Cuba, 
the Bahamas and Mexico. In 1909 he la- 
bored assiduously to establish a Red Cross 
Hospital for Consumptives, and raised 
single-handed the fund which covered the 
erection of the original buildings, the large 
area of land for the site of which he con- 
tributed. It has grown to be one of ^he 
most appreciated institutions in the city, 
and as a department of the Alluiny Hospital, 
which it became, will endure as a valued 
testimonial to his efforts for his fellow-riti- 
zens. He holds the position of medical di- 
rector for this institution. 

(VIII) Eugene, youngest child of General 
Stephen (4) and Harriet E. (Bayard) Van 
Rensselaer, was born October 12, 1840, at 
Albanv, New York, and now resides at 
Berkeley Springs. West Virginia. He mar- 
ried, at Baltimore. Maryland, April 26, 1865, 
Sarah, dauehter of Elisha Boyd and Marie 
Lucinda (Tutt) Pendleton, born December 
II, 1846, at Martinsburg, West Virginia. 
Children: i. Elizabeth Kennedy, born May 
31, 1866, in the Manor House, Albany; mar- 
ried, at Washington, D. C, February 2,3, 
1909, James Carroll Frazer. 2. Stephen, 
menti( ned below. 

(IX Rev. Stephen V^n Rensselaer, only 
son of Eugene and Sarah (Pendleton) Vaii 
Renssc aer. was born January 7, 1869, in 



Albany, and received a liberal education, 
studying at Dresden, Germany, Paris, 
France, Eton College, England, and Har- 
vard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. 
He pursued his theological course at the 
Episcopal Theological School of Cambridge, 
and became assistant rector of Grace 
Church, New York City. He was subse- 
quetly vicar of St. Helena's Chapel, New 
Lenox, Massachusetts; rector of St. John's 
Church, Monticello, New York; rector of 
St. Eustace Church, of Lake Placid, New 
York ; minister of Calvary Church, Burnt 
Hills, New York ; rector of St. Paul's 
Church, Sidney, New York; and is now 
(1913) temporarily assisting at Bethesda 
Church, Saratoga, New York. He received 
the degree of Bachelor of Arts from Har- 
vard in 1891, and that of Bachelor of Di- 
vinity from the Episcopal Theological 
School in 1897. He is chaplain of the St. 
Nicholas Society of New York ; a member 
of the Harvard Club of New York ; and the 
College fraternity. Taking the interest of 
a good citizen in the progress of his coun- 
try, he acts politically with the Republican 
party. 

He married, at Lenox, Massachusetts, 
October 10, 1900, Mary Thorn Carpenter, 
born March 18, 1871, at Poughkeepsie, New 
York, daughter of Jacob Boekee and Sarah 
E. (Thorn) Carpenter, died October 12, 
1902, in New York. 



The American Tucker- 
TUCKERMAN mans are descended 

from the English fam- 
ily of that name long settled in Devonshire, 
where the name may be traced in the hun- 
dreds of Coleridge and Stanborough to the 
reign of Henry VI. In the seventeenth 
century they were considerable land own- 
ers, and intermarried with the families of 
Giles of Snowden, of Sir Edward Harris and 
the Fortescues. 

Two brothers, Otho and John, emigrated 
to Massachusetts Bay in 1649, and from 
them all the American Tuckermans are de- 
scended. Otho, the elder brother, was one 
of the early settlers of Portsmouth. New 
Hampshire, He was a sea captain, and was 
lost with his vessel. May 24, 1664. He was 
the ancestor of four generations of ship- 
masters who sailed out of Portsmouth and 



SOUTHERN NE\\' YORK 



also of Nathaniel, born in 1786, who re- 
moved to South Carolina and built a house 
in Charleston, which still stands at the cor- 
ner of South Battery and Legare street. 
The last owner of this house was a Miss 
Tuckerman, who married (first) an Os- 
borne, and (second) a Lowndes. Tucker- 
man W' harf, Tuckerman Island and Tucker- 
man Hill mark the presence of Otho's 
descendants in New Hampshire. Tucker- 
man's Ravine in the White Mountains was 
named after Professor Edward Tuckerman, 
a distinguished descendant of Otho's 
brother John. 

(I) John Tuckerman, tlie younger of the 
two brothers who came to America from 
England in 1649 and landed in Massachu- 
setts Bay, was born in Devonshire in 1624, 
died December 27, 1674. He was the an- 
cestor of the Tuckerman family associated 
with Boston and New York City. It is 
known that he was a man of education and 
of studious habit of mind, bringing^ witli 
him to this country a collection of books 
quite exceptional in the colony, some of 
which have been preserved in the family. 
Before his emigration he had been a mem- 
ber of the Church of England, and during 
his life in Massachusetts Bay he retained 
his Anglican sympathies. The circum- 
stance placed him at odds with the Puritan 
theocracy then forming, but he handed 
down his sentiments to his descendants, and 
his grandson became a founder of an Epis- 
copal church as soon as that form of wor- 
.ship was permitted in the province. He had 
a son bearing the .same name as himself. 

(II) John (2), son of John (i) Tucker- 
man who was the first of the family in 
America, was born in Boston, Massachu- 
setts. OctoI)er 8. 1655. He served through- 
nut King Philip's war, 1675-76, being se- 
verelv wounded at the fight "at Sudburv, in 
Captain Wadsworth's company, and was 
present at the Great Swamp fight in Rhode 
Island. The Narragansett townships, sit- 
uated near the boundary of Massachusetts 
and New Hampshire, were granted by the 
general court of Massachusetts Bay to the 
soldiers who had served in King 'Philip's 
war. The lands allotted to John Tucker- 
man now form part of the "townships of 
Bedford and Merrimac, and al.so part of the 
town of Manchester. New Hampshire. 



These grants were then a wilderness, but 
afterwards became valuable to his descend- 
ants. 

By his first marriage, in 1680, John Tuck- 
erman had a son, John, the third of that 
name in this country, who married Hannah 
Gent, in- 1708, and left his "mansion house," 
his silver watch and silver-hilted sword to 
his own son, John, fourth of that name. 
This last-named John was born in 1716, and 
has the distinction of being mentioned in the 
celebrated "Diary of Chief Justice Sewall," 
in a passage often cited as illustrating the 
hardiliood and religious strictness of the 
New England people : 

"Lord's Day, Jan'y 15. An extraordinary cold 
.storm of wind and snow. Blows much worse as 
coming home at noon and so holds on. Bread was 
frozen at the Lord's Table : Mr. Pemberton admin- 
istered. Came not out to the afternoon exercise. 
Tliough 'twas so cold, yet John Tuckerman was 
baptized. At six o'clock my ink freezes so that I 
can hardly write by a good fire in my wife's cham- 
ber. Yet was comfortable at meeting. — Laiis Deo." 

The second marriage of John Tuckerman 
occurred November 14, 1693, at the First 
Church, Boston, to Susannah, daughter of 
Edmund Chamberline, whose family had been 
settled at Roxbury and Woburn before 
1650. By this second marriage he had two 
sons, Abraham and Edward. The first of 
these married a daughter of the Rev. W. 
Welstede, and he had a son named Abra- 
ham, who served as an oflRcer in the Ameri- 
can revolution, being present as captain at 
the battle of Saratoga, and was with Gen- 
eral W'ashington's army for several vears, 
including tlie winter at Valley Forge, re- 
tiring with the rank of adjutant. Regard- 
ing the second son, Edward, see forward. 

(HI) Edward, second son of John (2) 
and Susannah (Chamberline) Tuckerman, 
was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1699, 
died in 1751. He became a successful mer- 
chant. The Suffolk registry showed him 
to have possessed nine pieces of real estate 
in Boston, and he had al.so his share of the 
Narragansett townships granted to his 
father. The Anglican sympathies inherited 
from his grandfather gave him an active in- 
terest in the foundation of Trinity Church, 
of which he was an original proprietor in 
1734. Edward Tuckerman married. June 21, 
1738. Dorothy, daughter of Joseph Kidder, 
and great-granddaughter of James Kidder, 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



19 



who settled at Billerica in 1640. Her 
mother's maiden name was Dorothy Dows. 
Both the Kidder and Dows famihes became 
Church of England people ; Dorothy Kid- 
der's first cousin, Joseph Dows, being a 
warden of Trinity from its foundation to 
his death, in 1764. When Edward Tucker- 
man died, he left a son named Edward, see 
forward. 

(IV) Edward (2), son of Edward (i) and 
Dorothy (Kidder) Tuckerman, was born 
December 29. 1740, died July 22, 1818. He 
was a grain merchant and was regarded as 
the chief authority on the production and 
prices of that commodity in New England. 
Chosen at the town meeting held in Boston 
in 1782 to the office of surveyor of wheat, 
he was re-elected almost continuously until 
his death, a period of thirty-seven years. In 
1771 he received from Governor Hutchinson 
a commission as lieutenant in the Boston 
Artillery Company, which he resigned at the 
outbreak of the revolution. He served with 
Washington's army in the campaign about 
Boston, and afterwards acted as disbursing 
officer for the state of Massachusetts in the 
grants of money mjide for the Continental 
army. In 1798 he was one of the founders 
of -the first fire insurance company in New 
England, if not in America, the Massachu- 
setts Mutual, and later was one of the 
founders of the Massachusetts General Hos- 
pital. He was three times elected a mem- 
ber of the general court of Massachusetts. 
His portrait, executed by Sharpless in pas- 
tel, is preserved in the family. Edward 
Tuckerman married, February 20, 1766, 
Elizabeth, daughter of Stephen Harris. The 
house on Orange street, which he built in 
1770. was of the Colonial type, of the most 
substantial construction, and was standing, 
as good as new, a hundred years later. In 
the siege of Boston a cannon-ball struck it. 
and was embedded in an exterior beam, 
where for many years it was an object of 
curious observation. Children: 

I. Elizabeth, born 1768, died 1829. She mar- 
ried Stephen Salisbury, of Worcester, Mas- 
sachusetts, the grandfather of the Stephen 
Salisbury who died in 1905, leaving to his 
native town a fortune of six million dollars. 
In the Art Gallerv at Worcester hang two 
fine portraits of Elizabeth Tuckerman, one 
by Gilbert Stuart and the other by Harding. 



2. Edward (the third of that name in di- 
rect descent), born February 13, 1775, died 
May 29, 1843. He was one of the leading 
merchants of Boston and a partner of Rob- 
ert Gould Shaw. He founded the Provident 
Institution for Savings in 1816, the first sav- 
ings bank in the United States except the 
Philadelphia Savings Fund Association, 
which claims to have begun business one 
month earlier. Associated with him in or- 
ganizing this institution were William Phil- 
lips, Samuel Parkman, John Lowell, Russell 
Sturgis, Jonathan Russell, Josiah Quincy, 
Dr. \\'illiam E. Channing, Charles Lowell, 
Elisha Ticknor, Jonathan Amory Jr., Joseph 
Coolidge Jr., Thomas Motley, Lewis Tap- 
pan and James Savage. He was also a di- 
rector of the Massachusetts Bank from 1810 
to 1841 ; a trustee of the Massachusetts Gen- 
eral Hospital, and for several years was 
president of that corporation ; chairman of 
the board of managers of the Boston Dis- 
pensary ; trustee of the Massachusetts Bible 
Society, and in 1841 a delegate to the meet- 
ing of the British and Foreign Bible Society 
in London ; an original subscriber and pro- 
prietor of the Boston Athenaeum, in 1807; 
a justice of the peace and an overseer of the 
poor. At the town meeting held in Faneuil 
Hall, January 22, 1821, the thanks of the 
town were voted to him for his services ren^ 
dered in that office. He was a proprietor of 
St. Paul's Church, and a vestryman thereof 
from 1827 until his death in 1843. Edward 
Tuckerman married (first) December 19. 
1798, Hannah, daughter of Sarah Shaw and 
Samuel Parkman. He married (second) 
January 28, 1817, Sophia, daughter of Colo- 
nel John May, one of the patriots who 
threw the tea overboard in Boston Harbor, 
in 1773, and a major in the army of the 
Comte de Rochambeau. He resided at No. 
33 Beacon street, Boston, on land purchased 
from the heirs of John Hancock. His • t- 
trait and that of his first wife and two of his 
second wife were painted by Gilbert Stuart. 
There is also a bust of him by a French 
sculptor and two miniatures, one by Grim- 
aldi and one by Rogers. Sons: i. Edward 
(fourth of that name in direct descent), born 
in Boston, Massachusetts, December 7, 1817, 
died in .Amherst, Massachusetts, March 15, 
1886. He was a distinguished botanist, 
specializing in lichenology. He graduated 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



at Union College in 1837, and afterwards at 
Harvard, and the Harvard Law and Divin- 
ity schools. In 1841 he studied in Europe 
with the botanist, Elias Fries, and in 1842 
explored the White Mountains with the 
celebrated Asa Gray, making the discovery 
of the ravine which bears his name. In 
1854 he became connected with Amherst as 
lecturer on history; in 1858 he became pro- 
fessor of botany, which chair he held until 
his death. His botanical papers number 
about fifty and describe the lichens not only 
of New England, but of other parts of North 
America. Specimens collected by the Unit- 
ed States exploring expedition, the Pacific 
railroad surveys, and by the United States 
geological surveys were referred to him for 
examination and classification. Thomas 
Nuttall dedicated to him the genus Tucker- 
mania, one of the finest of California Com- 
po.sitae, and several species have been named 
in his honor. He was a member of many 
scientific .societies, and received the degree 
of LL.D. from Amherst. Memoirs of him 
were written by William G. Farlow and Asa 
Gray. ii. Samuel Parkman, born in Boston, 
Massachusetts, February 11, 1819, died at 
Newport, Rhode Island, June 30. 1890. He 
was a composer of church music, and the 
only American composer whose composi- 
tions are used in the English cathedrals. 
In 1849 he went to England and for several 
years studied and performed in the cathe- 
drals of Canterbury, York, Durham and 
Salisbury. In 1851 he received from the 
archbishops of Canterbury the Lambeth de- 
gree of Doctor of Music, being the first 
American to receive it. In the next vear he 
was elected a fellow of the Pontifical Con- 
gregation and the Academy of Saint Cecilia 
at Rome. He published "Cathedral Chants" 
and the "Trinity Collection" of church mu- 
sic. A list of his compositions is to be found 
in Novello's catalogues, iii. Frederick God- 
dard, born in Boston, Massachusetts, Febru- 
ary 4, 1821. He published a volume of 
"Poems" in i860: was a friend of Tennv.son, 
and when a guest of the latter at the Isle of 
Wight was eiven the original manuscrint of 
"Locksley Hall." He left a son. Dr. Fred- 
erick Tuckerman. anatomist, of Amherst, 
Massachusetts. 

3. Joseph, see forward. 

4. Henry Harris, b(irn in 1783, died at 



Newport, Rhode Island, in 1S60. He was a 
merchant of Boston. He married Ruth 
Keating, who died in 1823. Sons: i. Henry 
Theodore, born in Boston, Massachusetts, 
April 20, 1813, died in New York City, De- 
cember 17, 1871. He was a prolific and 
popular author in the fields of travel, biog- 
raphy and criticism. Harvard bestowed on 
him the honorary degree of Master of Arts 
in 1850, and in recognition of his labors on 
behalf of Italian exiles in the United States 
he was decorated by King Victor Emman- 
uel. He was corresponding member of the 
Massachusetts Historical Society, and ac- 
tively interested in the New York Society. 
His portrait was painted by Daniel Hunt- 
ington, and he appears in the engraving 
called "Washington Irving and His Literary 
Friends at Sunnyside," which gathers to- 
gether so many honored figures in our liter- 
ary history. Although much younger than 
Irving, he was for many years an intimate 
friend. He never married, and the place of 
domestic life was taken by friendships and 
social connections in New York and New- 
port of an unusually wide and interesting 
character. His early visits to Italy resulted 
in "The Italian Sketch Book," 1835, and 
"Sicily, a Pilgrimage," 1839; later followed 
"Rambles and Reveries," 1841 ; "Thoughts 
on the Poets," 1846: "Artist Life, or Sketches 
of American Painters," 1847: "Characteris- 
tics of Literature," 1851 ; "Poems." 1851; 
"A Month in England," 1853: "Memorial of 
Grecnough," 1853: "Leaves from the Diary 
of a Dreamer," 1853; "Essays Biographical 
and Critical," 1857; "Essay on Washington, 
and the Portraits of Washington," 1859; 
"America and Her Commentators," 1864; 
"A Sheaf of Verse," 1864; "The Criterion," 
1866: "Magna Papers about Paris," 1867: 
"Life of John P. Kennedy," 1871. The work 
upon which his reputation now chiefly rests 
is "The Book of Artists," published in 1867. 
This is a permanent contribution to our lit- 
erature, containing very much information 
concerning the history of American art 
which must have been lost without the re- 
search and study given by him, and he was 
especially qualified for the task. Always 
sympathetic with the work and life of art- 
ists, a constant and welcome visitor at their 
studios, ready to lend a hand in any diffi- 
culty, he had many intimates among them 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



and gathered a mass of information not to 
l)e acquired in any other way. His book 
remains the best authority, a source of in- 
formation constantly consulted, and a com- 
mentary of great interest and literary charm, 
ii. Charles Keating, born in Boston, March 
II, 1821, died in Florence, Italy, February 
26, 1896. He served as United States min- 
ister to Greece from 1868 to 1872, and re- 
ceived from King George the decoration of 
the Order of the Saviour. In 1867 he edited 
Rangabe's "Greece, Her Progress and Pres- 
ent Position," and he was the author of 
"The Greeks of To-day," 1873; "Poems," 
1885; and "Personal Recollections of Not- 
able People," 1895. He married Mary 
Fleming, daughter of William Gracie, of 
New York, by whom two sons : Fleming, 
born December 17, 1858, a member of the 
New York bar, who married Edith A. Coz- 
zens, and has a son, Arthur, and Arthur 
Lvman. born September 14, i86t, author of 
"A Short History of Architecture," and "A 
Study of Vignola." 

5. Gustavus, see forward. 
(V) Rev. Dr. Joseph Tuckerman, son of 
Edward (2) and Elizabeth (Harris) Tucker- 
man, was born in the homestead on Orange 
street in Boston, Massachusetts, January 28, 
1778, died April 20. 1840. He became dis- 
tinguished as a philanthropist, whose works 
and reputation survive to the present time. 
He received his early education at the Bos- 
ton Latin School, and at Phillip's Academy, 
Andover, Massachusetts. He entered Har- 
vard College in 1794, at the age of seven- 
teen. Among his classmates were Josiah 
Salisbury, Stephen Longfellow, the father 
of the poet, Joseph Story, afterwards justice 
of -the supreme court, who was his room- 
mate, and William Ellery Channing, his life- 
long friend. His father having severed his 
connection with Trinity Church at the out- 
break of the revolution, because the clergy 
persisted in reading the prayers for King 
George, Joseph was brought up in the Con- 
gregational church, and was ordained a min- 
ister of that denomination in 180T. but in 
later life, in company with William E. 
Channing, he took part in the Unitarian 
movement. He received the honorary de- 
gree of S. T. D. from Harvard College in. 
1826. The Tuckerman School in Boston 
was named for him. The philanthropic 



work which gave Dr. Tuckerman a reputa- 
tion both in America and also in Europe 
was accomplished while acting as minister- 
at-Iarge in Boston. In the early years of 
the nineteenth century the problem of deal- 
ing with poverty and its attendant evils was 
new, but constantly becoming more press- 
ing. Dr. Tuckerman recognized two as- 
pects of the subject, the religious and the 
civic. In the former he labored with un- 
usual aptitude and enthusiasm, but by no 
means alone. It is to the latter that he 
made contributions so original and lasting 
that his usefulness and his reputation have 
endured beyond his own day. He pointed 
out the distinction between pauperism and 
poverty, and introduced the principles of 
modern organized charity. In the modern 
philanthropic movement he was a pioneer, 
and he based his labors upon principles 
which he was among the earliest to recog- 
nize, and of which the wisdom has been 
accepted by succeeding generations. Con- 
cerning this work it was said by Justice 
Story: "It entitles him to a prominent 
rank among the benefactors of mankind," 
and Dr. William E. Channing voiced the 
opinion : "He is to be ranked among the 
benefactors of this city and the world." 
Such words of praise from Dr. Tuckerman's 
contemporaries are borne out by statements 
of men in the succeeding generation. "Jos- 
eph Tuckerman," said Dr. Edward Everett 
Hale, in 1874, 

"has been revered in Boston for a generation past 
as one of its benefactors. To the system inaugurat- 
ed by him it may fairly be said that Boston owes it 
that in every revulsion of business, or in any great 
calamity, her ordinary institutions of charitable re- 
lief have proved sufficient for whatever exigency. 
To those systems the city of Boston owes it that 
there does not exist in her borders any focus of 
misery and crime — the dread of the authorities of 
government and the shame of the ministers of re- 
ligion. Poverty, crime and pauperism there are in 
Boston ; but for the most part they may be regarded 
not as chronic nor as endemic ; but as, to a large ex- 
tent, importations from without, or abnormal and 
e.xceptional. This happy condition may be fairly 
said to be in a large measure the result of the views 
which Dr. Tuckerman inculcated, and of the plans 
which he suggested." 

Seventy-five years after the beginning of 
Dr. Tuckerman's work in Boston, the anni- 
versary was commemorated by a gathering 
of clergymen and philanthropists. On this 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



occasion it was said by Rev. Samuel A. 
Eliot : 

"Joseph Tuckerman was a seed-sower. There was 
nothing imitative in his enterprise. It was not the 
repetition of something that had been done a hun- 
dred times before. It was fruitfully original, it 
had in it the prophetic element. * * * His work 
constitutes an epoch in the history of human help- 
fulness Therefore it enlisted and still enlists the 
enthusiastic and patient devotion of consecrated men 
and women. Therefore it became the promoter ot 
numberless similar enterprises in other fields. 

On the same occasion it was said by Rev. 
Francis G. Peabody: 

"Xow. when did this renaissance of philanthropy, 
this age of the social question, begin? It is, of 
course quite impossible to fix a single moment as the 
positive starting point of this new wave of modern 
interest; but if we were to select any points from 
which to date, one of them would undoubtedly be the 
dav which we are here celebrating. In a most re- 
markable degree Dr. Tuckerman anticipated the 
spirit of the new philanthropy, and in the founding 
of this ministrv-at-large fixed one starting point of 
the modern movement. He anticipated in the most 
extraordinary degree all the principles of modern, 
scientific charity. He discussed all the problems 
which are now confronting the modern world, and 
offered wise and prophetic answers to them. 

In France Dr. Tuckerman's principles 
were adopted by Baron Degerando and his 
followers, and in England they resulted in 
the Tuckerman Institute of Liverpool and 
other institutions which still survive. An 
account of Dr. Tuckerman's work was writ- 
ten by Dr. William E. Channing. Dr. Tuck- 
erman lived at No. 5 Mt. Vernon place, 
Boston, Massachusetts, almost directly be- 
hind No. 33 Beacon street, the home of his 
brother, Edward. There are several por- 
traits of him, of which the principal ones 
are that 1)y Gilbert Stuart in possession of 
the family, that by Alexander in Memorial 
Hall, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and that 
by Butler in the Unitarian Building, Boston. 
Rev. Dr. Joseph Tuckerman married (first) 
in 1803, Abigail, daughter of Saiuuel Parkman, 
the sister of Mrs. Edward Tuckerman and a 
half-sister of Rev. Francis Parkman, the fa- 
ther of the celebrated historian, and of Mrs. 
Robert Gould Shaw. He married (second) 
November 3. 1808, Sarah, daughter of Sam- 
uel Gary, of the Retreat, Chelsea. The 
Carys were descended from a younger 
branch of the Devonsliire family, of which 
Lord Hunsdon was the head. William Cary 
was mayor of Bristol, England, in 1546, and 
his grandson, William, was mayor of the 



same city in 161 1. The son of William, 
named James, emigrated to Massachusetts 
in 1639. Dr. Tuckerinan's brother-in-law, 
Thomas G. Cary, married a daughter of 
Colonel Thomas H. Perkins, and he was 
the father of Mrs. Louis Agassiz, so well 
known as the wife of the great scientist and 
later as founder and president of Radclift'e 
College. By the second marriage Dr. Jos- 
eph Tuckerman had a son, Joseph, born 
June 29, 181 1, died July 19, 1898; a second 
son, Samuel Cary, born in 1815, died in 
1870, who left a son, J. Willard ; a third son, 
Lucius, see forward. 

(V'l) Lucius, son of Rev. Dr. Joseph and 
Sarah (Cary) Tuckerman, was born in Bos- 
ton, Massachusetts, March 19, 1818, died at 
Stockbridge, Massachusetts, June 10, 1890. 
He was a pioneer in the manufacture of 
iron in the United States, and together with 
his brother Joseph originated the metal 
called Ulster iron, which on account of its 
tensile strength filled requirements since 
supplied by steel. He lived chiefly in New- 
York City, at No. 22 Washington place, and 
No. 220 Madison avenue. Later in life he 
built the large house on the corner of Si.x- 
teenth and I streets, Washington, in what 
was then the Corcoran gardens, where he 
had a fine collection of pictures, and with 
his wife and daughters, Mrs. James Lown- 
des and Miss Emily Tuckerman, exercised 
a notable hospitality. His country seat was 
at Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where he 
died. He was vice-jiresident of the Metro- 
politan Museum of Art, a life member of 
the National Acadeiny of Design, and for 
many years a trustee of the Children's Aid 
Society. His portrait was painted by Mos- 
cheles and by George B. Butler. 

Lucius Tuckerman married, in New York 
City, April 2, 1844, Elizabeth Wolcott, born 
at .Sunswick, Astoria, New York, July 8, 
1819, died at Stockbridge, Massachusetts, 
.\ugust 25, TO06, daughter of Colonel George 
Gibbs, of Newport, Rhode Island. The 
mother of Mrs. Lucius Tuckerman was 
Laura, daughter of Oliver W^olcott, secre- 
tary of the treasury under Washington and 
Adams, and granddaughter of Oliver Wol- 
cott, signer of the Declaration of Independ- 
ence. She was born at Litchfield, Connec- 
ticut, April ID. 1794, died at New York, De- 
ccml)er 10, 1870. Colonel George Gibbs' fa- 



SOUTH F.RN NEW YORK 



23 



ther was the head of the firm of Gibbs & 
Channing, which at one time had seventy- 
five vessels sailing from the port of New- 
port for all parts of the world. Colonel 
Gibbs inherited wealth and occupied him- 
self with scientific pursuits, chiefly mineral- 
ogy. For him Gilbert Stuart painted the 
"Gibbs portrait" of Washington, and also 
the set of the first five presidents. Children 
of Mr. and Mrs. Tuckerman : i. Alfred, 
born in New York City, January 15, 1848; 
graduated Harvard, 1870, Ph. D., Leipzig, 
1874 : bibliographer ; pulilished in collections 
of the Smithsonian Institution "Index to the 
Literature of the Spectroscope ;" "Index to 
the Literature of Thermo-dynamics;" "Bib- 
liography of the Chemical Influence of 
Light." He married, at New York, Decem- 
ber 10, 1879, Clara L. Fargis, of New York 
City ; no issue. 2. Walter Cary, born in 
New York City, March 29, 1849, died there 
April 18, 1894; married, at Boston, Massa- 
chusetts, June I, 1875, Florence Hardinge 
Fenno, of Boston, and left three sons, Lu- 
cius Cary, Walter Rupert and Wolcott. 3. 
Laura Wolcott, born in New York, August 
2, 1850; married, at Washington, D. C. 
April 9, 1891, Colonel James Lowndes, of 
South Carolina. 4. Emily, born at New 
York, November 6, 1853 ; residing in Stock- 
bridge, Massachusetts, and Washington, D. 
C. ; unmarried. 5. Bayard, see forward. 6. 
Paul, see forward. 7. Lucy, born in New 
York, February 2, 1858, died at New 
York, May 12, 1904; married, November 16, 
1882. Arthur George Sedgwick, of New 
York City, son of Theodore Sedgwick, and 
left two daughters, Grace Ashburner, and 
Susan Ridley, married Dr. Arthur W. 
Swann. 

(VII) Bayard, son of Lucius and Eliza- 
beth Wolcott (Gibbs) Tuckerman, was born 
in New York, July 2, 1855. He graduated 
at Harvard University in the class of 1878. 
He is the author of: "History of English 
Prose Fiction," 1882; "Life of General La- 
fayette." 1889; "Peter Stuyvesant," 1893; 
"William Jay, and the Abolition of Slav- 
ery," 1893; "Life of Philip Schuyler, Major 
General in the American Revolution," 1903; 
and edited the "Diary of Philip Hone," 1889. 
From 1898 to 1907 he was lecturer on Ene:- 
lish literature at Princeton University. He 
is a trustee of the New York Society Li- 



brary and of the Institution for the Instruc- 
tion of the Deaf and Dumb, and president 
of the Society for Instruction in First Aid 
to the Injured. He is a member of the Cen- 
tury Club, the Sons of the Revolution and 
the Society of Colonial Wars. His summer 
home is at Ipswich, Massachusetts. Bayard 
Tuckerman married, at Ipswich, Massachu- 
setts, September 26, 1882, Annie Osgood 
Smith, born at New York, February 20, 
1862. daughter of Rev. Dr. John Cotton 
Smith, a distinguished clergyman of New 
York, descended from Rev. Henry Smith, 
who emigrated in 1636 and was the first 
clergyman of Wethersfield, Connecticut, 
and from Cotton Mather Smith, the "Parson 
Smith" of the New England troops in the 
revolution, whose mother was a grand- 
daughter of Rev. Richard Mather, and 
whose son, John Cotton, was governor of 
Connecticut, 1813-18. Children: i. Eliza- 
beth Wolcott, born at Ipswich, Massachu- 
setts, July 24, 1883; married, at Ipswich, 
Massachusetts, June 10, 1905, William Mc- 
Intire Elkins, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 
who was born at Philadelphia, Pennsyl- 
vania, September 3, 1882, son of George 
W. and Stella E. (Mclntire) Elkins. 2. May 
Appleton, born in New York City, Novem- 
ber 24, 1886 : married, at New York City, 
April 18, 1907, Gustav Hermann Kinnicutt, 
of New York City, who was born at New 
York, January 23, 1877, son of Francis Par- 
ker Kinnicutt, M.D., and Eleanor (Kissel) 
Kinnicutt. 3. Bayard, born at Morristown, 
New Jersey, April 19, 1889. 4. Joan Cotton, 
born in New York City, April 21. 1891 : mar- 
ried, at Ipswich, Massachusetts, July 22, 
191 1, Evans Rogers Dick, born at Philadel- 
phia, December 17. 1888. son of Evans Rog- 
ers and Elizabeth (Tatham) Dick. 

(VII) Paul, son of Lucius and Elizabeth 
Wolcott (Gibbs) Tuckerman, was born in 
New York City, November 17, 1856. He 
graduated from Harvard University, 1878. 
He is a fellow in perpetuity of the Metro- 
politan Museum of Art, a member of the 
board of governors of the New York Hos- 
pital, trustee of the New York Institute for 
the Education of the Blind, governor and 
secretary of the Minturn Hospital for Scar- 
let Fever and Diphtheria Patients, member 
of the council of the American Geographical 
Society, trustee of the New York Society 



24 



SOUTH KRX NEW YORK 



Lil)rary trustee of the Mutual Life Insur- 
ance Company and of the New York Life 
Insurance and Trust Company. He 's a 
member of many clubs, including the Knick- 
erbocker, Union, Tuxedo and Down Town. 
He lives at Tuxedo Park, New York. Paul 
Tuckerman married, at New York, March 
7 1886 Susan Minturn, who was born at 
New York, March 3, 1865, daughter of John 
W and Louisa (Aspinwall) Minturn. Chil- 
dren : I. Dorothy, born at New York, No- 
vember 22, 1888; married, at Tuxedo Park, 
New York', September 14, 1912, Dr. George 
Draper, of New York City, who was born 
at New York, May 21, 1880, son of Dr. 
William H. Draper and Ruth (Dana) Dra- 
per. 2. Roger, born at New York, June 10, 
189S. 

(V) Gustavus, son of Edward (2) and 
Elizabeth (Harris) Tuckerman, was born in 
Boston, Massachusetts, April 26, 1785. died 
in Boston. January 15, i860. He was a mer- 
chant and 'made frequent trips to Europe, 
on one of which he married, in Edgbaston 
Old Church, England. Jane, daughter of 
John and Catherine (Bedford) Francis, of 
Edgbaston. They lived for many years in 
a large house. No. 15 Franklin place in Bos- 
ton, surrounded by a numerous family of 
children, of which the following deserve 
mention: i. John Francis, see forward. 2. 
Gustavus, see forward. 3. Samuel, born 
January 30. 1828. died February 24, 1008; 
married Elizabeth, daughter of Judge Wil- 
liam Fitz-Gerald Watson, of Richmond. 
Virginia. He lived in Boston and devoted 
much of his life to church music, singing in 
and leading his church choir without pecu- 
niary compensation for over fifty years. 
Several children survive him. 4. Stephen 
Salisbury, born December 8, T830, died 
March 4, 1004; married Laura Willis Bum- 
sted, September 4, 1855. A marine painter 
of some distinction. His best known pic- 
ture, now in the Corcoran Gallery in Wash- 
ington, represents the frigate "Constitution" 
escaping from the British fleet. Most of 
his work was done in Holland and England. 
He left six children, the eldest of whom, 
Gustavus Tuckerman, was graduated at 
Harvard Collcee in 1882. 

(VI) John Francis, son of Gustavus and 
Tanc (Francis) Tuckerman. was born in 
Boston. Massachusetts, June 13. 1817, died 



in Salem, Massachusetts, June 27, 1885. He 
was graduated from Harvard College in 
1837 and subsequently received the degrees 
of Master of Arts and Doctor of Medicine 
from Harvard. He served for several years 
as a surgeon in the United States navy. He 
married, June 30, 1847, Lucy, daughter of 
Hon. Leverett Saltonstall, of Salem, Massa- 
chusetts. He was an accomplished musician 
and composed a number of hymns. A small 
volume of his church music has been pub- 
lished. Children: i. Leverett Saltonstall, 
l)orn April 19, 1848, graduated from Har- 
vard College, 1868, received degrees of Mas- 
ter of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from Har- 
vard ; is a member of the Massachusetts bar. 
lie married, September 10, 1896, Grace 
Richardson, of Boston; no children. 2. 
Charles Sanders, born January 31, 1852, died 
August 27, 1904; graduated from Harvard 
College, 1874; he was vice-president and 
treasurer of the Old Colony Trust Company 
of Boston. He married, April 15, 1880, 
Ruth, daughter of Daniel F. Appleton, of 
New York, and left four children : Muriel, 
wife of Charles Gait Fitzgerald, of Balti- 
more, Maryland; John Appleton, graduated 
frnin Harvard. 1905, and married Katherine 
S. Atterlniry, of New York City ; Julia Ap- 
i:ilcton, married Louis Le Bourgeois Chap- 
in: Leverett Saltonstall. 3. Mary Salton- 
stall. married William P. Parker, of Salem, 
Massachusetts, has two sons: Francis Tuck- 
erman Parker, who graduated from Har- 
vard in 191 1, and William Bradstreet 
Parker. 

(VI) Gustavus (2), son of Gustavus (i) 
and Jane (Francis) Tuckerman. was born in 
his grandfather's house in Edgbaston, Eng- 
land, May 15, 1824, died in his house. No. 50 
West Forty-fifth street. New York, Febru- 
arv ir, 1897. He was educated at the 
schools of Mr. A. Bronson Alcott and Mr. 
George Ripley and at the Boston Latin 
School where he was prepared for Harvard 
College, but through a change of plan went 
into the office of Messrs. Curtis & Green- 
ough, merchants, of Boston, later becoming 
a junior partner in that firm. He made two 
voyages to Sicilv and to India in the interest 
of the firm, and traveled extensively on the 
Continent and in England. He later formed 
a firm with Mr. Thomas Townsend, of Bos- 
ton, under the name of Tuckerman, Town- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



25 



send & Company, in the Calcutta trade, and 
the house flag of that firm, which was flown 
from their vessels, is to be found among the 
"Merchant Flags of Boston." In this con- 
nection he made further trips to Singapore 
and Calcutta, and brought home many in- 
teresting objects of art, which are still pre- 
served in the family. His portrait in minia- 
ture was painted in Palermo in 1847 by 
Sacro Frar. He moved to New York in 
i860, and was a member of the Century 
Club for over thirty years. 

Gustavus Tuckerman married, in Boston, 
June 18, 1851, Emily G., daughter of Thom- 
as and Hannah Dawes (Eliot) Lamb, of 
Boston. Thomas Lamb was a shipowner 
and merchant, and later was for thirty-eight 
years president of the New England Na- 
•tional Bank and for forty years president of 
the Suffolk Savings Bank for Seamen, and 
others. He was also for fifty-four years 
treasurer of the Boston Marine Society and 
president of the Long Wharf Corporation 
for thirtv-four years. He was a son of Lieu- 
tenant Thomas Lamb, who as a young man 
served as first lieutenant in Colonel Henry 
Jackson's regiment of the Continental Line. 
He w'as chosen by Washington to carry a 
message from Valley Forge to Boston for 
supplies for the army, and the silver spurs 
which General Washington removed from 
his own heels to speed his 3'oung aide on his 
long horseback journey are still treasured in 
the famil3^ A portrait of Thomas Lamb 
Jr., by Sully, painted when he was a young 
man, hangs in the house of his son, Horatio 
Appleton Lamb, of Boston, and another, 
painted by his daughter. Miss Rose Lamb, 
when he was old. at the request of the Ma- 
rine Society of Boston, hangs in their hall. 
The mother of Mrs. Gustavus Tuckerman 
was before her marriage Hannah Dawes 
Eliot, a sister of the Rev. Dr. William 
Greenleaf Eliot, an eminent Unitarian min- 
ister, who founded and was for many years 
chancellor of Washington University in St. 
Louis and organized the western sanitary 
commission in the civil war. She was a 
granddaughter of Hon. Thomas Dawes, for 
many years a noted justice of the supreme 
judicial court of the Commonwealth of 
Massachusetts, and also a great-granddaugh- 
ter of the Rev. Dr. Andrew Eliot, a fellow 
of Harvard College from 1765 until his 



death in 1778, and preacher in the North 
Church in Boston during the revolution, 
who, "when offered the presidency of Har- 
vard College, refused the appointment, be- 
lieving it wrong to relinquish his vocation 
for any other, however honorable." Chil- 
dren of Mr. and Mrs. Tuckerman: i. Jane 
Francis, born in Boston, Massachusetts. 2. 
Emily Lamb, born in Boston, Massachu- 
setts. 3, Eliot, see forward. 

(VH) Eliot, son of Gustavus (2) and 
Emily G. (Lamb) Tuckerman, was born in 
his father's house, No. 50 West Forty-fifth 
street. New York City, March 12, 1872. He 
received his education at Harvard Univer- 
sity, being graduated from the college in 
1894 and from the Law School in 1897. He 
is a member of the New York bar. He is 
also a member of the Association of the Bar 
of the City of New York and of the Uni- 
versity. Century, Harvard. Down Town and 
New York Yacht clubs, fleet captain of the 
Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club and a 
governor of the Squadron A. Club. He is 
a trustee of the Morristown School. 



\\'hile tradition is persistent 
BISHOP in stating that this Bishop 

family is descended from the 
pioneers of Ipswich of this surname, and 
the location of Dr. John Bishop at Brad- 
ford, Massachusetts, in the same county, at 
a time when no English settlers were com- 
ing to America, supports this ancient be- 
lief, it has been established beyond reason- 
able doubt that Dr. Bishop himself came 
from England. There is reason to think he 
was the son of John Bishop, a linen draper 
of London, whose wife Elizabeth was a 
daughter of Rev. Samuel Lee, whose will 
was dated in 1692 and who bequeathed to 
his daughters Elizabeth, Ann and Lydia, 
certain books of physics, chemistry and 
medicine ; Rebecca married John Safifin, and 
Lydia, John George of Boston, Massachu- 
setts : his daughter Ann married Henry 
Wyrly, of New Bristol, Connecticut. As 
three of her sisters were in this country, it 
is thought that Elizabeth or her children 
followed them thither. It should be stated 
that the Medford history is wrong in the 
statement that Dr. John was a son of Sam- 
uel (2), Thomas (i) Bishop, for the record 



26 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



of this John, son of Samuel, is given in the 
Converse genealogy elsewhere. 

It is known that Dr. Bishop married 
Sarah Bond, and that about 1717 he located 
in Bradford, Massachusetts. He practiced 
his profession there and at Medford, Massa- 
chusetts, whither he went in 1723. He died 
in 1739 and his widow Sarah appears to 
have married, at Bradford, April 17, 1740, 
William Hall. Children of Dr. John and 
Sarah Bishop: Sarah, born at Bradford. 
Tune II, 1720, married there April 26, 1738, 
Benjamin Lathe; John, mentioned below. 

(H) John (2), son of Dr. John (i) 
Bishop, was born at Bradford, April 6, 1722, 
and died in Medford, December, 1791, aged 
about seventy years. He came to Medford 
with his parents in 1723 and lived there all 
his life, and until 1868 his descendants of 
this surname were living there. His home 
was on High street. He married, at Med- 
ford. December 7, 1752. Abigail, daughter 
of Dr. Simon Tufts. She was born at \Ied- 
ford, September 22. 1728, died August 30, 
1810, of one of the most prominent Charles- 
town and Medford families. Her father, Dr. 
Simon Tufts, was graduated from Harvard 
College in 1724, and died January 31, 1747, 
aged forty-seven years ; married, October 
28. 1725. Abigail Smith, who died in 1790, 
aged ninety years. Abigail Bishop was re- 
lated to President John Adams' family. 
Children, born at Medford: Abigail, born 
October 5, 1753; married, November 12, 
1786. Dr. Archelaus Putnam, of Danvers; 
and John, mentioned below. Mrs. Bishop 
joined President John Adams in a deed of 
Charlcstown land in 1707. Washington and 
.\dams were both visitors at the Bishop 
homestead in Medford. 

(HI) John (3), son of John (2) Bishop, 
was born at Medford, November 20, 1755. 
and died there February 8, 1833. He was a 
prominent merchant and real estate owner 
in Boston. He married Lydia Holmes, who 
died April. 1807. aged forty-eight years, 
daughter of Nathaniel and Rebecca ("Good- 
will") Holmes. Her father was a prominent 
merchant and real estate owner in Boston. 
Her sister married William Fowle. Chil- 
dren, born at Medford: i. Lydia. born 
1784. baptized June 4, 1786. 2. Rebecca 
Holmes, born October 20. 1785, died Octo- 
ber 2fi, 1807. 3. John, born August 7. 1787, 



died September 7, 1830. 4. Nathaniel 
Holmes, mentioned below. 5. Eliza, born 
January i, 1791. 6. William, baptized May 
19, 1793, died November 27, 1812. 

(IV) Nathaniel Holmes, son of John (3) 
Bishop, was born at Medford, Massachu- 
setts, in 1789 and was baptized there July 
19, 1789. He inherited a large estate at 
Medford and added to it substantially. He 
died at Medford, February 22, 1850. He 
married, October 21, 1824, Mary Smith Far- 
rar, daughter of Dr. Judson Farrar, of Peter- 
boro, New Hampshire, Mr. Bishop being 
then of Boston. The marriage intention 
was dated September 19, the marriage tak- 
ing place October 21, 1824. Children, born 
at Medford: i. Mary Rebecca, born De- 
cember 7, 1829; baptized December 31. 2. 
John, born May 24, 1826, baptized in 1831. 
3. Lydia, born March 23, 1828, baptized 
three days later; married, March 7, 1849, 
Samuel Howell Jones, of Philadelphia. 4. 
Eliza, born August 10, 1833. 5. Nathaniel 
Holmes, born June 30, 1835. died September 
II, 1836. 6. Nathaniel Holmes, baptized 
May 6, 1837. 7. Harriette (or Henrietta) 
Baker, baptized May 6, 1839. 8. Heber 
Reginald, baptized May 3, 1840. 9. Maria 
Josephine, born April 9, 1841. 

(V) Heber Reginald, son of Nathaniel 
Holmes Bishop, was born at Medford. 
March 11. 1840. and was baptized there May 
3, 1840. He attended the Cummings school 
at Medford and the academy at North Yar- 
mouth, Maine. Early in life he began a 
commercial career. In the autumn of 1856 
he entered the employ of Benjamin Burgess 
& Sons, then prominent merchants in the 
West India trade, at India Wharf, Boston, 
and in the same year was sent to Remedios, 
Cuba, to represent the house. In March, 
1881, soon after he came of age, he estab- 
lished himself in business in Cuba, export- 
ing sugar and carrying on the usual banking 
business with the planters. He was suc- 
cessful and prospered until the insurrection 
broke out in 1868. after which business was 
carried on with great difficulty — labor was 
scarce, and the sugar crop small for a num- 
ber of years. In 1876 he finally left Cuba 
and never returned. 

He became interested in the rapid transit 
problem of New York City and was promi- 
nent with Benjamin Brewster and others in 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



27 



organizing the company and building the 
street railroad in New York. Naturally he 
came to be interested in other railroads then 
building in the western states. He was a 
director of the St. Paul, Minneapolis & 
Omaha Railroad Company; of the Chicago, 
Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Company, 
and the Duluth & Iron Range Railway Com- 
pany, of which he was president. In 1887 
he was one of the organizers of the Minne- 
sota Iron Company, of which he became 
president, and he was also a director of the 
Chandler Iron Company, of the Lacka- 
wanna Iron and Steel Company, and of the 
new Lackawanna Steel Company. His in- 
terests were very large in the iron properties 
about Duluth. For many years he was a 
trustee of the Metropolitan Trust Company 
of New York City, and his ability, integrity 
and business aptitude won for him the 
respect and confidence of his associates. 

He was active in various charities, and 
for some years was vice-president of the 
Presbyterian Hospital of New York. He 
was a member of the Metropolitan, Unioii. 
Union League, Century, Grolier and other 
New York clubs, the Restigouche Salmon 
Club and the Southside Sportsmen's Club, 
and the Civil Service Reform Association, 
and a director of the Chamber of Commerce, 
the Metropolitan Museum of Natural His- 
tory and of the Metropolitan ■Museum of 
Art. At one time he was very active in the 
reorganization of the Forty-second Street 
Presbyterian Church. He was a life mem- 
ber of the New York Genealogical and Bio- 
graphical Society. 

. His leisure was spent largely in travel. 
In 1870 he made his first \-isit to the Pacific 
coast, and he went again in 1880 and in 
1890. In 1881 he spent five months in 
Europe, and in 1883 and 1885 he travelled 
extensively in France. England, Germany. 
Austria, Russia and Spain. His taste for art 
developed, and he began as early as 1880 
his collection of jades and continued to add 
to it at every opportunity. In 1888-89 he 
was abroad most of the time and spent many 
months in Italy and Turkey. In 1892 he 
visited Japan and China and spent three 
weeks in Pekin. His reputation as a con- 
noisseur and collector had preceded him, 
and he had special opportunities to see spec- 
imens of jade and to add to his possessions. 



In the autumn of 1892 he went to Europe 
again, and in 1895 he spent two months in 
Egypt and ascended the Nile to the Second 
Cataract, and paid visits to the Holy Land, 
Greece and Turkey. This was his second 
visit to Constantinople. On his way home 
he visited Sicily, Naples, Rome, and Paris. 
In 1S83 he built the house on upper Fifth 
avenue and made his home there until he 
died. In 1895 he had constructed in his 
house a fireproof room for his jade collec- 
tion which had become larger than any 
other in the world — larger even than the 
famous collection in the British Museum. 
Many of the stones were of great beauty 
and value, and as a mineralogical and 
archaeological collection it was and is in- 
valuable. In March, 1902, this collection, 
valued at half a million dollars, was pre- 
sented by Mr. Bishop to the Metropolitan 
Museum of Art, of which he was a 
trustee for many years, providing that the 
collection should remain in his house until 
a similar room had been prepared for it in 
the Museum. About the same time he com- 
pleted a catalogue, a hundred copies of 
which were printed after his death. This 
work is an authority on the subject of jade, 
and the book as well as the collection is a 
memorial of the industry, learning and ar- 
tistic spirit of Mr. Bishop. 

He never lost his interest in business or 
outdoor sports. In 1882, with General 
Philip H. Sheridan, he made a trip to the 
Rocky Mountains and travelled hundreds of 
miles on horseback in hunts for big game, 
and made several similar trips with other 
friends. He always enjoyed his visits to the 
Restigouche Club, and the comforts of 
shooting in England and France. In 1899 
he rented an estate in Norfolk, England, 
and during the shooting season entertained 
many from France and the United States. 
His last trip abroad was made in 1902, and 
he enjoyed visits and shooting in Scotland. 
Returning to New York in October, he was 
attacked by heart disease in November, and 
after an illness of about six weeks died De- 
cember 10, 1902. He was sixty-two years 
old, but young in feeling and appearance, if 
not in years. His generosity, kindness and 
attractive personality made for him friends 
in all classes and in manv countries. 

He married, in 1862. Mary Cunningham, 



28 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



second daughter of James Cunningham, who 
came to this country from Scotland in 1822. 
After his marriage he spent several winters 
in Cuba, and the summers at Irvington-on- 
Hudson, New York. In 1870 he made his 
home at Irvington, and lived there until the 
house was burned in 1878. Children: i. 
Hcher Reginald, born December 23, 1868. 
2. James Cunningham, mentioned below. 3. 
Frances Cunningham, born June 20, 1872. 
4. Ogden Mills, born June 9, 1878. 5. Mary 
Cunningham, born July 13, 1865. 6. Eliza- 
beth Templeton, born August 11, 1866; mar- 
ried James Low Harriman. 7. Harriet Ar- 
nold,' born October 14, 1867; married James 
F. D. Lanier. 8. Edith, born July 11, 1874; 
married Moses Taylor. 

(VI) James Cunningham Bishop, son of 
Heber Reginald Bishop, was born at Irving- 
ton-on-Hudson. New York, May 13, 1870. 
He was educated at St. Paul's School. Con- 
cord. New Hampshire, and Harvard Uni- 
versity. His office is at 33 Pine street, New 
York City. He married, December 14, 1891, 
Abigail Adams Hancock, daughter of John 
Hancock, and niece of General Winfield 
Scott Hancock (see Hancock). Children: 
I. Mary Cunningham, born February 4, 
1893. 2. Augusta Hancock, May 20, 1894. 

3. Nathaniel Holmes, born March 6, 1898. 

4. Muriel, born June 9, 1902. 5. Abigail 
Hancock, born November 6, 1905. 

(The Hancock Line.) 
(I) Richard Hancock, a seaman, of Phila- 
delphia, was born about 1775. It is not 
known that he was related to the New Eng- 
land families of the name, and it is not 
known where he was born. John Hancock, 
the famous governor of Massachusetts, was 
a descendant of Nathaniel Hancock, who 
settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as 
earlv as 1634. Another John Hancock came 
with the Scotch-Irish and located in Haver- 
hill, Massachusetts, about 1750, removing 
thence to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and 
finally to Buxton, Maine. Various branches 
of the familv in England bear coats-of-arms. 
Richard Hancock, of Philadelphia, died of 
the ship-fever. He had been, it is said, a 
victim of the British policy of searching 
American ships and seizing American sail- 
ors, and was imprisoned for some time in 
England after he was seized by the British. 



He married (second) Anna Alaria Nash, born 
in Edinburgh, Scotland, June 28, 177 — . After 
her husband died the widow apprenticed or 
"bound out" her children, and she died 
about 1822. Children: Eliza and Ann. 
Children of second wife: Benjamin F., 
mentioned below ; Sarah, born 1802, married 
II. E. Reynolds. 

(II) Benjamin Franklin, son of Richard 
Hancock, was born October 19, 1800. He 
spent his early years in his native city of 
Philadelphia, and was brought up, after his 
father died, by Squire John Roberts of 
Montgomery, a pious citizen and an excel- 
lent business man, inherited the large farm 
of his father, Eldad Roberts, near Mont- 
gomery Square; was a merchant and justice 
of the peace. Mr. Hancock was educated 
in the free schools. In 1814 he served a 
tour of duty in the war of 1812. He be- 
came a teacher in the free school, and re- 
sided in the dwelling house in one end of the 
school building which is still standing. 
General Winfield Scott Hancock and his 
twin sister were born in this house. Benja- 
min Franklin Hancock was ambitious, and 
studied law in the office of John Freedly, 
of Morristown, being admitted to the bar 
in 1838. He practiced his profession all his 
life. He was a man of noble presence, fair, 
tall, strong, dignified and courteous; hon- 
orable and faithful, alike in private and pro- 
fessional life. He died February i, 1867, 
and both he and his wife are buried in the 
Montgomer\^ cemetery. He married Eliza- 
beth Hoxworth (see Hoxworth). He re- 
sided in Hatfield. Children: i. General 
Winfield Scott, born February 24, 1824. died 
February 9, 1886; distinguished in the civil 
war; Democratic nominee for president of 
the United States. 2. Hilary Baker, twin of 
Winfield .Scott. 3. John, mentioned below. 
(HI) John Hancock, son of Benjamin 
Franklin Hancock, was born March 23. 1830. 
His daughter, Abigail Adams, married 
James C. Bishop (see Bishop). 

(Tlie Hoxworth Line.) 
(T) Peter Hoxworth, or Hawksworth, t!i' 
immigrant, came from England to Pennsyl- 
vania in 1730 and settled in Hatfield. Mont- 
gomery county, then a part of Philadelphia. 
Tradition .savs he came from Birmingham, 
England. His will was dated February 26, 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



29 



1767, bequeathing to wile Mary and chil- 
dren Edward, John, Peter, Sarah, Ann and 
Rachel. His wife died before the will was 
proved, March 22, 1769. 

(H) John, son of Peter Hoxworth, was 
born in 1733, died in February, 1777. In 
1761 he owned the homestead. Tradition 
savs that he fought in the French and In- 
dian war and in the revolution, dying of 
disease contracted in the service. He was 
a member of the Baptist church of Mont- 
pomery. He married Elizabeth, daughter of 
Jenkin and Mary (Jenkins) Jenkins. Chil- 
dren; Mary, Edward (mentioned below), 
John, Elizabeth, Ann, Sarah, Colonel Peter. 

(Ill) Edward, son of John Hoxworth, was 
born September 22, 1760, at Montgomery, 
Pennsylvania, and died January 11, 1847. 
He was a member of the Baptist church of 
Montgomery. His home was in Hatfield, 
on land partly inherited and partly acquired 
by purchase. He enlisted at the age of fif- 
teen in the revolutionary war, and in his last 
years was a pensioner. He was in Lieuten- 
ant John Jenkins' company, in charge of 
Hessian prisoners taken at the battle of 
Trenton. December 26, 1776. He was small, 
lithe and active, and it is said of him that 
he could leap over a horse. At the age of 
seventy he could still do a hard day's work 
in the fields. He married Mary Hoxworth, 
eldest daughter of Peter (2), granddaughter 
of Peter (i). Children: Ann : Ellen ; John ; 
Israel; Mary; Margaret; Edward; Eliza- 
beth, born December 8, 1801, died January 
25, 1879, married Benjamin Franklin Han- 
cock (see Hancock) ; Sarah. 



There are parishes and places 
MORTON in counties Derby, Lincoln, 

Yorkshire. Warwick, Dur- 
ham. Norfolk, Hereford and Northampton, 
in England, bearing the name of Morton. 
Lower says that, in the case of the Mortons 
of English ori£;in. the name probably comes 
from the appellations of these localities. 
Others have found a Norman origin for the 
name. The name of Morton, Moreton, or 
Mortaigne. say they, is earliest found in old 
Dauphine, and is still existent in France, 
where it is represented by the present 
Comtes and Marquises Morton de Chabril- 
lon, and where the family has occupied 
many important positions. 



In the annals of the family there is said 
to ])e a statement frequently met with that, 
as the result of a quarrel, one of the name 
emigrated from Dauphine, first to Brittany 
and then to Normandy, where he joined 
William the Conqueror at the time of his in- 
vasion of England. Certain it is that among 
the names of the followers of William, 
painted on the chancel ceiling of one of the 
churches of Dives in old Normandy, is that 
of Robert Comte de Mortaigne. The name 
also figures on the Battle Abbey Rolls, the 
Domesday Book and the Norman Rolls of 
England, and it is conjectured that this 
Comte Robert, who was also half brother 
to the Conqueror by his mother Charlotte, 
was the father of the English family of the 
name, or at least of the higher family bear- 
ing the name. Count Robert held manors 
in nearly every county in England, in all 
about eight hundred. Cardinal Morton was 
a privy councillor and a faithful adherent of 
Flenrv VI. Edward IV. had made him his 
lord chancellor and his executor. Richard 
III. had thrown him into prison, but he had 
escaped in time to plan the enterprise which 
proved successful at Bosworth Field, and to 
him Henry VII. owed his throne. Promi- 
nent among the English Mortons who early 
came to America were Thomas Morton, the 
Reverend Charles Morton, Landgrave Jos- 
eph Morton and George Morton. 

(I) John Morton, the progenitor in Ire- 
land of the Morton family here dealt with, 
was probably born in county Antrim, Ire- 
land, and died there in the latter part of the 
eighteenth century. He probably belonged 
to the Mortons, who had derived their sur- 
name in the manner described above, and 
his progenitors had probably settled in Ire- 
land at the time of the various confiscations 
of property in that country. They may 
have come direct from England, or by way 
of Scotland. The family was Protestant in 
religion. John Morton lived at Dawson's 
Bridge, county Antrim, Ireland. The names 
of his wife and most of his children remain 
unknown. 

(II) John (2), son of John (i) Morton, of 
Dawson's Bridge, county Antrim. Ireland, 
w^as probably born at Dawson's Bridge 
about 1729, died at Basking Ridge, New Jer- 
sey, in the spring of 1781. He came to 
America with the British army in 1750, and 



30 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



in 1761 settled in New York City. He is 
said to have been known among his army 
friends as "Handsome Johnny." Later when 
he joined the patriotic side in the war of in- 
dependence he contributed largely to that 
cause as the "rebel banker." When the oc- 
cupation of New York by the British was 
threatened in 1774, he removed his family 
first to Elizabethtown and later to Basking 
Ridge, New Jersey. He married, in 1760, 
at New York City, Maria Sophia Kemper. 
He had eight children, one of whom was 
Jacob, of whom further. 

(HI) Jacob, son of John (2) and Maria 
Sophia (Kemper) Morton, was born in New 
York City, in 1762, died suddenly in New 
York City, in 1836. Jacob Morton was well 
known in New York in his time. He was 
the messenger sent to procure the Bible, on 
which General Washington took the oath as 
president of the United States, when he was 
inaugurated in New York. Afterwards in 
1778 he was in command of a corps of artil- 
lery, and for a number of years was a major- 
general of the militia in New York. He was 
a clerk in the common council for more than 
twenty years, and before holding that posi- 
tion held numerous other ofifices. He was a 
faithful and capable officer, a pleasant, polite 
and well-bred gentleman of the old school, 
respected and beloved by all who knew him. 
Always ready with a helping hand he helped 
his friends whenever they applied to him, 
and had a large circle of acquaintances of 
varying degrees of intimacy. He presented 
a large punch bowl to the city of New York, 
which is now in the Metropolitan Museum 
of that city. His portrait is in the gover- 
nor's room in the City Hall, New York. 

He married, in New York, Catherine, 
daughter of Carey and Hester (Lansing) 
Ludlow. Children : John Ludlow, married 
Kmilv Ellison; George William, married 
Caroline Denning: Charles Ferdinand, mar- 
ried Henrietta Ellison ; Hester Sophia, mar- 
ried Dr. Robert S. Bullus; Catherine Mar- 
garetta, died young: Edmund, of whom fur- 
ther: W^ashington Quincy, remained unmar- 
ried : Hamilton, also remained unmarried ; 
and Henry Jackson, married Helen Mac- 
Farlane. 

(W) Edmund, fourth son of Jacob and 
Catherine (Ludlow) Morton, was born in 
New York City, June i, 1800, died in .Au- 



gust, 1881, at New Windsor, Orange coun- 
ty. New York. Edmund Morton was sent 
to West Point, but did not remain there very 
long. Afterwards he entered the Phoenix 
Bank in New York as cashier, and when he 
was thirty years old married and settled in 
New Windsor, Orange county. New York, 
living with his brother in Knox's headquar- 
ters at Vail's Gate. He lived there six years 
and then purchased a house built by Dr. 
Edward Bullus, of New York, on land in- 
herited by his wife, Eliza Ellison, from her 
father, who owned large tracts of land in 
Orange county and the adjacent counties. 
Here he lived the simple life of a country 
gentleman. He was very fond of sailing, 
and with the assistance of a ship carpenter 
built a small yacht, in which he spent many 
hours sailing about the Hudson river. He 
spent a great deal of time in farming on the 
estate of ninety-six acres, which he bought 
in 1837. While he was in the Phoenix Bank 
he was made aide to Lafayette, when the 
famous general was here on his second visit, 
on which occasion Lafayette was enter- 
tained by Jacob Morton, the father of Ed- 
mund, to whom the general presented a 
handsome sword still preserved in the Mor- 
ton family. Edmund was for years a war- 
den and vestryman of St. Thomas' Episco- 
pal Church of New Windsor, Orange coun- 
tv. New York. 

He married, in 1830, Caroline Matilda, 
daughter of Thomas Ellison, of New York. 
Children: Margaret, married Aymar Van 
Buren : Emily L. : Charlotte .Anne, living at 
New Windsor, Orange county. New York: 
and Edmund Ouincv. 



The origin of this surname 
TLTKER is somewhat uncertain, but 

it is supposed to be one of 
those names derived from a trade, that of 
"fuller" or "tucker." The family is ancient 
in England and has arms on record for 
1070 and To8o. Motto: Nil drspcranditin. 
George Tucker, of Milton-next-Gravcsend, 
England, was a man of note in that ancient 
place. Queen Elizabeth conveyed the man- 
or to him in 1572. Of the twelve principal 
iidiabitants of Gravesend and Milton in 
I "2, George Tucker is mentioned as the 
third. Hcnrv Tucker was mayor of Graves- 
end and Milton in 1637. Soon after this 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



31 



the Tucker family disappeared and no 
further trace of it is found in the records 
of Gravesend and Milton, confirming the 
generally accepted tradition that about this 
time the younger members of the family 
emigrated to America. 

(I) Henry Tucker, a member of the So- 
ciety of Friends, came from England, about 
1627, probably from Kent, and settled in 
the vicinity of Dartmouth, Massachusetts, 
where he died April 2, 1694. Because of 
the fact that the Puritan authorities in New 
England misjudged and ignored largely 
the Quakers among them, it has been diffi- 
cult to find records concerning this family, 
and but for the private records preserved 
by descendants probably this line could 
never have been traced. Henry Tucker 
was married in January, 1653, to Martha, 
whose surname is unrecorded. She died 
November g, 1697. Children: Abraham, 
born 1654; John, of whom further; Martha, 
July 14, 1659; Hannah, July 25, 1662; James, 
March 16, 1665 ; Margaret, August 16, 1668. 
(H) John, second son . of Henry and 
Martha Tucker, was born August 28, 1656, 
in Massachusetts. He resided in Connecti- 
cut, probably in New London county, 
where he was a farmer. He married, in 
i6go, Ruth, surname tinknown. Children: 
James, of whom further : John, born Octo- 
ber 2^. 1693; Joseph, November 7, 1696. 

(HI) James, eldest son of John and Ruth 
Tucker, was born August 27, 1691, in New 
London, or Norwich, died November 29, 
1776, in Deal, Monmouth county. New Jer- 
sey. About 1718 he settled at Deal, being 
one of the first settlers of the town, where 
he purchased two hundred acres of land. 
The next year he built a house which is 
still standing and must have been a grand 
mansion in its day. It is two and a half 
stories in height, and entirely covered with 
shingles. He married, October 3, 1717, 
Leah, surname unknown, who died April 
18, 1767, at Deal, at the age of seventy- 
three vears. Children: John, born July 26, 
1718: Ruth. April 16, 1722; Elizabeth, July 
2q, 1726; James, October 30, 1727; Hannah, 
March 9, 1731 ; Samuel, mentioned below. 

(lY) Samuel, youngest child of James 
and Leah Tucker, was born October 8. 1735, 
in Deal, and inherited the family home- 
stead, where he died November 2, 1818. Tn 



his last years he was a great sufiferer from 
asthma. During the revolution he sufYered 
great losses from the depredations of 
Tories and other irresponsible marauders, 
who infested that section of New Jersey. 
As a Quaker he refused to bear arms in 
defense of his home, but cheerfully paid the 
large taxes necessary in supporting the col- 
onial acts. He was a man of medium sta- 
ture, robust body, very hospitable and high- 
ly esteemed. He married, March 22, 1761, 
Elizabeth, born about 1744, died at Deal, 
March 3, 1819, daughter of Brittain and 
Dinah White, of Shrewsbury, New Jersey. 
Children: James, born December 16, 1761 ; 
Brittain, October 30, 1763; John, of whom 
further; Elizabeth, March 22, 1767; Han- 
nah, died young; Samuel, died young; 
Phebe, March 13, 1773; Deborah, January 
25, 1775; Samuel, January 2, 1776; Hannah. 
Mav 6, 1777; Ebenezer Allen, May 5, 1783. 

(V) John (2), third son of Samuel and 
Elizabeth (White) Tucker, was born Au- 
gust 16, 1765, at Deal. He was reared on 
the paternal farm. Mtich of his life was 
spent on the sea, and he resided at Eaton- 
town, New Jersey, until 1797. when he re- 
moved to Brooklyn. New York. Two years 
later he returned to New Jersey, taking up 
his residence at Long Branch. About 1805 
he settled on a farm of some two hundred 
acres on Shark river, where he died in No- 
vember, 1821, of palsy. He married, in 
1785, Ann. daughter of Samuel and Rachel 
Talman, of Eatontown, who died July 5, 
T826, at the age of fifty-seven years. Chil.- 
dren : James, born August 18, 1786; Joseph, 
of whom further; Lvdia, July 4, 1791 ; John, 
October 10, 1793; Leah. March 29, 1796; 
Curtis, September 8. 1798; Rachel, Septem- 
ber 5, 1802: Martha, Octol)er 6, 1805: Mar- 
garet Ann, May 22, 1808; Hannah, died in 
infancy. 

(Vl) Joseph, second son of John (2) 
and Ann CTalman) Tucker, was born April 
26, 1788. in Eatontown, New Jersey. He 
remained with his parents until seventeen 
vears old. In 1805 he went to New York 
Citv. where he became a master mason and 
builder, and was an active and well known 
citizen of the eighth ward which he repre- 
sented in the board of aldermen in 1831-32. 
and again in 1834-35. In 1842 he was a 
member of the state assembly. He mar- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



ried (first) in New York, April 22, 1816, 
Mary, born March 12, 1794, in Closter, New 
Jersey, died in New York, October 8, 1831, 
daughter of John P. and Maria Bogert. He 
married (second), January 17, 1833, Isa- 
bella, born May 14, 1805, daughter of John 
and Isabella Wiley. The only child of the 
first wife was Ann Maria. Those of the 
second wife were: Isabella, born July 15, 
1836; Joseph, September 17, 1838; Winfield, 
August 6, 1841 ; Adeline, September 28, 

1844. 

(VII) Ann Maria, eldest daughter of 
Joseph Tucker and only child of his first 
wife, Mary (Bogert) Tucker, was born 
February 16, 1817, in New York, and mar- 
ried, November 15. 1836. George Washing- 
ton Tucker, whose ancestry is traced be- 
low. 

(T) The first of this line of Tucker of 
whom definite knowledge can now be ob- 
tained was Charles Tucker, an early set- 
tler of Elizabethtown, New Jersey, locating 
there about 1665. He was one of the orig- 
inal associates, or proprietors, of that town, 
and is shown by the records to have been 
possessed of considerable property. He is 
supposed to have been a brother of John 
Tooker, who resided in Southold, Long 
Island, as early as 1655. having come there 
from Boston. Charles Tucker had a house 
lot of eight acres, and twenty-one acres of 
Meadow on Thompson's creek, adjoining 
the Great Island at Elizabethtown. He 
also had eighty-six acres of upland and 
sixty-nine acres on Two Mile brook. He 
also hpd eighty-six acres on Peach Garden 
hill. He was among the signers of the 
"Oath of A Leagance and Fidelity, taken 
by the inhabitants of Elizabeth Town and 
the Jurisdiction thereof beginning the iqth 
February, 1665." He again appears as sub- 
scriliing to the nath of allegiance, Septem- 
ber Ti, if)73. This may have been the date 
of his original signature as it appears that 
the list was bccun in i66s and nothing 
shows the time of its completion. As he was 
a Quaker the same difficulty is found in 
tracing his family. The records show the 
presence of Charles and Warren Tucker, 
who were no doubt his sons, in Elizabeth- 
town. 

(II) Charles (2), son of Charles (i) 
Tucker, appears in i(i04 as subscribing one 



shilling for the support of a Presbyterian 
minister. In 1697 he sold a negro boy 
Toney to the pastor. Rev. John Harriman. 
No record of his wife or children appears. 
He resided in the west field of Elizabeth- 
town, which subsequently became the town 
of Westfield, and it is probable that the next 
mentioned was his son, as family tradition 
states that the latter came from the Middle- 
sex county family. 

(III) James Tucker, born about 1700, set- 
tled in New York City, where he first ap- 
pears of record on the occasion of his mar- 
riage, July 31, 1728, in the First Dutch 
Church of New York, to Mary Elizabeth, 
daughter of Cornelius and Jenneke (Paers) 
Woertendyke. Cornelius Woertendyke was 
a son of Jacob Woertendyke from the bow- 
cry (country), as shown by the records of 
the Dutch Church, and married, March 13, 
1709. Jenneke Paers from New York. 
James Tucker resided on a part of the 
Woertendyke estate near the present Eliz- 
abeth street named in honor of his wife. 
They had sons: James, Thomas and Rob- 
ert. The first died unmarried, and no rec- 
ord is found of the second. 

(IV) Robert, son of James Tucker, grad- 
uated at King's College (now Columbia) 
in 1769, and became a physician. He re- 
sided near the Bowery in the vicinity of 
Spring street which led to a spring on 
his estate. Mulberry street also received 
its name from the mulberries which he cul- 
tivated. He was very active in ministering 
to .\merican prisoners held by the English 
in the notorious sugar house prison in New 
York City. Soon after the revolution he 
removed to New Jersey, where he married, 
and died, leaving a good estate. 

(V) Henry, son of Robert Tucker, re- 
sided in Orange county. New York, where 
he was a farmer. He was a friend of Aaron 
Burr, and served as a member of the New 
York legislature. He returned to New Jer- 
sev where he died. His wife, whose name 
is not preserved, was a native of that state. 
Thev had sons, Gideon and John. The lat- 
ter died unmarried. 

(VI) Gideon, son of Henry Tucker, was 
born March 23. 1773. died April 23, 1845, 
in New York City, where he was a prom- 
inent business man. He served as alderman 
and was a member of the state legislature 






K^ 





y^^/^ c>>^^^^^fc^i^> 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



33 



in 1830. He was a "Tammany sachem" 
and became the possessor of a large prop- 
erty. He married (first), January 7, 1797, 
Sarah, born June 28, 1777, died November 
8, 1802, daughter of Charles Clark, of 
Westfield, New Jersey. Children: Moses, 
born November 6, 1799; John Clark, June 
27, 1801. He married (second), March 23, 
1804, in New York, Jemima Brevoort, born 
November 21, 1785, died July 5, 1866. Chil- 
dren : Henry, of whom further; William, 
April 15, 1807; George W., of whom fur- 
ther; Mary, April 12, 1811; Charles, De- 
cember 16, 1813, died in third year; Sarah, 
January 26, 1817; Charles, February 17, 
"1821. 

(VH) Henry (2), third son of Gideon 
Tucker and eldest child of his second wife, 
Jemima (Brevoort) Tucker, was born Au- 
gust 6, 1805, died January 17, 1872, in 
Rockland county. New York. His wife, 
Maria, was born September, 1806, died in 
February, 1864. Children : Jemima, WiJ- 
liam, Edward, Richard. 

(VIII) Jemima, eldest child of Henry 
{2) and Maria Tucker, was born in 1830, 
and married John Chappell, of Rockland 
county, New York. Children : John, Wal- 
ter. Florence, Gideon Tucker and Es- 
telle C. 

(IX) F.stelle C, youngest child of John 
and Jemima (Tucker) Chappell, was born 
July 8, 1839, in Rockland county, New 
York, died April 26, 1003. She married, 
April t6, 1884, Arthur C. Tucker, of whom 
further. 

(VII) George Washington, fourth son of 
Gideon Tucker and third child of his second 
wife, Jemima (Brevoort) Tucker, was born 
January 23, 1809. in New York City, died 
there June ig. 1881. For a few years in 
early life he was engaged in the hardware 
husiness in New York, but the care of a 
large estate soon took him away from other 
"business. He was for some time a member 
of the volunteer fire department. He was 
a Democrat in political principle until the 
issues which brought on the civil war alien- 
ated him from this party and he was hence- 
forward a steadfast Republican. He mar- 
ried. November 15. 1836. in New York, Ann 
Maria, daughter of Joseph and Mary CBo- 
gert) Tucker, as previously noted. Chil- 
dren: T. Joseph, born December 23. 1837, 



died in Eatontown, August 3, 183S. 2. 
William Gideon, May 26, 1839, died at the 
age of twenty-one years. 3. George Wash- 
ington, died young. 4. George Washington, 
born November 15, 1842. 5. Mary Bre- 
voort, born February 12, 1845, died Septem- 
ber 2, 1870, in New York City; married 
Francis Marion Meyers, June i, 1869; they 
had one child, Gertrude V., born June 11, 
1870, died December 23, 1871. 6. Clarence, 
born February 2, 1847; resides at Mama- 
roneck. New York ; he was a member of 
the Seventh Regiment National Guard of 
State of New York from 1866 to 1874; mar- 
ried, October 6, 1869, Mary Elizabeth 
Woodworth and has children: Alice Wood- 
worth and Helen Louise. 7. Charles Au- 
gustus, born May 24, 1854; resides at Bal- 
timore, Maryland ; married, September 13. 
1S76, Annie Cunningham, died March 4, 
1897, and has daughters: Bertha Cunning- 
ham, born May 15, 1878, died July 21, 1878. 
and Winifred Cunningham, born March. 
1888. 8. Arthur Currie, of whom further. 

(VIII) Arthur Currie, youngest child of 
George Washington and Ann Maria (Tuck- 
er) Tucker, was born September 25, 1859. 
in New York City. He there grew up and 
received his education in private schools. 
He was early employed in the management 
of the Tucker estate in New York and re- 
sided in that city until 1882, when he re- 
moved to Upper Nyack, New York, where 
he built a handsome house and has ever 
since maintained his residence there. He is 
an Episcopalian, and in politics supports 
Republican principles. While not a seeker 
of political honors he consented to serve as 
president of the village of Upper Nyack. in 
which position he was continued for more 
than fifteen years. From 1879 to 1884 he 
served as a private in Company H, Seventh 
Regiment National Guard of State of New 
York. Mr. Tucker married. April 16. 1884, 
in Nyack. New York. Estelle C, daughter 
of John and Jemima (Tucker) Chappell. a 
native of Rockland county. Children: Ger- 
trude Estelle, born May 10. 1885; Mar- 
garet Brevoort. born January 15. 1887, died 
June 20, 1887: Edith Frances, born Septem- 
ber 22, 1888; Kate Marion, born August 30. 
1800; Arthur Currie, born February to. 
1893; George Clarence, born February 28, 
1894. 



34 



SOUTHERN NE\\' YORK 



The Worcesters are of 
WORCESTER English descent and 
were early settlers in 
New Hampshire. They were civilizers and 
patriots, and their name appears in the mus- 
ter rolls of French, Indian and revolution- 
ary wars. The various town records show 
conclusively that citizenship and duty have 
always been synonymous terms with this 
family, and that they have borne their part 
each in their generation in the public af- 
fairs of the community in which they lived. 
The long list of clergymen, the graduates of 
Harvard and Yale Colleges, and other insti- 
tutions of learning, are evidences of their 
.scholarly attainments, and the muster rolls 
of the army and navy from the earliest set- 
tlement of the country to the present time 
prove their patriotism to have been of the 
order that counted not the cost when their 
country's flag was assailed. 

(I) Rev. William Worcester, with bis 
wife Sarah and four children, Samuel, Wil- 
liam, Sarah and Susannah, came from Eng- 
land betw^ecn 1638 and 1640, and became the 
settled pastor of the church first gathered 
in Salisbury, Massachusetts. No produc- 
tion of his pen has been transmitted to pos- 
terity to indicate the character and extent 
of his intellectual attainments, but Cotton 
Mather in the Magnalia enrolls bis name in 
the list of the "Reverend, learned and holy 
divines, arriving such from Europe to 
America, by whose evangelical ministry the 
church in America have been illuminated." 
-Sarah, wife of the Rev. William Worcester, 
died at Salisbur3% April 23, 1650. He mar- 
ried (second) Mrs. Rebecca Hall, by whom 
he had six children. His children were: 
Samuel, born in England; William, born in 
England; Sarah, born in England; Susan- 
nah, liorn in England ; Sarah, born in Salis- 
bury, Massachusetts, died young; Timothy, 
born in Salisbury; Moses, born in Salis- 
bury; Sarah, born in Salisbury; Elizabeth, 
born in Salisbury, died j'oung; Elizabeth, 
born in Salisbury. 

(H) Samuel, eldest son of the Rev. Wil- 
liam and Sarah Worcester, was born in 
England. He accompanied his father in his 
journey to .'\merica, .settling with him at 
Salisbury, Massachusetts, where he was 
operating a saw mill as earl)' as T65R. At 
the first recorded meeting of the Merrimack 



people he was chosen overseer, and he was 
the first representative of Bradford to the 
general court, taking his seat January 16, 
1679-80. He was re-elected the ensuing 
3'ear, but died while on his way to Boston 
to resume his seat. He married Elizabeth 
Parrott. Children: William, mentioned be- 
low ; Samuel, Francis, Joseph, Timothy, 
Moses, Elizabeth, Dorothy, John, Ebenezer, 
Susannah. 

(HI) William (2), eldest son of Samuel 
and Elizabeth (Parrott) Worcester, was 
born in Salisbury, Massachusetts, July 21, 
1661, died at Bradford, Massachusetts, April 
23, 1706. He removed in 1662 with his fa- 
ther to Rowley, Massachusetts, was a farm- 
er and is described in the documents of the 
time as a yeoman. He married, January 29, 
1690 or 1691. Martha, daughter of Peter and 
Hannah (Noyes) Cheney, of Newbury, 
Massachusetts. This marriage has a cer- 
tain fame in Massachusetts annals. On the 
same day and at the same place as those on 
which William Worcester married Martha 
Cheney, his two brothers Francis and Timo- 
thy married her sisters. Mary and Huldah, 
respectively. His children, born at Brad- 
ford, were: Moses, mentioned below; Wil- 
liam. October 3, 1693; Benjamin, June 8, 
1695-96; Sarah, February 11, 1697-98; Na- 
thaniel, October 31, 1700; Mehitable, Janu- 
ary 16, 1702-03; Abigail, May 8, 1705. ' 

(IV) Moses, eldest son of William (2) 
and Martha (Cheney) Worcester, was born 
at Bradford. Massachusetts, December 13, 
1691. He lived there until 1748 when he 
removed to Tewkslniry and settled on a 
farm which he purchased from Samuel 
Hunt. This property is still in part owned 
by his descendants. His name appears 
among those of the original members of the 
church organized in the east precinct of 
Bradford in June, 1727. He married a lady 
of the bapti.smal name of Mercie or Mercv. 
His children were : Moses, born at Brad- 
ford, Augu.st 19, 1720; Martha, born at 
Bradford, baptized August 26. 1723; Sarah, 
born February 15, 1726-27; William, born 
February 4, 1728-29; Eldad. mentioned be- 
low; Mercy, born July, 1734. 

(V) Eldad. third son of Moses and Mercie 
or Mercy Worcester, was born at Bradford, 
Massachusetts, and baptized February 20, 
1731-32. He removed to Tcwksburv with 



I 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



35 



his father and succeeded him in possession 
(if the homestead. He was admitted to the 
church, November 8, 1761, and was subse- 
(|uently chosen deacon. He was elected 
May 25, 1778, a member of the committee 
"to examine the constitution or form of gov- 
ernment" under the state organization. He 
married, February 24, 1761, Rebecca, daugh- 
ter of Stephen Osgood. Children : Eldad, 
mentioned below ; Rhoda, born March 19, 
1766; Lydia, born February 19, 1768. mar- 
ried Joseph Bradley ; Samuel, born Febru- 
ary 10, 1770. died at sea, unmarried: Os- 
good, born February 16, 1772; John, born 
April 1;. 1774; Rebecca, born March 12, 
1776: Philip. 

(VI) Eldad (2), eldest son of Eldad (i) 
and Rebecca (Osgood) Worcester, was born 
at Tewksbury, Massachusetts, June 22, 
1763, died May 5, 1853. Inheriting the pa- 
ternal homestead he was there throughout 
his life of nearly ninety years. He served 
in the war of the revolution, held offices of 
trust in the town and was active in the 
cause of education. He married, February 
2, 1793, Esther Brown, born December 23, 
1771, died October 3, 1818, daughter of Tim- 
othy Brown, of Tewksbury. Children : 
Eldad, mentioned below; Horatio, born De- 
cember 8, 1795: Alfred, October 4, 1797; 
John. August 28, 1700, died July 17, 1847; 
Caroline, June 16, 1802, died August, 1831, 
married Charles Worcester, of Tewksburv; 
Horatio, July 9, 1804, married Susan Pink- 
ham : Rebecca, August 21, 1806: Henry Ed- 
win, July 17, 1808; George P.; Mary; Adol- 
phus; Annie R. 

(VH) Eldad (3), eldest son of Eldad (2) 
and Esther (Brown) Worcester, was born 
at Tewksbury. Massachusetts. Februarv 4, 
1794, died in 1847. He was educated at the 
Andover (Massachusetts) Academy, stud- 
ied law, and was admitted to the bar of 
Massachusetts. About 1826 he removed to 
Albany, New York, where he successfully 
practised his profession until 1842. He mar- 
■ ried, July 6, 1818, Sarah Chickering. born at 
Andover, A-Tassachusetts, June, 1795, died at 
Goshen, Indiana, April 3, 1869, daughter of 
Dean and Sarah (Farnham) Chickering. 
Their children were: i. Sarah Brown, born 
at Andover, Massachusetts. September 26, 
t8t9, died at Schenectady, New York. Octo- 
ber 19, 1859; married (first) Nicholas Bouck, 



(second) John C. Wright. 2. George Wash- 
ington, born at Andover, March 20, 1821, 
died of ship fever on Staten Island, New 
York, September 28, 1849. 3. Caroline Au- 
gusta, born at Andover, December 30, 1822, 
died October 18, 1897; married Thomas 
Harbison. 4. Mary Louise, born October 
ID, 1826, died September 15, 1827. 5. Edwin 
Dean, mentioned below. 6. Harriet Louisa, 
born in Albany, New York, January 19, 
1 837, died December 3, 1868; married as 
third wife William Morgan Deeson. 7. 
Mary Elizabeth, born in Albany, July 29, 
1834; married Charles Perkins. 8. Franklin 
Eldad, born in Albany, May 28, 1837, died 
August 26, 1897 ; married Emma A. Warner. 
9. Maria Jane, born August 28, 1840, died 
June 20, 1841. 

(\^III) Edwin Dean, second son of El- 
dad (3) and Sarah (Chickering) Worcester, 
was born in Albany, New York, November 
19, 1828, died in New York. June 13, 1904. 
During his early schooldays lie spent much 
time in his father's law office, assisting in 
various technical duties, and thus acquiring 
a general knowledge of legal principles and 
forms. He completed his studies under 
private instruction, and then engaged in 
clerical work in the office at Albany of one 
of his uncles. He was a student in the of- 
fice of Rufus W. Peckham, studying law, 
but he again turned to business. After two 
years in a machine shop he was placed in 
charge of the mechanical department of the 
Ransom Stove Works in Albany in 1848. 
He continued there until 1852 when he en- 
tered the office of the comptroller of the 
state of New York, his brother-in-law, John 
C. Wright, having been elected to that po- 
sition. Afterwards he was employed with 
the Albany City Bank and the Commercial 
Bank of Albany. The consolidation of sev- 
eral of the great railways into one system, 
under the name of the New York Central 
Railroad Company, afforded him an oppor- 
tunity for devising a complete system for 
the accounting departments of the new or- 
ganization so that ultimately he was made 
treasurer of the new company and with 
such men as Erastus Corning and Henry 
Keep directed its afifairs until the fiirthcr 
reorganization of Commodore Vanderhilt 
came into effect. He went abroad in 1869 
for rest and after his return a plan for the 



36 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



underground railway in New York was in- 
augurated by Commodore Vanderbilt and 
he was placed in charge of it until it was 
abandoned. In 1873 he was made chairman 
and treasurer of the Lake Shore and Michi- 
gan Southern Railway Company, which un- 
der his supervision was partially organized 
in its financial arrangements. Mr. Worces- 
ter was a principal representative of the 
various interests with which he was con- 
nected before the Windom committee of the 
United States senate, which inquired into 
the various railroad systems of the country. 
He negotiated a considerable part of the 
bonds of the forty million dollar mortgage 
of the New York Central & Hudson River 
Railroad Company in 1873. Two years later 
he was elected director of the Western 
Union Telegraph Company. For many 
years the friend and confidant of Commo- 
dore Vanderbilt Mr. Worcester was pres- 
ent at his death and was a witness to his 
will. He was appointed secretary of the 
Michigan Central upon its incorporation 
with the New York Central system in 1878, 
and in 1883 became vice-president of the 
Lake Shore and Michigan Southern com- 
panies. In December, 1903, he completed 
his fiftieth year of continuous service in the 
great svstem of railroads which develoj^ed 
out of ihe original New York Central, and 
lived to the following year. His remains 
were interred in the Albany Rural cemetery. 

He married, April 30. 1855. in Albany, 
New York, Mary Abigail, daughter of War- 
ren S. Low, of that city ("see Low VIII). 
His children were: i. Edwin Dean, men- 
tioned below. 2. George Henry, born June 
6. 1857; married, October 17, 1888. Lydia 
Dearborn Kimball, who died June 16, IQ05. 
3. Charles Frederick, born April 16. 1859, 
died August 18, i860. 4. Franklin Eldred. 
born September 12, i860, died March 3, 
1891. =;. Harry Augustus, born in Albanv. 
New York, November 18, 1862; married. 
October 20. T905, Elizabeth Howard Whit- 
ing. 6. Wilfred James, born in Albany, 
Julv 28, i86i; married, July 17, 1897, Susan 
Baldwin Kirkham. 7. Margaret Dows, born 
in Albany. .August 12. 1872: married. Febru- 
ary 2=;. IQOS. Dr. Charles Mallory Williams. 

(IX) Edwin Dean (2). eldest son of Ed- 
win Dean Ci) and Marv .A.bigail CLow) 
Worcester, was born in Albany, New York, 



February 25, 1856. He received his early 
education at the Albany Boys' School, 
where he was graduated in 1871. During 
the next year he entered Yale College and 
from that institution he was graduated in 
the well known class of 1876. He was win- 
ner of the Junior Exhibition Prize and of 
the De Forest medal, and at graduation 
ranked second with the honors of salutaio- 
rian, his chum, Arthur T. Hadley (who in 
1899 became president of Yale University) 
having the first place and the valedictor\'. 
He then took the course of the Yale Law 
School, where in 1878 he received the de- 
gree of Bachelor of Law. In the same year 
he returned to his early home in Albany, and 
passed a clerkship in the office of Hand & 
Hale and was admitted to the bar. In 
1882 he left Albany and spent a year and a 
half in foreign travel. Establishing himself 
in New York City he formed with Thorn- 
dike Saunders and G. Creighton Webb in 
May. 1884, the legal copartnership of Saun- 
ders, Webb & Worcester, which continued 
until May i, 1907. He then became a mem- 
ber of the law firm of Worcester. Williams 
& Lehman (also of New York City), with 
Stephen G. Williams and Irving Lehman. 
Mr. Lehman was elected a justice of the 
New York supreme court in 1908. whereby 
the law firm was dissolved. Mr. Worcester 
is at present (1912) the senior partner in 
the firm of Worcester, \\'illiams & Saxe. 30 
Broad street, New York, his partners being 
Stephen G. Williams, John G. Saxe and 
Rogers H. Bacon. Mr. Worcester is a mem- 
ber of the Century, University and Yale 
clubs of New York City, and also of the 
association of the bar, in which organization 
he has held several official positions. 

(The Low Line.) I 

This name seems to have come to Amer- 
ica from England and is also found among 
the Dutch immigrants at New Amsterdam. 
The family herein traced was very early 
located in Massachusetts, whence it has 
been distributed over a wide area and has 
contributed much to the general develop- 
ment and prosperity of the nation. 

(I) Thomas Low, of Chebacco Parish, 
Ipswich, now Essex, Massachusetts, was 
born in England, and is believed to have 
been a son of Captain John Low, master of 



II 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



i7 



the ship "Ambrose", and vice-admiral of the 
fleet that brought over Governor Wln- 
throp's colony in 1630. The cane and Bible 
which are said to have been the property of 
Captain John have been handed down in the 
families of the Essex Lows and are still 
owned by one of them. The Bible was 
"Imprinted at London by Christopher Bar- 
ker, Printer to the Queenes most excellent 
Majestie, dwelling in Pater Noster Rowe at 
the signe of the Tegreshead Anno 1579". 
Thomas Low was in Ipswich as early as 
1641, and according to his own deposition 
was born in 1605. He was a maltster, and 
died September 8, 1677. His wife Susannah 
died in Charlestown, August 19, 1684, aged 
about eighty-six years. Their children: 
Margaret, born in England, married, April 
8, 1657, General Davidson ; Thomas, born 
1632; Sarah, 1637, married Joseph Stafford; 
John, mentioned below. 

(II) John, second son of Thomas and Su- 
sannah Low, was undoubtedly born in Ip- 
swich, Massachusetts, died there about 
1695, leaving an estate valued at one hun- 
dred and sixty-five pounds. He was a malt- 
ster, succeeding to the business of his fa- 
ther which he continued until about the 
time of his death. He married, December 
10, 1661, Sarah, daughter of John and Eliza- 
beth Thorndike, of Beverly. Children : 
John, mentioned below; Elizabeth, born Oc- 
tober 18, 1667: Margaret, January 26, 1669; 
Dorcas, November 3, 1673; Elias, baptized 
September i, 1676; Nathaniel, March 14, 
1678; Martha, born September, 1670: Jos- 
eph, April 18, 1681 ; Hannah, July 13, i68s. 

flTI) John (2), eldest "child of John (i) 
and Sarah (Thorndike) Low, was born 
April 24, 166s, in Ipswich, Massachusetts, 
and baptized July i, 1670. No record of his 
marriage appears. His wife bore the name 
of Dorcas and they had children in Che- 
bacco : John, mentioned below; Thomas, 
born March 5, 1602; Hannah, February i, 
1694; Nathaniel, baptized November 15, 
1696. 

(IV) John (3), eldest child of John (2) 
and Dorcas Low. was born February 22, 
1601, in Chebacco. Massachusetts. He mar- 
ried Anna Annable, intentions recorded 
April 18, 1713. They had children recorded 
in Ipswich: John, born May 20, 1714; Liicv, 
June 15, 1716; Anna, March 5, 1718: Ste- 



phen, baptized May 29, 1720; Francis, men- 
tioned below ; Jacob, baptized February, 
1725; Ephraim, May 19, 1728; Thomas, Jan- 
uary II, 1730; Nathaniel, March 5, 1732; 
Martha, April 21, 1734, at the Hamlet Par- 
ish Church. 

(V) Francis, third son of John (3) and 
Anna (Annable) Low, was baptized March 
18, 1722. at the Hamlet Parish Church in 
Ipswich, Massachusetts, died at Barre, 
Massachusetts, in 1760. His death was the 
result of a fall from a haymow. Tradition 
says that he owned the last slaves held in 
Massachusetts, but this is manifestly im- 
possible because slaves were held in that 
state after 1760. He married (first) about 
1751. Anna Rice, who died without issue; 
married (second) December 4, 1755, Mary, 
born March 27, 1735. in Weston, Massachu- 
setts, daughter of Nathaniel and Abigail 
Jenison. She married (second) December 
22, 1762. Noah Mendall. of New Braintree, 
Massachusetts, and removed to Staten Isl- 
and, where her Mendall descendants are 
found to this day. By the second marriage 
Francis Low had three children: i. Jeni- 
son. born September 16. 1756, in Barre, died 
in 1835 : he was a soldier of the revolution 
from that town (see vol. 21. p. 128. Revolu- 
tionary Rolls, office of Mass. Sec'y of 
State) ; he married (first) about 1780, Dinah 
Havnes. and (second) December 27, 1804, 
Abigail Blanchard ; he had several children : 
one of whom, Francis, married Reliance 
Cobb Burrill ; five children : Albert. William, 
Philip B.. Oscar, and Lyman Havnes. the 
last of whom lived in New York, and per- 
haps is there yet. 2. Samuel, mentioned 
below. 3. Mary. 

(VI) Samuel, second son of Francis and 
Mary (Jenison) Low, was born October 23, 
1758, in Barre, Massachusetts, died Septem- 
ber 17. 1830. He engaged as a drummer 
with the militia expecting to be called int > 
service during the revolution, but was not 
called to the field. He married, July 25. 
1780. Abigail Bacon: she died August 16. 
1847. Children: i. Francis, mentioned be- 
low. 2. .Arethusa. born March 15. 1783, 
died April 28. 1821 ; married a Mr. Belton. 
3. Hannah, died two months old. 4. Abi- 
gail, born June 21. 1786, died in 1869; mar- 
ried Lemuel Sherwood. 5. Polly, born Feb- 
ruary T. 1789. died in 1848; married a Mr. 



3^ 



SOUTH F.RX NEW YORK 



Willoiighby. 6. Samuel, born September 
25, 1791, died in 1869. 7. Joel, born July 
18, 1794, died in 1875. 8. Nancy, born April 
3, 1797, died in 1834; married a Mr. Kil- 
bourn. 9. Hannah, born August 26, 1801 ; 
married a Mr. Lincoln. 

evil) Francis (2), eldest child of Samuel 
and Abigail (Bacon) Low, was born Janu- 
ary 18, 1782, in Barre, Massachusetts, died 
January 21, 1834, at Albany, New York. 
He married, December 16, 1804, Mary Rog- 
ers, born March 15, 1785, in Atkinson, New 
IL-impshire, died November 11. 1856, daugh- 
ter of John and Betsey (Mulliken) Rogers. 
Children: i. Warren Sidney, mentioned 
below. 2. Maria A., born November i, 1807, 
died at Houston, Texas, October 28, 1867; 
married Benjamin Thomas ; three sons, all 
of whom died unmarried, and three daugh- 
ters. 3. Addison, born November 21, 1809, 
died August i, 1883, at Albany where he 
resided ; married. 1836, Elvira Steele, born 
July 6, 1812, died September 24, 1882; nine 
children, five of whom died in infancy. One 
son. Will Hickok Low, better known as 
Will H. Low, the well-known artist, illus- 
trator and author, a member of the National 
Academy, was born at Albany, May 31, 
1853, and is now living at Bronxville, West- 
chester county, New York : he married 
Berthe F-ugcnie, born at Caen, France, June 
7, 1853, died at Bronxville, April 6, 1909; no 
issue. 4. Arethusa Ann. born ALirch 22, 
1812, died at Albany in 1896: married, at 
Albany, George Vance, who died within a 
few years after marriage ; no issue. 5. Sid- 
ney, born October 10. 1814. died in infancy. 
6. Francis Sidnev. born August 18, 1816, 
died at Jersev City. March 24, 1871 : mar- 
ried Hannah R. Wallace; children: Sidney, 
born at Albany. 1855, died October 6, iqti, 
leaving a widow and six children; Charles; 
and two daughters. 7. Jane Elizabeth, born 
June fi. 1818, died December. 1898; married 
her cousin. Barney W. Low; no issue. 8. 
.Sarah, born September 5. 1820. died 1887; 
married Edward Burnet; no children. 9. 
William Henry, born July 12, 1823, resided 
at .Mbany where he died ; married Aurelia 
Fellows; no issue. 10. Mary, born Novem- 
ber 3. 7825, died December IT, t88t, at Al- 
bany; never married, tt. Helen Eliza, born 
October 23, T829, died Alarch, TO06; mar- 
ried, in 1850, James Ashton Hreig, whom 



she survived many years, and resided in Al- 
bany ; two children : Mary, who married 
Lorenzo Parlati ; and Carlisle Norwood, 
who married a Miss Hendee, and is sup- 
posed to be living in Chicago. 

(\'ni) Warren Sidney, eldest child of 
Francis (2) and Mary (Rogers) Low, was 
born March 9, 1806, at Crescent (formerly 
called Half Moon), Saratoga county, New 
York, died February i, 1888, at Albany, and 
was buried in the Albany Rural cemetery. 
From the age of fourteen to twenty-one 
years he served an apprenticeship with 
Warren Daniel, of Albany, to learn the "Art 
of Mystery" of the moulder's craft. Having 
a taste for mechanics, he was occupied 
nearly all his life as a machinist, and for 
several years ending in 1848-49 was associ- 
ated with his brothers Addison, Francis S. 
and William H., in the iron foundry busi- 
ness carried on at Albany under the name 
of Low & Company. He was not a member 
of this firm ; for several years after leaving 
it he was employed by the Ransom Stove 
Manufacturing Company as a machinist. In 
1875 he went into the office of the secretary 
of the New York Central & Hudson Rail- 
road Company at Albany to assist his son 
Warren, who was in failing health, and after 
the hitter's death in 1876 took his place in 
which he remained until his own death. He 
married (first) July 17, 1828, Mary Armenia 
Walker, born March 25, 1808, died Febru- 
ary 20, 1861, eldest child of Ashbel and 
Joanna (Lambert) Walker. Children: i. 
Lsabella Carson, born May 16. 1820. in Al- 
bany ; married Theodore Sedgwick Pom- 
eroy and was the mother of two children : 
Fanny Sedgwick, born December fi. 1856, 
married, June, 1900, Charles Sedgwick 
Rackemann, of Boston, resides at Boston, 
and has no children; and Florence, born 
July 29, 1862, died December 3, 1908. never 
married. 2. Mary Abigail, born October 30, 
1830; married, April 30, 1855. at Albany. 
Edwin Dean Worcester, of that town (see 
Worcester VHI). 3. Eunice Walker, born 
December 10. 1833; married William Henry 
Frame, and died in 1856, leaving a daugh- 
ter. Julia De Forest. 4. Martha Denison. 
born February 5. T836. died January 22. 
1874; married Cfirst) George W. Gill. Csec- 
ond) Charles S. Harvey; the only child of 
the first marriage. Alice E.. married James 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



39 



K. Staley and has children, Harry Kelly, 
Mary Worcester and Martha Low; by the 
second marriage there was a son Robert. 
5. Annie Elizabeth, born February 22, 1838; 
married Nicholas Groot, whom she sur- 
vived, and died at Stockbridge, Massachu- 
setts, 1877: she had children: Mary Lam- 
bert and Frank Nicholas. 6. Warren Sid- 
ney, born November 26, 1841, died in 1876 
in Albany; married and had four children: 
i. Mary Worcester, known as Minnie, mar- 
ried (first) Henry B. Cooper, (second) 
Henry L. Edwards, of El Paso, Texas, and 
bv her first marriage she had a daughter 
Helen Beatrice; ii. \\'arren Sherman, mar- 
ried and has three children : Helen Louise, 
Warren Sherman and Edward Francis; iii. 
Fred A. ; iv. Lulu Randall. 



This name is said to be from the 
BOND Anglo-Saxon word, bonda, 

meaning a householder, proprie- 
tor or husbandman. The word is latin- 
ized "paterfamilias," according to one au- 
thoritv, "and rightly enough as it would seem, 
because much in the same sense in compo- 
sition we use husbandman or husband or 
husbond." The name Le Bond occurs in 
the Hundred Rolls. There are several per- 
sons called Bonde in the Domesday Book 
of England, one of whom is somewhat con- 
tradictorily called "liber homo." On refer- 
ence to Domesday Book it will be found 
that numerous estates were held in England 
by families of the name of Bond in the time 
of Edward the Confessor and through later 
years down to the formation of the survey 
by William the Conqueror. They held es- 
tates in the counties of Cornwall, Dorset, 
Essex. Kent. Hants, Berks. Bradford. .Suf- 
folk, Gloucester, Northampton and York, 
and in several counties held two or more 
estates. Whether these were held by a few 
wealthy families or by as many families as 
there were estates has not been clearlv ascer- 
tained, but it is probable that the families 
were numerous. The most distinguished 
family of the name in England for the last 
three or four centuries trace their lineage 
to Earth and Holewood in the county of 
Cornwall ; some of the old writers of herald- 
ry speak of stirps antiquissima Bondorum 
of that county. 

There is a tradition — a very common sort 



of tradition — that three brothers of the 
name of Bond came to this country about 
the middle of the seventeenth century. One 
of them Thomas, said to have been a phy- 
sician, settled in Virginia or Maryland. An- 
other of the three, John, settled in Newbury, 
Massachusetts, and was proprietor in 1662, 
having descendants in New England, New 
York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. 
The other, William, said to have been a 
merchant, settled in Watertown, Massachu- 
setts, and from him are descended most of 
the family of the name of Bond in New 
England. The results of the researches of 
H. G. Somerly in England have tended to 
discredit part of this tradition. 

(T) Jonas Bond, of Bury Saint Edmunds, 
county Suffolk, England, married a woman 
whose christian name was Rose, and whose 
surname was perhaps Wood. He probably 
moved to Bury Saint Edmunds, after the 
birth of his second child from Hawley or 
W^oolpit, where he owned some houses, ac- 
cording to the evidence of his will. He died 
in August, 1601, and was buried August 5, 
1601. Children: Oliver, the "eldest son"; 
John, "the elder"; John, "the younger", 
baptized December 26, 1591 ; Bartholomew; 
\\'illiam, baptized December 28, 1595; 
Thomas, mentioned below; Elizabeth, bap- 
tized March 12, 1599; Margaret, baptized 
December 10, 1600. 

(H) Thomas, son of Jonas and Rose 
Bond, was baptized September 8, 1597. In 
his will his father left him the house at 
A\'oolpit. He was by occupation a maltster 
and his place of residence and also of busi- 
ness was Bury Saint Edmunds. His will 
was dated November 5, 1658, and proved 
March 10. i^'59. at the prerogative court of 
Canterbury in London. He married a wo- 
man whose baptismal name was Elizabeth, 
but whose maiden surname remains un- 
known. Children: Thomas, born Septem- 
ber 22, 1622; John, February 5, 1624; Wil- 
liam, mentioned below; Henry, April 5, 
1628; Elizabeth, March 12, 1630; Francis, 
May 31, 1632; Marv, January 31, 1636; 
Jonas. August 5, 1638. 

(Ill) William, son of Thomas and Eliza- 
beth Bond, and the immigrant ancestor of 
the Bond family, was baptized at Bury 
.Saint Edmunds. Suffolk county, England, 
September 8, 1625. His father in his will 



40 



SOUTH [vRX NEW YORK 



gave him legacies but no lands, William be- 
ing at the time in America. He is supposed 
to have come over to this country with an 
aunt and is said to have been educated for 
a mercantile life, but he seems to have been 
employed a great deal in taking inventories, 
writing wills and deeds, and settling estates. 
William Bond was selectman and town 
clerk of Watertown, a captain in the militia, 
justice of the peace, member of the council 
of safety in 1689, often represented Water- 
town in the general court and was elected 
speaker in 1691-92-93-95, being the first 
speaker elected under the New Royal Char- 
ter which united Massachusetts Bay and 
Plymouth Colonies into one colony. He 
was admitted freeman, October 11, 1682. 
On October 7, 1679, he was appointed one 
of a committee to rebuild Lancaster, which 
had been destroyed by the Indians, and 
June 10, 1686, he was appointed by the 
president and council of Massachusetts on 
a committee, with general powers to order 
and regulate all matters concerning the set- 
tlement of Worcester. 

He married (first) February 7, 1649, 
Sarah Biscoe, or Briscoe, which is said to 
have been the true orthography of those 
days. She was the daughter of the "rich 
tanner". Nathaniel Biscoe, who came to 
Watertown previous to T642, for in that 
year he wrote and circulated privately a 
pamphlet against "the way of supporting 
ministers" which was by taxation. This 
gave great offence and he was fined ten 
pounds. In that year his barn, with cattle 
and corn, amounting to one hundred pounds 
was destroyed by fire. He became so dis- 
satisfied with the prevalent ecclesiastical in- 
tolerance that he returned to England in 
ifi;7 c)r 1662. Sarah (Biscoe) Bond died 
February 15. 1692, and William Bond mar- 
ried Csecond) Elizabeth Nevinson, widow 
of John Nevinson, of Watertown. He died 
December 14, 1695, and .she died his widow. 
August 24, 1720, aged eighty-two years. 
Children, all by first wife Sarah, and all 
born in Watertown: i. William fDeacon). 
December i, 1650. died in T724; married. 
June 2, 1680. Henzibah Hastings, born Jan- 
uary 31, 1^63-64, at Watertown, only 
daughter of Deacon Thomas aiul Margaret 
rChcncv") Hastings. 2. John, born Decem- 
ber. T652, died March i, 1690-91 ; married. 



August 6, 1679, Hannah Coolidge, born 
February 20, 1656-57, died 1698, daughter 
of John and Hannah (Livermore) Coolidge, 
of Watertown. 3. Thomas, mentioned be- 
low. 4. Elizabeth, born November 30, 1656, 
died December 23, 1729; married, March 13, 
1678-70), Captain Nathaniel Barsham, born 
1644, died August 2, 1716, son of William 
and Annabella Barsham, of Watertown. 5. 
Nathaniel, born January 19, 1658-59, died 
in infancy. 6. Nathaniel (Lieutenant), 
January 9, 1659-60, died about April i, 1700; 
married, February 27, 1684-85, Bethia Ful- 
ler, born November 23, 1661, daughter of 
John and Elizabeth Fuller, of Newtown, 
Massachusetts. 7. Sarah, born July 27, 
i66r ; married, January 29, 1689-90, Dr. Pal- 
grave Wellington, born 1653, died October 
22, 1715, son of Roger and Alary (Palgrave) 
Wellington, of Watertown. 8. Jonas (Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel), born July 13, 1664, died 
April 21, 1727; married (first) January 29, 
1688, Grace Coolidge, born February 25, 
1663, died April 11, 1699, daughter of John 
and Hannah (Livermore) Coolidge, of Wa- 
tertown, and sister of Hannah, who married 
his elder brother, John; married (second) 
Elizabeth (Jackson) Prentice, born April 28, 
1658. died January 25. 1740, widow of John 
Prentice, son of Captain Thomas Prentice, and 
daughter of Edward Jackson, of Newton. 
Jonas Bond was a lieutenant-colonel of a regi- 
ment of militia, was a selectman eighteen 
years, represented Watertown many times in 
the general court and was a justice of the 
peace nearly twenty-five years. He belonged 
to the militarv force sent into Canada in 1690, 
under Sir William Phipps. 9. Mary, born 
1669. died May 21. 1700; married, June 21. 
1693. Lieutenant Richard Coolidge. born .April 
13. 1666, died October 2^, 1732. younecst son 
of John and Hannah (Livermore) Coolidge, 
of Watertown. this being the third marriage 
alliance between the two families. He was 
selectman of Watertown eleven years, and 
representative in 1722. 

(IV) Thomas (2), third son of William 
and Sarah (Biscoe or Briscoel Bond, was 
born at W^atertown, Massachusetts. Decem- 
ber 23. 1654. died there December 17, 1704. 
He married. September 30, 1680. Sarah, born 
at New Cambridge, Ma.ssachusetts, January 
2. i66r, daughter of Thomas and Sarah 
(Hyde) Woolson, first of New Cambridge, 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



41 



now Newton, Massachusetts, and then of 
Watertown Farms, now Weston, Massachu- 
setts. Administration was granted to the 
widow, Sarah, and her son, Thomas, of 
Thomas Bond, January 22, 1704, and the 
inventory showed an estate valued at three 
hundred and fourteen pounds sterhng, in- 
ckiding one hundred and seventy-seven 
acres of land and dwelling. Children, all 
born at Watertown: i. Thomas, mentioned 
below. 2. Sarah, born December 2, 1685 ; 
married, February 12, 1701, James Tread- 
way, a maltster of Watertown, born there 
October 17, 1676, son of Josiah and Sarah 
(Sweetman) Treadway. 3. William, born 
February i, 1687, died at Weston, Massa- 
chusetts, June 21, 1745; he married (first) 
at Watertown, December 11, 1712, Mary 
Learned, born at Watertown, October 10, 
ifiSB, died there April 24, 1716, daughter of 
Deacon Benoni and Mary (Fanning) 
Learned, of Watertown; married (second) 
August 20, 1718, Elizabeth Benjamin, born 
March 22, 1697, daughter of Daniel and 
Elizabeth (Brown) Benjamin, of Water- 
town ; they settled in Weston. 4. Mary, 
baptized December 7, 1690; married, De- 
cember 29, 1709, Isaac Bigelow, born March 
19, 1689, son of Samuel and Mary (Flagg) 
Bigelow, of Watertown ; they moved to Col- 
chester, Connecticut. 5. John, born July 14, 
T695; married, July 7, 1815, Ruth \A/hitney, 
baptized July 10, 1698, died at Worcester, 
Massachusetts, April i, 1748, daughter of 
Benjamin and Abigail (Hagar) Whitney, of 
Watertown. John Bond had taken up his 
residence in Worcester not long before his 
wife's death. 6. Isaac, born June 22, 1698: 
married, about 1725, a woman whose first 
name was Margaret, and removed to Sher- 
burne, afterwards living in Sudlniry and 
Natick, all in Massachusetts. 

(V) Thomas (3), eldest son of Thomas 
(2) and Sarah (Woolson) Bond, was born 
at Watertown, Massachusetts, April 29, 
1683, died May 17, 1737. He married, April 
25, 1706, Lydia, born August t2, 1686. 
daughter of Henry and Lvdia (Cutting) 
Spring, of Watertown. Children: i. Thom- 
as, born May 13, 1708, this is probably the 
Thomas Bond who settled in Newton and 
by his wife Abigail had Nathaniel and John. 
2. Jonathan, born November 7, 1710. died in 
Westboro, January 11. 1789. 3. Henry. 



born September 6, 1712. 4. Amos, born Au- 
gust 24, 1714, died September 29, 1762, 5. 
Thaddeus, born Jaimary 15, 1716; married 
(first) in Marlborough, November 24, 1740, 
Mary Rice, married (second) then said to 
be of Sturbridge, April 11, 1745, Prudence 
Warren, of Weston. 6. Lydia, born May 
21, 1718; married, March 21, 1744, Samuel 
Fiske. 7. Phinehas, born January 8, 1724. 
8. Abijah, mentioned below. 

(VI) Abijah, youngest son of Thomas (3) 
and Lydia (Spring) Bond, was born No- 
vember 28, 1727. He married, July 6, 1749, 
Rebecca or Elizabeth, born September 27, 
1727, daughter of Joseph and Rebecca (My- 
rick-Livermore) Patterson. They settled in 
Concord, where their children were born. 
Children: i. Abijah, born 1750, died in 
Washington, D. C, in 1796; married Sally 
. 2. Nathan, mentioned below. 3. Thad- 
deus, born 1754, died in 1756. 4. Rebecca, 
born 1756, died in 1767. 

(VII) Nathan, second son of Abijah and 
Elizabeth or Rebecca (Patterson) Bond, 
was born at Concord, Massachusetts, March 
31, 1752, died at Boston, Massachusetts, in 
January, 1816. He was graduated from 
Harvard College in 1772, and became a mer- 
chant at Boston, where all his children were 
born. In 1797 he moved to Portland and 
in 1803 he returned to Boston. He married, 
June I, 1783, Mrs. Joanna Doane, born Au- 
gust. 8, 1750, died November 3, 1823. 
Children: i. Abijah, born February 22, 
1784: was at Harvard College a year and a 
half then went to sea and died in Trinidad 
in 1803. 2. Charles, born June 7, 1785, died 
February 2, 1786. 3. Nathan, born June 6, 
1786, died September 2, 1802. 4. Charles, 
born June 6, 1786, twin of Nathan, died Sep- 
tember 22, 1822; merchant of Norfolk, Vir- 
ginia, t;. Royal, born September 11, 1787, 
drowned August 10, 1825, in an attempt to 
cross the river Connecticut ; was a merchant 
of New York. 6. George, mentioned below. 
7. Elizabeth, born February 14, 1795; mar- 
rie'l. in 1816, J. G. Pearson. 

(VIII) George, youngest son of Nathan 
and Joanna (Doane) Bond, was born July 
2:;, 178S, died at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 
May 23, 1842. He was a distinguished 
member of the well-known firm of Whitwell 
& Bond. He married, September o. 1810, 
.Ann .'^igournev Hammett. born June I, 1790. 



42 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Children : George William, mentioned be- 
low : llizabeth or Abigail, born October 12, 
1812; Cliarles Sigourney, September 11, iiSi4; 
Charles Royal, Ann Sigourney, Henry Fred- 
erick, Ellen Maria, Edward Pearson, John 
Gorham. 

(IX) George William, eldest son of 
George and Ann Sigourney (Hammett) 
Bond, was born June 22, 181 1. He was a 
merchant of Boston and resided at Rox- 
bury. He married (first) January 11, 1833, 
Sophia Augusta May, and (second) May 
31, 1843, Caroline Lavena Greenwood. Chil- 
dren : George, mentioned below ; Henry May, 
born April 3, 1836; William Sturgis, March 
20, 1838: Sophia, October 27, 1841 ; Maria 
Louisa, May 4, 1844; Ann Sigourney, July 

7. 1845. 

(X) George (2), eldest son of George 
William and Sophia Augusta (May) Bond, 
was born at Boston. Massachusetts, August 
12, 1834. He married Rebecca Calhoun 
Hindekoper. 

(XI) Alfred Hindekoper, son of George 
(2) and Rebecca Calhoun (Hindekoper) 
Bond, was born July 8, i860. He had an 
academic education, and is now a manufac- 
turer's agent, being connected with the 
George W. Wheelwright Paper Company, 
and director of the Federal Terra Cotta 
Company. He served six years in the 
Massachusetts Naval Reserve. Mr. Bond is 
very prominent and is a member of the Cal- 
umet, Metropolitan, Ward Room, Racquet 
and Tennis and Riding clubs. He married, 
in 1896, Louise \'an Bcurcn Davis, and has 
one daughter, Mary Louise, born 1897. 



This family is ancient in 
S.'VCKF.TT England and its ancestors 

came from Normandy with 
William the Conqueror. The names Sack- 
ett, Sacket and Sackville would appear to 
be of the same family. In England Thomas 
Sackville, Earl of Dorset, born 1636, bore 
arms, and was a lineal descendant of one 
of the band that accompanied William the 
Conqueror to England. The American im- 
migrants, Simon and John, are without 
doubt of the same family but the connection 
cannot be lineally traced. 

(I) Simon Sackett, immigrant ancestor of 
the American family of the Sacketts here 
dealt with, came to New England with his 



brother John and nephew John in the ship 
■'Lion", which sailed December i, 1630, 
from Bristol, England. lie was in com- 
pany with Roger Williams, and with Simon 
were his wife Isabel and their infant son, 
Simon Jr. They landed after an unusually 
stormy voyage at Boston, February 5, 163 1. 
He settled in Cambridge and his house was 
on the north side of what is now Winthrop 
street, in the center of the block between 
Brighton and Dunster streets. He lived but 
a short time after coming to America and 
died in October, 1635. November 3. fol- 
lowing his widow Isabel was granted leave 
to administer the estate. At the same ses- 
sion of the court the memorable decree was 
entered that banished Roger \\'illiams from 
the colony. The Widow Sackett and her 
two sons were among the company that 
made the hard journey to form the settle- 
ment of Hartford, Connecticut. She mar- 
ried there (second) William Bloomfield. 
Children of Simon and Isabel Sackett: 
Simon, born 1630, died July 9, 1659, married 
Sarah Bloomfield ; John, mentioned below. 
(II) John, son of Simon and Isabel 
Sackett, was born in 1632, in Cambridge. 
Massachusetts, and is supposed to have 
been the first child of European origin to 
be born there. He grew up on his mother'-; 
land, and in 1653 became a resident nf 
Springfield and was granted land of his own 
there. Shortly after his marriage he sold 
his house and land at Springfield and re- 
moved to property he had purchased at 
Northampton. He lived there until 1665. 
when he again sold out and went to a farm 
bought of one Chapin, near Westfield, on 
what are now Sackett's Meadows. He was 
one of the first settlers of Westfield. As 
soon as he arrived there he built a house 
and barn, both of which were burned Oc- 
tober 27, 1675, by the Indians who at the 
same time destroyed a large amount of 
other cattle and property and drove off the 
cattle that survived. When something like 
tranquility and security had been restored 
he rebuilt his house and barn and in addi- 
tion erected a saw mill by the side of a 
creek that ran into the Westfield river. The 
building of this mill brought about a law 
suit between him and anotlier family of the 
name of Dewey, who claimed that by the 
erection of this mill the water was backed 



SOUTHERX NEW YORK 



43 



up on their grist mill. The dam was or- 
dered removed with the help of the plain- 
tiff's hired man and oxen for nine days. 
John Sackett seems to have been a man of 
considerable character and ability, taking 
time from the work of the pioneer to help 
to transact the public business of the town 
and church. He was a selectman in West- 
field in 1672 and at various times after- 
wards, as late as 1693. 

He married (first) November 23, 1659, 
Abigail Hannum, born 1640, died October 9, 
1690, daughter of William and Honor 
fCapen) Hannum. He married (second) 
Sarah, daughter of John Stiles, widow of 
John Stewart, who had lived at Springfield. 
His will, dated May 10, 1718, was proved 
May 20. 1719. He gave all his real estate 
away before his death, mostly to his chil- 
dren, who numbered nine. His children 
were: John, mentioned below; William, 
born April 20, 1662, died March 28, 1700, 
married Hannah Graves ; Abigail, born De- 
cember I, 1663, died July 3, 1683, married 
John Noble ; Mary, born 1665, died Novem- 
ber 19, 1667; Hannah, born March 7, 1660, 
died August 30, 1749. married Benjamin 
Newbury; Mary, born June 8, 1672. died 
1729, married Benjamin Moseley ; Samuel, 
born September 16, 1674, died November 8, 
1709, married Elizabeth Bissel; Elizabeth, 
born Mav 27, 1677, ^'^d June t6, 1682; 
Abigail, born 1683, died September, 1721, 
married David King. 

(HI) John (2), son of John (i) and Abi- 
gail (Hannum) Sackett, was born in West- 
field, Massachusetts, November 4, 1660, 
died December 20, 1745. He was very much 
thought of in the town and was prominent 
in the various movements undertaken for 
its development. He was well over eighty 
years of age when he died and he had seen 
Westfield grow from a mere wilderness to a 
considerable and thriving community. He 
married (first) December i, 1686, Deborah 
daughter of William and Margaret Filley, 
of Windsor, Connecticut; (second) May 17, 
1702, Mehitable, daughter of Robert and 
Elizabeth (Swift) Danks, and widow of 
John Harris. His children by his first wife 
were: John, born March 3, 1688, married 
Sarah Alacerany; Abigail, born October, 
1690, married Captain Griswold : Daniel, 
born August 14, 1693, died February 9, 



1776, married Mary Weller; David, born 
July 7, 1696; Benjamin, mentioned below; 
Deborah, born November 16, 1701. The 
children by his second wife were: Isaac, 
born at Westfield, February 14, 1703, died 
October 29, 1773, married Elizabeth Shep- 
ard; Ezra, born in 1704, died May 13, 1706; 
Israel, born March 6, 1706, died in 1786; 
Eleakim, born March 12, 1712, died in 1764, 
married, July 5, 1738, Bethseda, born 1717, 
daughter of Samuel and Maria (Root) Fow- 
ler, there being ten children to the marriage ; 
Mary, born March 5, 1715, died in 1756. 

(lY) Benjamin, son of John (2) and Deb- 
orah (Fille}') Sackett, was born at Weath- 
erfield, Massachusetts, October 31, 1698, 
died in 1753. He married, December 4, 
1729, Thankful, daughter of David and Abi- 
gail (Sackett) King. In his will he gave to 
his wife the improvements of the whole of 
his estate both real and personal until the 
children came of age. The children were: 
Benjamin, mentioned below; King, married 
Lydia Sackett; Zebulon ; Abigail; Deborah. 

(V) Benjamin (2), eldest son of Benja- 
min (i) and Thankful (King) Sackett, was 
born in 1730. He was a farmer and lived 
successively at Sheffield, Massachusetts, 
Litchfield, Connecticut, and New Lebanon, 
New York. He married, in 1761, Deborah, 
daughter of Ebenezer Buell. Children: Deb- 
orah, born in 1762; Buell, mention be- 
low; John, November 16, 1764; Benjamin, 
1766; Aaron, 1767; Elijah, 1768, died 1813, 
married Dorothy Hitchcock ; Dorothy, 
1770; Thankful, 1772; Isaac, 1775; Calvin, 
1776. 

(\T) Major Buell Sackett, son of Benja- 
min (2) and Deborah (Buell) Sackett, was 
born July 28, 1763, died January 18, 1840. 
When but sixteen he enlisted in the Fifth 
Continental Regiment which at that time 
was encamped at New Windsor about two 
miles distant from General Washington's 
headquarters at Newburg, New York. This 
regiment subsequently served on both sides 
of the Hudson and was on duty at West 
Point when Major Andre was executed. At 
the close of the war Major Sackett became 
a resident of Lebanon, New York, and 
joined the Lebanon company of the Co- 
lumbia county regiment of militia, which 
was composed mainly of veterans of the 
revolutionary army. In this company he 



44 



SOUTHERN \EW YORK 



served first as a private and then passed 
through the non-commissioned grades to 
ensign, receiving a commission as such in 
March, 1803. The following year he was 
promoted lieutenant and in 1805 to captain. 
In 1807 he retired from the militia service 
with the rank of major. A parchment deed 
dated May 30, 1786, conveying fifty-nine 
acres of land in the town of Goshen, Litch- 
field county, Connecticut, is in possession of 
a descendant, Colonel Henry W. Sackett, of 
New York City, the grantor being Ebenezer 
Biiell. and the grantee Buell Sackett, Ben- 
jamin's son. A newspaper notice of Major 
Buell Sackett's death published at the time 
closes as follows: "He was a soldier of the 
Revolution and was one of the guard at the 
execution of Major Andre. Thus one after 
another fall and are deposited beneath the 
sods of the valley the few remaining patriots 
of early days. Very shortly the death 
knell of the last one must sound in the ears 
of those who have inherited the rich legacy 
left by these patriots." He married Sally 
Earl IBeach. Children: John, born July 31. 
1785. died February 17, 1827, married a 
lady of the baptismal name of Loraine. her 
maiden surname remaining unknown: Philo, 
mentioned below; Norman, born March 27, 
1791, died July 11. 1808, married Esther 
Waterman; Nathan, born May 15, 1794. 
died April 25, 1874, married Martha Dau- 
ken ; Ebenezer, died October 16, 1846; 
Henry C. born June 25, 180^. died Jn'y 28. 
1886. 

('\^TT') Philo. second son of Major Buell 
and Sally Earl (Beach) Sackett, was born 
June 13, T786, died October t2, 1863. He 
married, January 6. 1814, Grace Perkins, a 
lineal descendant of Joseph Jenks. colonist, 
who came from England to New England 
about the year 1652. Children : Sarah M.. 
born February 18, 1816, died March 24, 
1828; Solon Philo, mentioned below; 
Samuel, born September 11. 1820, died 
March 13, 1880. married Cizubah Vaughn : 
John C, born December 6. 1821. died March 
7, T896, married Rebecca A. Bloomer: Mary 
E., born June 27. 1825, died in 1897, mar- 
ried Andrew Miller; Roxana M.. born 
August 13, 1827, married Leroy Becker: 
Rucll Sands, born July 15, 1829. married 
Marion Becker. 

(VHI) Dr. Solon Philo Sackett. son of 



Philo and Grace (Perkins) Sackett, was 
born October 7, 1818, at Lebanon 
Springs, Columbia county, New York, 
died December 18, 1893. He studied medi- 
cine, being graduated from the Geneva 
Medical College. After a few years of 
practice in the country village he removed 
to Ithaca, New York, where he practiced 
his profession with marked success for up- 
wards of thirty years. He was thoroughly 
devoted to his profession and long held high 
rank among physicians of Central New 
York. As health officer of Ithaca, a posi- 
tion for which he was repeatedly chosen, 
he instituted a sewerage system of great 
value to the city. He held the office of 
coroner for several terms and was secretary 
of the Tompkins County Medical Society 
for many years. He was the author of the 
work entitled, "Mother, Nurse, and In- 
fant," a most vital work, which obtained a 
wide recognition, and was a frequent con- 
tributor to the principal medical periodicals. 
Dr. Sackett was for the greater part of his 
life a member and deacon of the First Bap- 
tist Church of Ithaca, where he was greatly 
beloved and his counsel was ever highly 
valued. He married, September 17. 1844, 
Lovedy Keturah, daughter of Charles and 
Keturah (Dunlap) Woodward. Children: 
Charles W., born September 4, 1845, married 
Emeline Cowles ; Joseph S., born January 
10, 1847, died May 8, 1890; Mary L., born 
November 13. 1848, died March 8. i860; 
Ruth v., born Februar}' 20, 1852: Henry W., 
mentioned below; Sadie, born April 22. 1858, 
died July 16, i860; Nettie, twin of Sadie; 
Carrie D., born December i, i860, died July 
20. i86v 

(IX) Colonel Iloiiry W.^nhvard Sackett, 
third son of Dr. Solon Philo and Lovedy 
Keturah (Woodward) Sackett, was born at 
Enfield, New York, August 31, 1833. He 
received his education at Ithaca Academy, 
and was graduated in 1875 with the degree 
of A. B. from Cornell University, where he 
was class essayist and where he belonged 
to the Phi Beta Kappa. After going 
through a course of law study he was ad- 
mitted to the bar of the state of New York 
in 1877. After practicing for some time he 
became a law writer and later an editorial 
writer and counsel for the Ne7v York 
Tribune. He became also associated in 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



45 



1884 with C. A. Runkle, and after his death 
with C. G. Bennett, as Sackett & Bennett. 
Subsequently he was the senior member of 
the firm of Sackett, Bacon & McQuaid, cor- 
poration attorneys. Later the firm became 
Sackett, Chapman & Stevens, located in the 
Tribune Building in 1912. For six years 
Colone-1 Sackett was a member of Troop A 
and Squadron A, occupying various posi- 
tions. He was appointed on Governor F. S. 
Black's staflf in 1897 with the rank of col- 
onel. During the Spanish war he aided in 
recruiting, and also served in the southern 
states as assistant paymaster general for 
the state of New York. He was trustee and 
secretary of the Hudson Fulton Celebration 
Committee ; is now trustee and vice-presi- 
dent of the American Scenic and Historic 
Preservation Society, trustee of Cornell 
University, commissioner of the Fire Island 
State Park, trustee and counsel of the Clark- 
son Home for Children, member of the Amer- 
ican Bar Association, of the New York State 
Bar Association, the Association of the Bar of 
the City of New York, the Municipal Art So- 
ciety, and lecturer at Cornell College of 
Law on legal subjects. Colonel Sackett 
also contributes to the Nev.' York Tribune 
articles dealing with legal matters. He is 
very fond of outdoor sports and recreations, 
his chief entertainments in that direction 
being golf, arboriculture, horseback riding 
and anything having historic associations. 
He belongs in addition to the associations 
enumerated above to patriotic and other so- 
cieties of various kinds, among them the 
Sons of the Revolution, Founders and Pa- 
triots of America, St. George's Society, St. 
Nicholas Society, Union League Club, Uni- 
versity Club, the National Arts Club, the 
Barnard Club, and the Apawamis and Gar- 
den City Golf clubs. He is a Republican in 
politics, and an Episcopalian in religion, 
having been senior warden of St. Thomas 
Church, Mamaroneck, New York, for many 
years. 

He married, in Brooklyn, New York, in 
1886, Elizabeth, daughter of Edmund Titus, 
who was one of the founders of the New 
York Produce Exchange. His New York 
residence is No. 515 Madison avenue, and 
his summer home is on Quaker. Ridge, 
Mamaroneck, New York. 



"Remember the days of old, 
BUSSING consider the years of many 
generations; ask thy fa- 
ther, and he will show thee; thy elders, and 
they will tell thee."— Deut. 32: 7. 

The name of Bussing dates back to the 
early settlement of Manhattan. The family 
has been closely identified with the history 
and business life of New York, and through- 
out all the generations has always borne an 
honorable record. 

(I) Arent Hermanse Bussing came to this 
country after the Thirty Years War, about 
1639, from Westphalia, on the borders of 
Overyssel, Holland, to Flatbush, Long Is- 
land, where he purchased a farm. Ten 
years later he moved to Haarlem, New 
Vork, where he purchased a large tract of 
land, owning at his death, in 1718, one hun-, 
dred and twenty-seven acres. 

"On the northwest corner of Eighth avenue and 
145th street stood until lately one of the few sur- 
vivals of the homes of 1674, the old Bussing house 
built of stone, with shingled ends and dormer win- 
dows. All t!ie inside woodwork was of locust In 
the kitchen stood the old-fashioned Dutch oven by 
the side of the fifteen-feet-wide fireplace. It was the 
house of that good man and righteous citizen, Arent 
H. Bussing, and was built on land which came 
through his marriage with gentle Susannah de la 
Mater. There it stood for over two centuries, just 
as It did when .Arent and Susannah set up their sim- 
ple housekeeping and when it was surrounded by 
ample barns and a multitude of other out-buildings 
dominatmg the old Bussing farm of one hundred 
and twenty-seven acres, covered then by growing 
crops and occupied by lowin'^ herds." 

The records of New Amsterdam show 
that Arent H. Bussing, of New Haarlem,' 
was named one of the five magistrates or 
commissioners in 1673. The court minutes 
of New Haarlem give the oath which was 
taken by these magistrates, and it is as 
follows: 

"We Commissioners of New Haarlem promise and 
swear in presence of .Mmighty God that we will ad- 
minister law and justice, promote the welfare of the 
village, uphold pure and true Christian religion con- 
formable to the Word of God and order of the 
Synod of Dort. We will obey and maintain in the 
name of their High Mightinesses the Lords States 
General of the United Netheriands and his High- 
ness the Prince of Orange. So trulv keep me, God 
-AlmightN'." 

In 1676 Mr. Bussing was made corporal 
of the nightwatch, organized by order of 
the governor-general. He was an officer in 
the Reformed Dutch Church of Haar'em. 



46 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



He married, in 1673, Susannah, daughter of 
Claude and Hester (DuBois) de la Maistre, 
or de la Mater, of Flatbush, Long Island. 
Their oldest child, Peter, married, in 1700, 
Rebecca Vermilye. Their youngest child 
was Harman, mentioned below. 

(II) Harman, son of Arent Hermanse and 
Susannah (de la Maistre or de la Mater) 
Bussing, was born in 1677, died in 1762. He 
married, in 1707, Sarah, daughter of Isaac 
Selover, of New Castle. They were the par- 
ents of Abraham, mentioned below. 

nil) Abraham, son of Harman and Sarah 
(Selover) Bussing, was born in 1724, died 
in 1798. Among Revolutionary remi- 
niscences is an order issued on July 3, 1777, 
by the commandant of New York, "where- 
by the mayor of the city is permitted to cut 
wood from the lands of Peter and John \\'a.\- 
dron, Abraham Bussing and John Meyer, in 
order to supply the city with fuel." Mr. 
Bussing married, in 1749, Elizabeth, daugh- 
ter of Peter and Jane (Wessels) Mesier, 
and they were the parents of Abraham, 
mentioned below. 

(IV) Abraham (2), son of Abraham (i) 
and Elizabeth (Mesier) Bussing, was born 
on Cortlandt street, New York City, in 
1770, died in 1829. He was an active mer- 
chant at No. 59 Cortlandt street until 1799, 
when he moved to No. 151 Broadway, 
where he conducted the dry goods business. 
Valentine's "Manual" mentions that "the 
value of the store occupied by Abraham 
Bussing in 1815 at 151 Broadway was $13,- 
000." He joined with thirty-six other citi- 
zens in raising funds with which to erect the 
first public school house in New York City. 
It stood at Chatham Square and Tryon 
Row, and accommodated five hundred 
scholars in the main room, and was dedi- 
cated in 1809. In an early history this men- 
tion is made of it : "The gentlemen to whose 
benevolence the society was indebted for 
contributions of building material and the 
superintendence of the construction of the 
edifice, are worthy of an honorable place 
among the early friends of 'Free Schools 
for Poor Children,' as the public schools 
were then called." 

Mr. Bussing married, .\pril 17, 1794. Hes- 
ter, daughter of Edmund and Marv (Wil- 
kinson") Kingsland. Children; t. .^brahrn-n. 
born Mnrch 27, 1795. died 1817. 2. Edmund 



Kingsland, born January 25, 1798, died Jan- 
uary 26, 1853; married, June 9, 1825, Hester, 
born January 3, 1798, died May 17, 1881, 
daughter of John Kingsland ; children : i. 
Abraham, born on Abingdon Square, New 
York City, June 4, 1828, died November 4, 
1905 ; he received his collegiate education at 
New York University ; he was one of the 
founders or very early supporters of the 
Young Men's Christian Association, and 
was actively connected with church work 
in the Madison Avenue Presbyterian 
Church. During his youth his family moved 
from Abingdon Square to Washington 
Square, where he was living at the time of 
his marriage in 1859. In 1869 he moved 
from New York City to Montclair, New 
Jersey, where for many years he took an 
acti\e part in political, financial and church 
afifairs. He was a member of the town com- 
mittee, a founder, and until his death a di- 
rector of the First National Bank of Mont- 
clair. and trustee and elder in the Presby- 
terian church. During his residence in 
Montclair he continued his business inter- 
ests in New York City. He was treasurer 
and afterwards president of the Ausable 
Horse Nail Company, and he was also a 
director of the National Shoe & Leather 
Bank. He was a member of the Essex 
County Country Club at Orange, the Mont- 
clair Club, of various Republican clubs and 
of the Young Men's Christian Association. 
He returned to New York City in 1894, and 
lived at No. 14 East 56th street, until 1902, 
when he moved to No. 24 East 61 st street, 
which was his home until he died in 1005. 
He married, November 9, 1859. Emma, 
daughter of Samuel and Mary (Johnson) 
Frost. Their only child, Alice Cary, mar- 
ried, April 22, 1902, Howard Thayer Kings- 
bury, ii. Hester, born July 12. 1830, died 
March 13, 191 1; married (first) in 1849, 
Moses Mortimer Vail : (second) December 
I, 1897, William K. Peyton. 3. Elizabeth, 
born December 28, 1800, died 1871 ; married 
William Moulton. 4. John Schcrmerhorn. 
mentioned below. 5. Mary Wilkinson, horn 
July 17, 1806, died 1872; married Orsamus 
Bushnell. 6. Jane, born August 11, 1812, 
died 1825. 

(V) John Schcrmerhorn, son of .Xbraham 
(2) and Hester (Kingsland) Bussing, was 
born on Cortlandt street, New York City, 




SOZ - Itf.'O'!- 



SOUTHERN NEAV YORK 



47 



October 15, 1802, died June 9, 1864. His 
fatiier's two sisters, Elizabeth and Jane 
Bussing, married, in 1771 and 1773 respec- 
tively, two brothers, Peter and Simon 
Schermerhorn, and John was named after 
his uncles, Schermerhorn. He began busi- 
ness as a wholesale dry goods merchant in 
1823, on Maiden Lane, near Pearl street, in 
connection with his brother, Edmund Kings- 
land, under the firm name of E. & J. Buss- 
ing. Their business was afterwards moved 
to the northwest corner of William and 
John streets, and occupied one of the then 
celebrated "Washington Row" of stores 
which they were largely instrumental in 
erecting, where they carried on a large trade 
with the entire country. The firm remained 
unchanged until dissolved in 1849, having 
maintained its credit unimpaired through all 
the financial convulsions of New York busi- 
ness life during a period of twenty-si.x years. 
After the death of his brother, Mr. Bussing 
became the head of the firm of John S. Buss- 
ing & Company, iron and nail merchants, 
and occupied the building at No. 32 Clifif 
street, where his earlier life had been spent 
when that portion of the city was residen- 
tial. He resided for nearly twenty years at 
No. 4 East I2th street, New York City, in a 
house which he had built when that street 
was considered far uptown, and there he 
died. 

Both the brothers, Edmund Kingsland 
and John Schermerhorn, held influential po- 
sitions in the church and also in secular in- 
stitutions. The latter was one of the 
original incorporators of the New York Life 
Insurance Company and a member of its 
board of trustees until his death. He was 
also a director in the Niagara Fire Insurance 
Company, president of the Northern Dis- 
pensary, and treasurer of the Board of Do- 
mestic Missions of the Reformed Dutch 
Church. While residing for a time in As- 
toria he served the Reformed Church of that 
place as superintendent of the Sunday 
school ; later was made deacon and subse- 
quently elder. He was a man full of spiril; 
and energv. and was active to the end, at- 
tending a business meeting the dav before 
his death. It was always a great pleasure 
to him to be identified with benevolent and 
church work, and he always was ready when 
dutv called. 



John S. Bussing married (first) in 
Brooklyn, June 25, 1S25, Agnes Ann, born 
August 5, 1802, died January 14, 1831, 
daughter of Robert and Maria (Wood) 
Speir, of Brooklyn ; they had three children : 
Two died in infancy; the surviving child, 
Robert Speir, mentioned below. He mar- 
ried (second) in 1833, Ann, daughter of 
Abraham and Margaret (Field) Van Nest, 
of New York City ; children : Abraham Van 
Nest, born in 1834, died in 1839; John Stuy- 
vesant, mentioned below ; Mary, residing at 
the present time (19 12) in the old home at 
No. 4 East I2th street. New York City. 

The Van Nest and Field families were 
among the first to settle in Somerset county. 
New Jersey, where they purchased large 
tracts of land, some of which, after two 
hundred years, are still in possession of their 
descendants. Both families have always 
been prominent in church and state affairs, 
serving in the colonial and revolutionary 
wars as officers and minute-men. In the 
church many of them occupied official po- 
sitions and some entered the ministry. 

George Van Nest, father of Abraham Van 
Nest, aforementioned, owned a large farm 
near Somerville, New Jersey, and was 
known as "Prince George" because of his 
generous hospitality. His son, Abraham 
Van Nest, became a prominent New York 
merchant and a leader in both church and 
city afifairs. For many years he served as 
president of the Greenwich Savings Bank. 
In 1819 he purchased for his summer resi- 
dence the old historic "Sir Peter Warren 
Mansion", in what was then known as 
Greenwich village. It then was called "The 
Van Nest Homestead" and remained such 
until after the death of Mr. Van Nest in 
1864. In this house John Schermerhorn 
Bussing and Ann ^^an Nest were married. 

(\'I) Robert Speir, son of John Schermer- 
horn and Agnes Ann (Speir) Bussing, was 
born .September 28, 182''), died June 21, 1895. 
He succeeded his father in business, and 
afterwards for many years was senior mem- 
ber of the firm of Bussing, Crocker & 
Dodge, manufacturers in metal ware. Dur- 
ing the last forty-five years of his life he 
resided in Brnokh-n. where he was prom- 
inent in church work, devoting much time 
and labor to the interests of the Bethel 
Sunday school of Plymouth Church, of 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



which he was superintendent. During his 
latter years Mr. Bussing was the beloved 
teacher of a large Bible class of young 
women at St. Ann's Church on the Heights. 
He was vice-president of the Brooklyn City 
Dispensary, and during the civil war was a 
great advocate of improved sanitary affairs, 
making large donations to that end, and 
keeping the matter before the public by 
persistent agitation. He was also president 
of the Young Men's Christian Association 
of Brooklyn from 1861 to 1864, and a strong 
friend of the temperance cause. 

He married, January 8, 1850, Mary Kings- 
land, born Ma"rch 12, 1831, died July 19, 
1910, daughter of Rodman and Mary 
(Kingsland) Brown. Children: i. Cornelius 
Wallace, born December 5, 1850, died No- 
vember 24, 1870. 2. Robert Speir, born 
January 29, 1853; married, April 26, 1904, 
Mary Louise (Pierce) Read, daughter of 
James F. Pierce, of Brooklyn. 3. Mary 
Kingsland, born September 24, 1855, died 
September 22, 1879. 4. Jennie Caswell, born 
August 8, 1858, died January 24, 1861. 5. 
Florence Gibson, born November 14. 1862; 
married, June 7, 1887, Rev. Edward M. Mc- 
GufTey ; children: Alice; Dorothea Drake, 
died in infancy; Kingsland Drake. 6. George 
Crocker, born September 11, 1868, died 
March 15, 1885. 7. Edith Stuyvesant, born 
Julv 3, 18 — . 8. Agnes Maude, born April 
4, }8—. 

(VI) John Stuyvesant, son of John Scher- 
merhorn and Ann (Van Nest) Bussing, was 
born in New York City, September 21, 1838. 
He acquired his early education in Colum- 
bia College Grammar School when it was 
located in Park Place, in close connection 
with the college. For thirty-three years he 
was engaged in the banking and brokerage 
business on Wall street, under the firm 
name of Gelston & Bussing, the partner- 
ship being dissolved by the death of the 
former. Both partners were members of 
the New York .Stock Exchange. This house 
was one of the oldest firms with continued 
and unchanged membership, and one of the 
most conservative in the street. It passed 
unscathed through the many exciting ex- 
periences of Wall street. It stood unswerv- 
ingly for perseverance, energy, honesty, up- 
right dealing, strict integrity and close at- 
tention to the interests of customers. Mr. 



Bussing retired from active business in 1898 
and since that time has devoted himself to 
various forms of philanthropic and church 
work. 

Mr. Bussing has always been actively 
identified with Christian work, filling many 
positions of trust and honor. For thirty- 
three years he was one of the consistory 
of the Collegiate Reformed Church of New 
York, and as an elder served on its finance 
committee. "His calm and clear judgment 
in the solution of serious problems gave 
him an influential voice in all important de- 
cisions. His wise and zealous loyalty to 
the Collegiate Church has contributed large- 
ly to the conservation of its interests and 
influence in the denomination and in the 
church at large." For a long period he was 
connected with the Young Men's Christian 
Association as one of its board of managers, 
and later as one of the advisory board, and 
also served in the same capacity on the 
board of the Young W^omen's Christian As- 
sociation and as chairman of its finance 
committee. He was trustee of the Northern 
Dispensary from 1875 to 1882, and also 
served as president of the New York Bible 
Society. He has long been identified with 
the Hospital Saturday and Sunday Associa- 
tion of New York City, was one of its foun- 
ders, and as one of its board of managers 
was actively interested in its work. In 
1885 he was elected treasurer of the Board 
of Domestic Missions of the Reformed 
Church of America, and held the position 
for twenty-one years, giving the work his 
active, vigilant sympathy. He was also 
treasurer of the Industrial Educational As- 
sociation, treasurer of the Board of Trustees 
of the Interdenominational Committee of 
the Young Men's Christian Association, and 
director in the City Mission and Tract So- 
ciety. In i8q9 he became a member of the 
committee of the General Synod which had 
care of the grounds and property of the 
Theological Seminary at New Brunswick, 
New Jersey. Through his efforts and lib- 
erality great improvements were made in 
the furnishing and decoration of Hertzog 
Hall and also in beautifying the surround- 
ings, making the seminary a fit and attrac- 
tive abode for the sons of the prophets. In 
ic)04. he was elected a member of the Board 
of Superintendents of the same institution. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



49 



Mr. Bussing served for over seven years in 
the Twenty-second Regiment, National Guard 
of the State of New York. During the civil 
war he went to the front with his regiment in 
1863, and received his honorable discharge 
as first lieutenant of Company A from Gov- 
ernor Fenton. He is one of the Sons of the 
Revolution, being eligible because of the 
service in the revolutionary war of his great- 
grandfather, John B. Field, and is also a 
member of the Society of Colonial Wars, 
and of the St. Nicholas Society, which is 
largely composed of old Knickerbockers. 

Mr. Bussing married (first) in 1873, Kate, 
daughter of James and Maria (Kinney) 
Breath. Their twin children, Kate and 
Anna, died in infancy. He married (second) 
October 31, 1882, Emily Morton, daughter 
of Henry T. and Sarah E. (Barstow) Jen- 
kins. Mr. Bussing is residing at the present 
time (1912) at No. 26 East loth street. New 
York City, his home for the past thirty 
years. 



The surname Eagle would ap- 
EAGLE pear to have been originally 

applied to a person of an am- 
bitious or soaring disposition. There are 
several legendary stories of eagles which 
may have originated the name, as for ex- 
ample that of De Aquila (Lat. eagle), of 
which it is said : "The surname of this fam- 
ily was originally assumed from Aquila in 
Normandy, so denominated by reason an 
eagle had made her nest in an oak growing 
there when the castle was first building." Eu- 
genulf de Aquila accompanied Duke Will- 
iam into England at the Norman Conquest. 
The family were banished by Henry H. and 
probably never returned, as their name does 
not occur in more recent times, but some 
hold that the modern name Eagle or Eagles 
in England is a translation of the Latin sur- 
name. In Ireland the surnames Eagle and 
Eagleton are often translations or adapta- 
tions from the Gaelic, O'HioIracain. In a 
book called "The Modern Irish Gentry" the 
only mention of the Eagles and Bulls were 
in the following couplets. The following is 
a brief summary of the family names that 
came into Ireland with the Cromwellian 
settlement, or with the Revolution : 

"The Parrotts, Eagles, Cocks, and Hens, 
The Swallows, Snipes, Pyes, Robins, Wrens." 



'Our Bulls and Bears, and Wolves and Hares, 
Strong, Steeds and Hunters, Colts and Marcs." 
The coat-of-arms of the Eagle family is as 
follows : Sable six lions argent, three, two 
and one. Crest: A lion's gamb erect and 
erased or grasping an eagle's leg erased at 
the thigh gules. See Fairchild's "Book of 
Crests." Also Burke's "(icneral Armory." The 
coat-of-arms of the Eagles family is as fol- 
lows : Or a fesse between three eagles dis- 
played azure. Crest: Two lions' jiaws in a 
saltire ppr. 

(I) Henry Eagle, first American ancestor 
of the branch of the Eagle family here dealt 
with, was the son of George Eagle, surgeon 
in the British army, and was born in the 
city of Dublin, Ireland, in the latter part of 
the eighteenth century, and died in New 
York City in 1852. He catne to this coun- 
try about the year 1795 and settled in New 
York. He became the major of an Irish 
brigade belonging to the troops of New 
York, and during the war of 1812 was sta- 
tioned at Long Island and assisted in pre- 
paring earthworks near Fort Greene. The 
family residence was on the southeast cor- 
ner of Broome street and Broadway (No. 
764 Broadway). At that time that section 
of the city was in the country, a mile and 
a half distant from the settled portion of 
the city. The two brothers of Henry Eagle 
were in the British military service ; one 
was a surgeon, the other went to the East 
Indies, rose to the rank of major, married 
a lady of title, and died in 1814. 

Henry Eagle married (first) Christiana 
Bull, of Waterford, Ireland, who died in 
1816. Their children were: John, died un- 
married : Eliza Bennis, married Dr. Thomas 
Ogden ; Ellen, married Abijah Smith : Chris- 
tiana, married Rev. John Messenger; Henry, 
of whom further. Henry Eagle married 
(second) Eliza Nelson. Their children 
were : Robert Nelson, W' illiam. Horatio, Ma- 
tilda, Caroline, Maria, died young. 

(II) Henry (2), son of Henry (i) and 
Christiana (Bull) Eagle, was born in New 
York City, April 7, 1801, died there. No- 
vember 26, 1882. He entered the United 
States navy on New Year's Day. 1818. and 
passed about a year on the seventy-four gun 
ship "Independence"', then used as a school- 
ship for midshipmen in Boston harbor. It 
was the custom of the period for midship- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



men to go into the merchant service to gain 
experience. Midshipman Eagle sailed in the 
frigate, "Macedonian", under command of 
Captain Downs, for the Pacific coast of 
South America, then passing from the feeble 
grasp of Spain. Seven days after leaving 
Boston the vessel lost her masts in a se- 
vere storm, but succeeded by the aid of jury 
masts in reaching Norfolk. Virginia, where 
damages were repaired. While at Panama, 
an incident occurred illustrating his gener- 
ous impulses, not yet fully curbed by con- 
ventional rules. A young English surgeon, 
named Kernan, belonging to the expedition 
of Sir (iregor McGregory, had been cap- 
tured with others during the attack on Porto 
Belle, and marched across the country to 
Panama, where he was placed in the chain 
gang and condemned to be a street scaven- 
ger. The owner of a drug store ascer- 
taining his profession, obtained permission 
to employ him. Midshipman Eagle, who 
visited the store, learned the facts, and tak- 
ing another midshipman into his confidence, 
rescued and secreted the prisoner on board 
the ship, though fired on six or eight times 
while making the attempt. On demand of 
the viceroy, Captain Downs made search, 
without discovering the surgeon until after 
he had put out to sea. One of the most 
valued souvenirs in possession of Commo- 
dore Eagle's family is a letter written by 
Kernan, warmly expressing his gratitude for 
deliverance from a captivity which would 
doulHless have ended in death. The frigate 
returned to Boston in June, 1821. 

After being stationed at the Brooklyn 
Navy Yard until the latter part of 1822, 
Midshipman Eagle took a voyage as sailor 
on the .American ship, "Beaver", to the 
East Indies and China, without special inci- 
dent, exce])t that he came near being lost 
overboard in a heavy squall. His salary on 
this cruise was half pay from the government, 
$115 per annum. After this voyage he was 
for a time on duty in the Navy Yard, and 
was then transferred to the man-of-war 
brig. "Enterprise", fitting out for a cruise in 
the West Indies after pirates. Five or six 
months were passed in this way when the 
vessel was totally wrecked on the unin- 
habited island, called Little Curacoa. One 
of the lieutenants and Midshipman Eagle 
were sent to Curacoa to charter and prepare 



a \essel for taking home the officers and 
crew. This was satisfactorily accomplished, 
and on his return he was ordered to the 
sloop of war, "Erie", of the Mediterranean 
squadron. The squadron touched at several 
of the (irecian islands. Some weeks were 
sj^ent at the port of Smyrna, and then the 
fleet separated, and the "Erie" sailed for 
Algiers, arriving there just after the British 
consul had been falsely accused by the Bey 
of appropriating to himself a portion of the 
English tribute and had embarked for Malta. 
During the year 1S25 the "Erie" visited the 
Bay of Naples. 

Alidshipnian Eagle was commissioned 
lieutenant, March 3, 1827. and in that and 
the following year cruised again in the West 
Indies and in the sloop-of-war, "Natchez", 
where on one occasion he commanded the 
launch, and with another boat's crew at- 
tacked and routed a pirate schooner. Re- 
turning he was sent to the Brazils in the 
frigate, "Hudson", the flag-ship of the 
squadron, and remained on the station for 
some years. Lieutenant Eagle was at- 
tached to the receiving shi]) at New York, 
and in 1834 sailed again for the Brazilian 
station in the sloop, "Erie", where he passed 
a second period of several years. He was 
stationed at the rendezvous at New York in 
1840, and the following two years cruised 
in the Pacific Ocean on the sloop-of-wy, 
"Yorktown", when he w^as i)laced in com- 
mand of the schooner, "Shark", and served 
two years more on the Pacific station. He 
was commissioned commander, June 4, 
1844. On his return he was detailed to 
superintend the construction of the Stevens 
iron battery at Hoboken, to which he de- 
voted several years, acting as inspector in 
New York in 1846. The Mexican war called 
him to the Gulf, where he commanded the 
bomb vessel, "Aetna" and a division of five 
vessels of the squadron. Taking Frontera, 
the seaport of the fertile province of To- 
basco. in southern Mexico, he was appointed 
civil and military governor of the jirovince 
and collector of the port. The imports were 
principally from this country. He per- 
formed the duties of his dual ofifice so ac- 
ceptably, increasing the revenue, opening 
schools, and encouraging people to industry, 
that on the restoration of peace they be- 
sought him to remain, declaring that he had 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



51 



lightened their burdens and elevated their 
cnndition. Subsequent to the war he was 
on special service. In 1853 he was sent to 
the Gulf of St. Lawrence and adjacent 
waters, in command of the steamer, '"Prince- 
ton", of the home squadron, to protect the 
interests of our fishermen. After a year or 
more spent in this service, Captain Eagle 
was, in November, 1854, ordered to cruise 
in the "Princeton'' in search of the missing 
sloop-of-war, "Albany", commanded by his 
old friend. Commander Gerry, who had 
sailed from Aspinwall, September 25, 1854. 
After a fruitless cruise of two months 
through the Caribbean Sea and the West 
Indies, all hope was abandoned ; the "Al- 
bany" was never heard from. He was com- 
missioned captain, September 14, 1855. 

On the first overt act of rebellion in 1861, 
he was the bearer of important communi- 
cations from the commandant of the Brook- 
lyn Navy Yard to Washington. Having ac- 
complished his mission, he asked for imme- 
diate active service. The only command 
then available was that of the gunboat, 
"Monticello", which he willingly accepted, 
arriving in Hampton Roads within a few 
days after the fall of Fort Sumter. During 
the remainder of April and the month of 
May he blockaded the James and Elizabeth 
rivers. On May 19, 1861, he made the first 
naval attack of the war and silenced the 
guns of the battery at Sewell's Point, one 
of the defenses of Norfolk. In connection 
with this memorable attack, he subsequent- 
• ly received an official letter from Hon. 
Gideon \\'elles, then secretary of the navy, 
in which was stated : "The Department can- 
not withhold the expression of its high ap- 
preciation of your promptitude and gal- 
lantry". The command of the frigate, 
"Santee". was now ready for him, and he 
sailed for the Gulf, and passed two years 
principally in blockading Pensacola, Florida, 
and Galveston, Texas, during which time he 
captured several vessels, including the pri- 
vateer, "Royal Yacht". \\'hile blockading 
Galveston, Captain Eagle requested of 
Farragut that he be assigned to duty in the 
contests on the Mississippi river, to which 
Farragut wrote in reply : "Your turn will 
come, I hope soon, for active employment 
in rougher work." This wish to have Eagle 
with him in the Mississippi fight was not, 



however, to be realized, for the "Santee". 
although a splendid frigate, was unfit and 
unable to do the work of a steamer in run- 
ning past forts, etc. It was Captain Eagle's 
misfortune that in volunteering so soon for 
service, he had to be given a sailing vessel. 
He received his commission as commodore, 
July 16, 1862, and on January i, 1863, hav- 
ing reached the age of sixty-two, was placed 
on the retired list, although he was on ac- 
tive duty for his country until 1867. He 
was prize commissioner in New York in 
1864, and a part of 1865, and for a year later 
inspector of light houses of the entire Gulf 
coast. 

From the year 1870 he was a member of 
the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of 
the United States, and after serving for. 
two or three years as vice-commander he 
was elected commander and occupied that 
station for two successive years. Commo- 
dore Eagle was also a member of the As- 
sociation of Mexican Veterans. Among his 
life-long friends were such men as William 
E. Dodge, Admiral Farragut, Hamilton 
Fish, Wilson G. Hunt, Alexander S. Webb, 
and others distinguished in our state and na- 
tional history. 

Commodore Eagle married, in 1833, Min- 
erva, daughter of Sheldon Smith, a gallant 
Connecticut soldier of the war of 181 2, and 
at one time a part owner with Cornelius 
Vanderbilt, of the steamboat, "Caroline", 
which plied between Bridgeport and New 
York. After selling his interest to Mr. Van- 
derbilt. he went to Newark, New Jersey, 
where he planned and constructed its reser- 
voirs and water works. He was also asso- 
ciated with Anson G. Phelps in founding the 
manufacturing village of Birmingham, Con- 
necticut, and afterwards in promoting its 
interests. His death occurred in 1863. Sur- 
\i\ing children of Commodore and A!'^ 
Eagle: Clififord F., served as captain in the 
Union army during the civil war; Clarence 
H., of whom further; Isabel C, married 
Fitch W. Smith, of New York ; Ida M., mar- 
ried Thomas H. Messenger, of Brooklyn. 

(Ill) Clarence Henry, third son of Henry 
(2) and Minerva f Smith) Eagle, was born in 
New York City, February 7, 1857. He was 
educated at the Columbia Grammar School 
and the College of the City of New York. 
After leaving tollege he went in a stock 



SOUTHKRN NEW YORFs. 



broker's office as clerk, and later opened 
an office of his own. In 1889 he left stock 
broking for the printing business, in which 
he is still engaged. He was a private and 
corporal of the Seventh Regiment National 
Guard of New York; captain of Company 
E, Twelfth Regiment National Guard of 
New York, 1883-86; major and inspector of 
rifle practice of the First Brigade StafT Na- 
tional (".nard of New York, 18S6-88, General 
Louis Fitzgerald commanding. He was the 
crack rifle shot of the Seventh Regi- 
ment, and was on the Creedmoor Rifle Team 
during the eight years he was with the regi- 
ment. He is a member of the Military Or- 
der of the Loyal Legion, Military Order of 
Foreign Wars, of the Veterans of the Sev- 
enth Regiment, of the Society of Colonial 
Wars, Sons of the Revolution, Society of 
American Officers. Veteran Corps of Artil- 
lery, Society of 1812, Naval Order of the 
United States. Aztec Club of 1847, Society 
of American Wars, New York Yacht Club, 
Atlantic Yacht Club, Adirondack League 
Club and Alpha Delta Phi college fraternity. 
Mr. Eagle married, November 2, 1887. 
Lizzie Matilda, daughter of Enoch and 
Eliza (Van Auken) Ketcham. Children: i. 
Mildred, born August 28, 1888; married 
Herbert Nelson Fell, February 28, 1912; 
child, Sylvia Elizabeth, born January i. 
1913. 2. Henry, born July 7, 1890; gradu- 
ated from Princeton University in June. 

I9T2. 

(The French Line.) 
A great many families bearing the name 
of French claim their descent from Rollo, 
Duke of Normandy, who settled in France 
and in 910 A. D. formally adopted the Chris- 
tian religion, taking at his baptism the name 
of Robert, Count of Paris, who was his god- 
father. He had already conquered the prov- 
ince of Normandy, which was ceded to him 
in due form by Charles the Simple of 
France, King, who also gave him in mar- 
riage his daughter Gi.sela, A. D. 912. Anti- 
quarians have brought to light what are 
supposed to be about forty variations of the 
surname, French, among them being Frene, 
Freyn. Frcvne, dc la Freyne. do la Fresnay, 
Frainch, Ffrenche, and Frenche. The an- 
cient motto of one branch of the family was 
"malo mori quam foedari" — "death rather 



than dishonor." It is said that "of the sev- 
enteen families of French mentioned by 
Burke are quite a variety of armorial bear- 
ings, the dolphin and the fleur de lis being 
the most conspicuous." From Harlovan, 
third son of Rollo, descended Sir Ma.xinii! 
ian de French, whose son Sir Theoples 
French (or Freyn) went with William the 
Conqueror to England and fought in the 
battle of Hastings. This was the first 
branch of the French family planted in Eng- 
land, and from that descent of Rollo are sup- 
posed to be many of the families later found 
in both England and Ireland. 

(I) William French, the immigrant ances- 
tor of this family, was born in Halsted. 
county Essex, England, March 15, 1603, died 
at Billerica, Massachusetts, November 20, 
1681. He came to America on the ship "De- 
fence," with the Rev. Thomas Shepard and 
his brother Samuel. Roger Harlakenden and 
George and Joseph Cooke, in the summer of 
1635. He settled first in Cambridge, and in 
1652 was one of the original proprietors and 
first settlers of Billerica. He was lieutenant 
of the militia and afterwards captain ; was 
the first man chosen to sit in the "deacon's 
seat," 1659; commissioner to establish th'^ 
county rates in 1659: selectman in 1660. and 
for nine years in all ; was on the committee 
to examine children and servants in reading, 
religion and catechism in 1661 ; was the first 
representative or deputy to the general court 
at Boston, elected 1660, and taking his seat 
in 1663. A tract written by him entitled 
"Strength out of A\'eakness." in which he 
gives a detailed account of the testimony of 
an Indian convert to Christianity, was pub- 
lished in London and afterwards republished 
in the "Massachusetts Historical Societv 
Collections." He bought part of the old 
Dudley farm in Billerica, and his house 
stood near the turnpike, east of the Brad- 
ford road, near Ralph Hill's house. Hill 
called him brother in his will. French was 
a tailor by trade. He married (first) a wo- 
man who.se baptismal name was Elizabeth, 
and who is surmised to have been sister to 
the Rev. Zachariah Symmes. She died 
March 31, 1668. He married (second) Mav 
6, 1669, Mary, widow of John Stearns, 
daughter of Thomas Lathrop. of Barnstable. 
Massachusetts. His widow married, June 
29, 1687, Isaac Mixer, of Watertown. His 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



53 



estate was divided December 6, 1687, be- 
tween tJTe widow and three daughters — 
Mary Sharp, and Sarah and Hannah French. 
Children of \\'ilham and EHzabeth French : 
Francis, mentioned below; Elizabeth, born 
1629-31, married a man of the name of Ellis, 
of Watertown ; Mary, 1633 ; John, 1635 ; 
Sarah, March, 1638; Jacob, March 16, 1639- 
40; Hannah, February 2, 1641-42, died June 
20, following; Samuel, December 3, 1645, 
died July 15, 1646; Samuel, after 1646, pio- 
neer in Dunstable, Massachusetts. Children 
of William and Mary (Lathrop-Stearns) 
French : Mary, born April 3, 1670, married 
Nathaniel Dundee; Sarah, October 29, 1671 ; 
married (first) a Sharp, who died in mili- 
tary service, married (second) Joseph Cros- 
by; Abigail, April 14, 1673, died April 13, 
1674; Hannah, January 25, 1676, married, 
October 5, 1693, John Child, of Watertown. 
A descendant of Lieutenant William 
French, himself named William French, a 
resident of Dummerston in the New Hamp- 
shire grants, was the celebrated victim of 
the Westminster massacre of 1775. As this 
was the direct result of the first organized 
resistance to British authority in the Ameri- 
can colonies, William French has been 
claimed as the first martyr to the cause of 
American independence. On his gravestone 
is this quaint inscription : 

"In memory of William French 
Son to Mr. Nathaniel Frencli. Who 
Was shot at Westminster, March ye 13th, 1775. 
By the hands of the cruel Ministerial tools 
Of Georg ye 3d, in the Corthouse at 11 o'clock 
at night in the 23d year of his Age." 

"Here WILLIAM FRENCH his Body lies 
For Murder his Blood for Vengeance Cries 
King Georg the third his Tory Crew 
That with a Bawl his Head Shot threw 
For liberty and his Country's Good 
He Lost his Life his dearest blood. " 

(II) Francis, eldest son of William and 
Elizabeth French, was born in England in 
1625. He came to America with his father. 
He went to Milford, Connecticut, in 1650, 
and settled in Derby in 1654, being one of 
the three first settlers. He married Lydia 
Bunnell, of Milford, April 10, i66t. She 
died April i, 1708. Children: Lydia, born 
August 21, 1662; Elizabeth, June 20, 1664; 
Ann, August 10, 1666; Mary, September 28, 
1670; Samuel, January 6, 1672, died 1677; 



Susan, June 6, 1675; Francis, mentioned be- 
low; Hannah, November 18, 1679. 

(HI) Francis (2), youngest son of Francis 
(i) and Lydia (Bunnell) French, was born 
at Derby, Connecticut, February 11, 1677, 
died April 11, 1751. He was a man of posi- 
tive and energetic character, and resided on 
his father's homestead. He was high priest 
of Solomon Chapter, Free and Accepted Ma- 
sons, for about twenty years. He married, 
September 2, 1703, Anna, born 1670, died 
January 11, 1744, daughter of Rev. John and 
Bridget (Thompson) Bowers. Children, 
born at Derby were : Samuel, mentioned 
below; Charles, February 14, 1707; Israel, 
October 8, 1709; Francis, 1710; Mary, Feb- 
ruary 6, 1712; Hannah, 1716; Nathaniel, Oc- 
tober 28, 1717. 

(IV) Samuel, eldest son of Francis (2) 
and Anna (Bowers) French, was born in 
Derby, Connecticut, July 23, 1704, died Feb- 
ruary 2, 1783. He married, December 17, 
1733, Martha Chapman, born in 1714, died 
October 29, 1780. Children : Noah, born 
January 15, 1735; A/fary, October 31, 1736, 
died July 25, 1743; Sarah, mentioned below; 
John, April 15, 1741. died October 17, 1761, 
at Crown Point, a soldier in the French war; 
Mary, July 26, 1743; Martha, October 18, 

1747' 

(V) Sarah, second daughter of Samuel 
and Martha (Chapman) French, was born 
July 16, 1738, died August 13, 1805. She 
married Abraham Smith, born May 17, 1734, 
at Norwalk, Connecticut, the marriage tak- 
ing place December 5. 1756. The tomb- 
stones of .'\braham and Sarah Smith are in 
the old Uptown graveyard of Derby, and on 
his grave is the bronze marker placed there 
bv the Sons of the Revolution to mark "A 
Patriot's Grave." Abraham Smith served in 
the revolutionary war. He died February 
13. 1706. 

(VI) Abijah, son of Abraham and Sarah 
(French) Smith, was born at Derby, Con- 
necticut, October 3, 1764, died March 6, 
1826. He married Eunice Chatfield, born 
March 23. 1766, died April 14, 1856. 

(VII) Sheldon, son of Abijah and Eunice 
(Chatfield) Smith, was born March 16, t^oi, 
died September 19, 1863. He married. De- 
cember 19, 1813, Polly Summers, of Bridge- 
port, Connecticut, born April 7, 1798, died 
November ig, 1871. 



54 



.s(jl riii:R.\ -\]:\v vork 



(\'III) Minerva, daughter of Sheldon and 
Polly (Summers) Smith, was born July 24, 
1816, died October 17, 1904. She married, 
August 6, 1833, Henry Eagle (see Eagle II). 
Children : Edward, Elma, Adela, Leila, Clif- 
ford F., Clarence H., Isabel C, Ida M. 



Alexander Fenwick or Phoe- 
PHOENIX nix, the immigrant ancestor 

of the Phoenix family, was 
born probably in Scotland, and was living 
near Wickford, Rhode Island, as late as July 
29, 1679. He arrived in New Amsterdam 
(now New York) in 1643, and remained 
there for a number of years. In 1652 he re- 
moved to Rhode Island, where he purchased 
large tracts of land in Narragansctt. He 

married (first) . He married (second) 

Abigail Sewall, probably the daughter of 
Thomas Sewall, and born August 16, 1650. 
She was living May 13, 1717, when men- 
tion is made of her by her grandson, Charles 
Brown, son of her daughter Abigail. Chil- 
dren : I. Jacob, mentioned below. 2. Alex- 
ander, who is called "of Albany" in the rec- 
ord of his marriage in the Dutch Church, 
New York, October 29. 1704; he was living 
as late as February 15, 1719; he married, 
Helen Van Vorst, widow of Isaac Montag- 
nie; their children were: Hester, baptized 
in the Dutch Church, New York, June i, 
1707, died in childhood; Alexander, baptized 
in the Dutch Church, New York, April 3, 
1709, died in childhood; Cornelia, born Sep- 
tember 9, 171 1 ; Hester, June 13, 1714; Alex- 
ander, April 22, 1716, who was a freeman in 
1752. There were daughters belonging to 
Alexander and Aliigail fSewall) Phoenix, 
but their names are not given. 

(II) Jacob, son of Alexander and Abigail 
(Sewall) Phoenix, was born at New Orange 
(now .Mbany), New York, and baptized at 
the Dutch Church in New Amsterdam (now 
New York) Octo1)er 8, 1651. He purchased, 
November 2, 1685. the bouwerie, known as 
Klinkenbergh, behind the present village of 
Athens, New York, and January 11, 1686, a 
house on the north side of "Bever Straat," 
between Broadway and New street, where 
he lived until the date of his death. He was 
a member of the Dutch Church; became a 
freeman of New York in 1698; was living as 
late as June 24, 1727. He married at the 
Dutch Church, December 4, 7686. .Ann f\'an 



V'leeck) Beach, widow of William Beach, 
and daughter of Tielman Van Vleeck (the 
first sellout or sheriff and president of the 
court at Bergen, New Jersey) by his wife 
Magdalena. We find no mention of her 
after March 11, 1705. Children: i. John, 
baptized at the Dutch Church, New York, 
January, 1687. 2. Alexander, May 5, 1689, 
died in childhood. 3. Alexander, mentioned 
below. 4. Jacob, November 4, 1694; later a 
member of the Blue Artillery Company, in 
1738; living June 18, 1742, died before Feb- 
ruary 28, 1757; married Elizabeth, probably 
daughter of Cornelius and Mary (Clacsl 
Beek, baptized March 16, 1701, living June 
18, 1742, died before February 28, 1757. 

(Ill) Alexander (2), son of Jacob and Ann 
(Van V'leeck-Beach) Phoenix, was born in 
1690, baptized at the Dutch Church, New 
York, December 5, 1690, dying in 1770. He 
was a freeman in 1732, and a member of the 
Blue Artillery Company in 1738. His will 
was proved September 20, 1770. He mar- 
ried twice, the name of his first wife not l)e- 
ing recorded. He married (second) in New 
York, in July, 1723, Elizabeth, born July 31, 
1692, widow of Jacob Bockee or Bocquet, 
and daughter of George and Elizabeth 
(Thomas) Burger; she married Jacob Boc- 
quet, June 8, 1717, and died February 28, 
1757. Children of Mr. and Mrs. Phoenix: 
I. John, baptized at the Dutch Church, New 
York, April 12, 1724. 2. Alexander, men- 
tioned below. 3. Anna, April 8, 1730, died 
before May 14, 1768. 4. Catharine, October 
I?" '7.33; joined the Dutch Church. May 25. 
1757; married in the same church, March 
15, 1738, Adolph, son of Resolved and Jane 
(Meyer) Waldron. 5. Daniel, March 31, 
1736, died in childhood. 6. Daniel, July 13, 
1737; married (first) Hannah, daughter of 
Timothy and Mary (Piatt) Tredwell. of 
Long Island, and (second) Elizabeth, 
daughter of Dr. Zopher and Rebecca 
(W'ood) Piatt. 

(I\') Alexander (3). son of Alexander (2) 
and Elizabeth (Burger) Phoenix, was born 
in 1726, baptized at the Dutch Church, New 
York, December 11, 1726, dying before May 
14, 17^)8. There is not much on record re- 
garding his life. He married Cornelia : 

Children: i. Elizabeth, born May 20. 1753. 
New York, died in childhood. 2. Cornelius, 
born October 22. 1754, at New York, lost on 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



55 



a voyage from St. Bartholomew to St. Do- 
mingo, West Indies, in 1807. 3. Frances, 
March 21, 1756, died March 16, 1797, unmar- 
ried. 4. Alexander, January 4, 1758, at New 
York, died in childhood. 5. John, October 
14, 1759, died in childhood. 6. Daniel, men- 
tioned below. 

(V) Daniel, youngest son of Alexander 
(3) and Cornelia Phoenix, was born at New 
York, October 14, 1761, died December, 
1828, at Morristown, New Jersey. He re- 
moved from New York to New Jersey in 
1776, and was a major of the New Jersey 
troops in 1798. He married, January 4, 1784, 
Anna Lewis, born near Morristown, New 
Jersey, October 8, 1765, died March 13, 1854, 
daughter of Jonas and Anna (Lewis) Phil- 
lips, and descended on her father's side from 
the Rev. George Phillips, who came over on 
the ship "Arabella," with Governor John 
Winthrop, in 1630. Her mother was the 
daughter of the Rev. Thomas Lewis, who 
lived from 1716 to 1777, who graduated from 
Yale College in 1741, and who became a 
Presbyterian clergyman. Through the wife 
of her paternal great-grandfather, the Rev. 
George Phillips, she was descended from 
William Hallet, of Hallets Cove, Long Isl- 
and, and also from George Woolsey, one of 
the first settlers of Long Island. Children 
of Mr. and Mrs. Phoeni.x : Cornelia, born 
November 8, 1785, at Morristown, New Jer- 
sey, died there April 25, 1788. 2. Jonas Phil- 
lips, mentioned below. 3. Lewis, born Feb- 
ruary 22, 1790, at Morristown, died there 
November 30, 1865, unmarried. 4. Julia Ann, 
born July 25, 1792, at Morristown, died there 
July 19, 1828, unmarried. 5. John Doughty, 
born ]\Iay 2, 1795, at Morristown, died Decem- 
ber 18. i860, at New York, unmarried. 6. 
Mary Caroline, born April 15, 1798, at Morris- 
town, died there March 24, 1819, unmarried. 

7. Sarah Amelia, born August 29, 1800, at 
Morristown, died there February 20, 1803. 

8. Daniel Alexander, born November 14, 
1802, at Morristown, drowned June 11, 1847, 
near Maren, Texas, unmarried. 9. Henri- 
etta, born May 12, 1805, at Morristown, died 
November 21, 1833; married Ambrose .Stev- 
ens, of Batavia, New York, November 19, 
1829. 10. Elizabeth Waldron, born June 22, 
1807: married, October 21, 1832. Henry Rut- 
gers Remsen, of New York, who died April 
4. 1874- 



(VI) Jonas Phillips, son of Daniel and 
Anna Lewis (Phillips) Phoenix, was born at 
Morristown, New Jersey, January 14, 1788. 
He became one of New York's most distin- 
guished merchants. He was an alderman in 
1838-39 and a presidential elector in 1840. 
A prominent Whig, he was a candidate for 
mayor and in 1842 was one of the commis- 
sioners of the Croton aqueduct. Elected a 
member of congress in 1843 and 1849, he 
was a member of the assembly in 1848. He 
married Mary, daughter of Stephen and 
Harriet (Suydam) Whitney. Stephen Whit- 
ney was one of the leading merchants of 
New York in the last generation, and was 
descended from Henry Whitney, who came 
from England and settled on Long Island; 
his wife belonged to the Suydam family of 
Hallets Cove, Long Island. Children of 
Jonas Phillips and Mary (Whitney) Phoe- 
nix: I. Whitney, born September i, 1830, 
at 18 State street. New York, died there 
January 20. 1833. 2. Mary Caroline, born 
February 27, 1832, at 18 State street. New 
York; married there, April 29, 185 1, George 
Henry Warren, born November 18, 1823, 
son of Nathaniel and Mary (Bouton) War- 
ren, a graduate of Union College. New York, 
in 1843. 3- Philip, born at 18 State street, 
New York, March 23, 1834: graduated at 
Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massa- 
chusetts, in 1854. 4. Harriet Whitney, born 
October 5, 1835, at 18 State street, New 
York; married, March i, 1859, Isaac Bron- 
son, died August 22, 1864. at Baden Baden, 
Germany. 5. Anna Lewis, born September 
I3. 1837, died September 19, 1858, unmar- 
ried. 6. Stephen Whitney, born May 25, 
'839: graduated at Columbia College, New 
York, in 1859, and at Columbia Law School, 
New York, 1863. 7. Lloyd, mentioned be- 
low. 

(VII) Lloyd, son of Jonas Phillips and 
Mary (Whitney) Phoenix, was born in New 
York, in 1841. He graduated at the Naval 
School, Annapolis, in 1861, and served in the 
cix'il war, attaining to the rank of lieutenant. 



The name Conkling is 
CONKLING found in the early records 

in a variety of forms 
among them Conkline, Conkling, Concklyne, 
Conkelyne, and so on. The evidence is that 
the early immigrants bearing it came from 



56 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



England, so the name may be presumed to 
be English, though there is nothing like it in 
the ordinary published works dealing with 
English surnames. Neither in Anglo-Saxon 
nor in Norman French is there any sugges- 
tion of the elements that compose the name. 
One authority finds the root in Gaelic, which 
once the ancient Celtic language of the 
whole British Isles, is a key to those who 
know it for a host of names of places and 
persons both in Britain and the Continent, 
apart from the places where it is still under- 
stood. This authority suggests that the 
name Conkling is derived from Conghailen, 
the ancient Celtic form of the Gaelic name. 
Connelan, transplanted to England. There 
is extant an interesting pedigree of this fam- 
ily carrying back to ancient Milesian times. 
Whatever the origin of the name it ajipears 
that it was first anglicized, and then Ameri- 
canized, and that the first bearers of it here 
were Annanias and John Conkling or Con- 
kelyne, who were in Massachusetts a little 
before the middle of the seventeenth cen- 
tury. The evidence is that they came from 
Nottinghamshire, England, where both ap- 
pear to have been born. 

(I) Annanias Conkling, or Conkelyne, the 
immigrant ancestor of the Conkling family, 
and his brother John are noticed in Sav- 
age's "Genealogical Dictionary." Annanias 
was made a freeman at Salem, May 18, 1642. 
He removed in 1650 to East Hampton, and 
his brother John to Southold, Long Island. 
On an old gravestone there has been found 
the inscription : "Here lyeth the body of 
Captain John Conkelyne, born in Notting- 
liamshire, England, and died at Southold, 
Long Island, April 6, 1694, aged sixty four 
years." Annanias died November, 1657. He 
had children baptized: Lewis, April 30, 
1643; Jacob, May 18, 1640; Elizabeth, May 
18, 164Q. There were children mentioned at 
East Hampton: Jeremiah, mentioned be- 
low; Cornelius; Benjamin; Hester, married 
George Miller; she was six and a half years 
I'ld when her father, Annanias, died. 

fll> Jeremiah Conkling, son of Annanias 
Conkling. or Conkelyne, was born in 1634, 
died Alarch 14, 1712. He was an admini- 
strator, November 27, 1657, and afterwards 
bis brother-in-law, George Miller, was ap- 
pointed administrator. He married, in 1658, 
Mary, born August 30, 163S, died June 15, 



1727, daughter of Lion and Mary Gardiner, 
who sailed June 10, 1635, from Holland to 
England, then to New England, settling fin- 
ally at Saybrook. Children: Jeremiah, mar- 
ried Jane Parsons; Cornelius; David; Lew- 
is, mentioned below; Annanias; Mary, mar- 
ried Thomas Mulford. 

(III) Lewis, fourth son of Jeremiah and 
Mary (Gardiner) Conkling, was born about 
1670. There is very little in the records con- 
cerning him, though he married and was 
long the head of a large family. His chil- 
dren were: Elizabeth, baptized April 21, 
1700; Lewis, baptized January 18, 1701, mar- 
ried, October 22, 1724, Elizabeth Mulford; 
Esther, September 3, 1704; Mary, April 11, 
1708; Mercy, May 7, 1710; Isaac, January 
25. 1713: Zerviah, January 8, 1716; Cineus, 
mentioned below; Abigail, April 16, 1721, 
married, October 5, 1740, Nathaniel Baker, 

(IV) Cineus, son of Lewis Conkling, was 
born in October, 1718, baptized October 19, 
1718. He married and had several children, 
among them Isaac, and Benjamin, men- 
tioned below. 

(V) Benjamin, son of Cineus Conkling, 
was born about 1746. He married Esther 
Hand. Children: Cineus; Alfred, men- 
tioned below ; Nathaniel ; Betsey ; Phebe. 

(Vi) Alfred, son of Benjamin and Esther 
(Hand) Conkling, was born at .-Vmagansett, 
Suffolk county. New York, October 12. 1789, 
died February 5. 1874, at Utica, New Y'ork. 
He was a prominent jurist. He graduated 
at Union College in 1810, studied law, and 
was admitted to the bar in 1812. He was 
district attorney for Montgomery county for 
a period of three years, and was elected to 
congress as an anti-Jackson Democrat, serv- 
ing from 1821 until 1823. He then removed 
to Albany and in the year 1825 was appoint- 
ed by President John Quincy Adams judge 
of the United States district court for the 
northern district of New \''ork, which office 
he held until 1S52, when President Fillmore 
appointed him minister to Mexico. On his 
return from that mission in 1853 he settled 
at Geneseo, New York, devoting himself 
mainly to literary pursuits. Union Col- 
lege gave him the degree of LL.D. in 1847. 
He published several substantial works that 
had a considerable clientele and were effec- 
tive in moulding opinion in legal circles, 
among them, a "Treatise on the Organiza- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



57 



tion and Jurisdiction of the Supreme, Cir- 
cuit, and District Courts of the United 
States," and "Admiralty Jurisdiction," "The 
Powers of the Executive Department of the 
United States," and the "Young Citizen's 
Manual." He married Elizabeth Cockburn. 
Children: i. IMargaret Cockburn, born Oc- 
tober 29, 1814. died 1894: married a Mr. 
Steele. Mrs. Steele published "Memoirs of 
the Mother and Wife of Washington," "Isa- 
l;)ell, or Trials of the Heart," as well as a 
translation of Florian's "History of the 
Moors in Spain," all works having a good 
sale, contributing also to current literature. 
2. Frederick Augustus, mentioned below. 3. 
Roscoe, the United States senator, born in 
Albany, New York, October 30, 1829, died 
at New York, April 18, 1888. He received 
an academic education and studied law un- 
der his father. In 1846 he entered the law 
office of Francis Kernan. afterwards his col- 
league in the senate, and in 1850 became dis- 
trict attorney for Oneida county. He was 
admitted to the bar in that year and soon 
became prominent both in law and in poli- 
tics. He was elected mayor of Utica in 

1858, and at the expiration of his first term 
a tie vote between the two candidates for 
the office caused him to hold over for an- 
other term. In November, 1858, he was 
chosen as a Republican to congress, and 
took his seat in that body at the be- 
ginning of its first session in December, 

1859, a session noted for its long and bitter 
contest over the speakership. He was re- 
elected in i860, but in 1862 was defeated by 
Mr. Kernan over whom, however, he was 
elected in 1864. His first committee was 
that on the District of Columbia, of which 
he was afterwards chairman. He was also 
a member of the committee of ways a.nd 
means and of the special reconstruction com- 
mittee of fifteen. Mr. Conkling's first im- 
portant speech was in support of the four- 
teenth amendment to the constitution. He 
zealously attacked the generalship of Mc- 
Clellan, opposed Spaulding's legal tender 
act, and firmly upheld the government in 
the prosecution of the war. He was re- 
elected in the autumn of 1866, but in June, 
1867, before he took his seat, was chosen 
United States senator to succeed Ira Harris, 
and was re-elected in 1873 and 1870. In the 
senate he was fmm the first a member of the 



judiciary committee, and was connected 
with nearly all the leading committees. 
Senator Conkling was a vigorous supporter 
of President Grant's administration and 
largely directed its general policy toward 
the south, advocating it in the government 
and by his personal influence. He was also 
instrumental in the passage of the civil 
rights bill, and favored the resumption of 
specie payments. As presidential candidate 
he received ninety-three votes in the Cin- 
cinnati convention in 1876. 

(VII) Frederick Augustus, .son of Alfred 
and Elizabeth (Cockburn) Conkling, was 
born in Canajoharie, New York, August 22, 
1816. He received a classical education, and 
as soon as he left college entered commercial 
life and in course of time became a mer- 
chant. He took considerable interest in pol- 
itics, and was for a period of about three 
years a member of the New York legisla- 
ture. When the civil war broke out he or- 
ganized at his own expense in June, 1861, 
the Eighty-fourth Regiment of New York, 
serving as its colonel. During July, 1863, 
the regiment did duty as provost guard at 
Baltimore, Maryland, and in 1864 it saw 
several months' service in Virginia. Colonel 
Conkling served one term in congress, from 
1861 to 1863, and in the year 1868 was the 
Republican candidate for mayor of New 
York City. He was a trustee of the College 
of Physicians and Surgeons, a member of 
the geographical and historical societies, and 
author of various reports to the New York 
legislature. He also wrote numerous politi- 
cal, commercial and scientific pamphlets. 
He married Eleonora Ronalds. Son, How- 
ard, mentioned below. 

(\^III) Howard, son of Frederick Augus- 
tus and Eleonora (Ronalds) Conkling, was 
born in New York City in 1856. He re- 
ceived the first part of his education in pri- 
vate academies, and then went through the 
New York Universitv Law School, attain- 
ing the degree of LL.B. in 1890. He en- 
gaged for a time in commercial pursuits, 
but after a few years abandoned them to 
study law. He was admitted to the bar. and 
later removed to Indiana and was admitted 
to the bar in Indianapolis, but soon returned 
to New York. Sir. Conkling has travelled 
extensivelv in European countries and in 
Mexico. He is the author of a number of 



58 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



works, among them "The Game Laws", 
"Travels in Mexico", a short biography of 
"The Chevalier de La Luzerne." He is a 
Presbyterian in religion, and a Republican 
in politics. He was a member of the New 
York assembly in 1892, 1893 and 1903, and 
was formerly president of the Madison 
Square Republican Club, and president of 
the Hamilton Republican Club. He was a 
candidate for congress in 1898, but was de- 
feated by George B. McClellan. Mr. Conk- 
ling is a well-known linguist, and is greatly 
interested in the propagation of the French 
language. He is opposed to the method of 
teaching languages according to the old sys- 
tem, where the grammar and rules are the 
main tools of the teacher, and is in favor of 
the new methods by which languages are 
acquired as a child learns its mother tongue, 
that is by the oral method, using first the 
ear and later the eye. Mr. Conkling is vice- 
president of the Alliance Francaise, and is 
the official presenter of medals for the Al- 
liance. His favorite recreations include 
driving and pedestrianism. He belongs to 
the Union, Metropolitan, New York Ath- 
letic and Republican clubs, and the Saint 
. Nicholas Society. His summer residence is 
at T.uxcrne. New York. 



The Arkells of Canajoharie, 

ARKELL New York, are descendants 

of an ancient English family 

of frequent and honorable mention in the 

history of the British Empire. 

(I) The American ancestor was William 
Arkell, who came to the United States about 
the year 1840. He settled on a farm in 
Canajoharie, Montgomery county, New 
York, after first going west. TTe was not 
pleased with western surroundings, saying 
on his return east that he would not live in 
a country where the men did not blacken 
their hoots. He was a man of education and 
true to the traditions of an aristocratic fam- 
ilv. He married Mary Carter in England 
and had issue. 

(]l) James, son of William and Mary Ar- 
kell, was born in Oxford, England. Among 
his remote ancestors were Sir Hugh Aracle 
and Sir George Brooks, names famous in 
English history. He died in Canajoharie, 
New York, August it, 1902. He came to 
the Urtited States with his parents and 



grew to great prominence in business and 
political life. He was twelve years of age 
when he came to Canajoharie, where he was 
educated in the public schools and at the 
academy. He was for a time interested in 
insurance, being connected with the local 
company of which the well-known Judge 
Spraker was president. He was later en- 
gaged in farming. In 1863 he purchased 
and edited the Radii, a weekly newspaper 
founded in 1837 by Levi S. Backus, a deaf 
mute. This paper was enlarged and re- 
named The Canajoharie Radii and Taxpay- 
er's Journal. L. F. Allen assumed an inter- 
est at the same time, and under the firm 
name of Arkell & Allen the publication was 
continued until January i, 1866, when An- 
gell Matthewson purchased Mr. Arkell's in- 
terest. In 1859, in partnership with Benja- 
min Smith, he began the manufacture of 
I)aper and cotton sacks under the firm name 
of Arkell & Smith. This was the beginning 
of an immense business which later devel- 
oped and still is one of the main industries 
of the village of Canajoharie. During the 
war the firm was hard pressed for a time. 
William Arkell, coining to his son's assist- 
ance, however, enabled him to pull througl\ 
safely, and by fortunate purchases of cotton 
they made a large addition to their capital. 
In 1884 the business was incorporated with 
Mr. Arkell, president, Benjamin Smith, sec- 
retary, and Adam Smith, treasurer. Mr. 
Arkell was the inventor of the satchel bot- 
tom paper sack and also the machine for 
manufacturing the same ; this is the first on 
record in the United States, if not in the 
whole world, and the value of that patent 
is bevond computation to this day. Mr. 
Arkell became dee]ily interested in many 
other business enterprises of his town and 
state. He was the chief promoter and larg- 
est owner of the Mt. McGregor railroad, and 
for many years jirincipal owner of the 
Albany Journal. Tie was always a power in 
the newspaper world where he was well 
known as a strong writer of editorials on 
political and financial subjects. He was 
high in the councils of the Republican 
party and intimately known to the greatest 
men of the same. He was a warm personal 
friend of President Grant and during his last 
week at Mount McGregor was a welcome 
visitor to the stricken general. He was 



SOUTHERN XEW YORK 



59 



elected state senator and was a leader in the 
senate. His eloquence and practical busi- 
ness experience rendered him a popular and 
valuable servant of the state. He remained 
active in business and retained his interest 
and influence until his death. He was a 
natural leader of men and there is scarcely 
an interest in the town of Canajoharie that 
did not have either its inception in his busy- 
brain or receive hearty and material assist- 
ance from his abundant resource. He read 
widely and from his richly-stored mind 
could draw a wealth of interesting facts for 
platform or editorial purpose. Strong, con- 
vincing and eloquent, he held his audiences 
in closest attention and never failed to 
arouse the enthusiasm of his hearers, yet 
withal was the sound and safe man of af- 
fairs, successfully conducting his own af- 
fairs and aiding others along the road to 
prosperity. He was a warm friend of the 
American system of public schools and for 
many years served on the village school 
board. The high school building in Canajo- 
harie owes its erection and subsequent use- 
fulness largely to his untiring advocacy of 
better educational facilities for the youth of 
his village. He developed the water power 
which turns the mill machinery and pat- 
ented many of the devices now used in mak- 
ing cotton bags and their later substitute, 
made of paper. He acquired large tracts of 
land and village property which he im- 
proved. Nothing lay idle under his owner- 
ship nor did he wait for the enterprise of 
others to enrich his holdings. He was a 
member of the Masonic order, and was lib- 
eral in his religious ideas, helping all de- 
nominations regardless of their sect, and 
aiding every enterprise of value to the com- 
munity. 

He married, July 23, 1853, Sarah Hall, 
born September 18. 183^, daughter of Ebe- 
nezer and Elizabeth (Philip) Bartlett, of 
Massachusetts, and granddaughter of 
Joshua and Sarah Bartlett, of Blanford, 
Massachusetts. Elizabeth Philip was daugh- 
ter of \\'illiam and Elizabeth (Ostrander) 
Philin. Children of Ebenezer and Elizabeth 
Bartlett: Sarah Hall, married James Ar- 
kell; Celeste, married Daniel Grafif; Mary 
Augusta, married Cornelius Deyoe : Lydia 
Frances, married James Green, M. D. ; 
Franklin, married Anna Van Camp ; Kate 



L., married John \'osburg. Children of 
James and Sarah Hall (Bartlett) Arkell : 
I. William J., born March 26, 1856; became 
widely known as the owner of the illus- 
trated periodicals Judge and Frank Leslie's: 
he married Minnie Cahill ; children: i. 
James, married Claire Matties; ii. Margher- 
ita, married Arthur Dudley Warner. 2. 
Mary P., married, May 4, 1880, Edward 
Burnap, born in the town of Ephratah, Ful- 
ton county, New York, November 24, 1858; 
he was educated in the public schools of his 
town and at Palatine Bridge; he entered 
Union University, where he was graduated 
A. B., class of 1879; he located at Canajo- 
harie, where he was engaged in mercantile 
life until 1885 ; in that year he became asso- 
ciated with Arkell & Smith as manager, a 
position he yet retains (1910) ; he is a mem- 
ber of the Benevolent and Protective Order 
of Elks, in politics a Democrat, and belongs 
to Fort Rensselaer Club ; child, D. Arkell, 
born September 16, 1883. 3. Laura. 4. 
Bartlett, of whom further. 5. Bertelle H., 
married (first) Bernhard Gillam, who died 
in 1896; married (second) Francis Edward 
Barbour. Mrs. Sarah Hall (Bartlett) Arkell 
survives her husband, a resident of Cana- 
joharie, where she occupies the beautiful 
mansion rebuilt in 1890. 

(HI) Bartlett, second son of James and 
Sarah H. (Bartlett) Arkell, was born in 
i860, in Canajoharie, New York. He gradu- 
ated from Williston Seminary, East Hamp- 
ton. Massachusetts, in 1882, and from Yale 
College, 1886. Turning his attention to 
commercial pursuits he succeeded his father 
as president of Arkell & Smith's, Canajo- 
harie, and is now also president of the 
Beech Nut Packing Company, of the same 
place, and the Arkell Safety Bag Company, 
of 95 Broad street. New York City. He is 
a member of the University, Lotus and New 
York Athletic clubs. Politically he sustains 
the principles of the Republican party, and 
was a presidential elector in 1904, placing 
Theodore Roosevelt in the presidential 
chair. 



The family name, vari- 
FULLERTON ously spelled Fullerton. 

Fullarton, Foulerton and 
Fowlerton, is quite widely extended through 
out the British Isles. In Scotland, says the 



6o 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Hon. Walter C. Anthony, "it is traced back, 
like the genealogy of every well regulated 
Scotch family, to a very ancient day. and to 
divers mythical ancestors. The clam: is 
made that these old time worthies were the 
hired masters of the hawks to the Stewarts 
(later the royal family of Scotland) and that 
the family name was derived from that cir- 
cum.stance: they were Fowlers or Foolers 
and their Keep or Castle was the Fowlers' 
town. If left free to guess for myself I 
should suspect that they were originally a 
group of bleachers or fullers, and their ham- 
let became known from the vocation, while 
they themselves took their name from their 
family home." A fuller was one who thick- 
ened or whitened cloth. There are records 
in England, particularly in the hundred 
rolls, of forms of the name such as Le Ful- 
ler, and Lc Fullerc, with their Latinization 
FuUo. 

Fullerton or Fullarton is a burgh or estate 
at Itvine in Ayrshire, Scotland, to which 
place, according to one authority, the family 
is traced as early as 1371. One of the name 
was the rector of the parish church at Strat- 
ford on Avon, England, for many years in 
the eighteenth century, if the family records 
are to be trusted. The best authenticated 
statement, as to the branch of the Fullertons 
here dealt with, makes them come from 
Dublin, Ireland. The Fullertons appear in 
Ireland at an early date. The name figures 
in the "Inrolments of the Decrees of Inno- 
cents," that is, those whose property was 
exempted from confiscation in Ireland un- 
der the Cromwellian settlement of 1654. 
Cornet Neale Fullerton and Robert Fuller- 
ton were mentioned in the Irish inrolments 
of the adjudications, referring to the arrears 
of the commissioned officers who served 
Charles I. and Charles II. in the wars of 
Ireland before the fifth day of June, 1649. 

CI) William Fullerton. the first American 
ancestor of the family of the Fullertons here 
dealt with, was born in Dublin. Ireland, died 
at Ncwburg, Orange county. New York, in 
17S6. He first settled on his arrival in this 
country at the old town of Minisink, Orange 
county, New York, and became one of the 
pioneer farmers of the neighborhood. He 
married Sarah Cooley. Children: William, 
mentioned below: Daniel, born March 21, 
1767; Samuel, June 2, 1769; Phineas, July 



5, 1771; Sarah, April 11, 1773; Jane, Decem- 
ber 23, 1775. 

(II) William (2), eldest son of William 
(i) and Sarah (Cooley) Fullerton. was born 
March 3, 1765. died at Minisink. Orange 
county, New York, February 21, 1817. He 
was a farmer, but engaged occasionally in 
commercial transactions and took consider- 
able interest in the public questions of the 
day. He married Mary Whittaker, born 
April 20. 1766. died in 1840. the daughter of 
Benjamin Whittaker. who removed to Sus- 
quehanna two or three years before Wyo- 
ming was taken by the Indians in 1778. 
when his daughter Mary was about twelve 
years old. He returned to Minisink. but 
after peace was established removed and 
located at the Cookhouse, on the Delaware. 
Mary remained at Minisink. her marriage 
with \\'illiam Fullerton having then taken 
place. Mary (Whittaker) Fullerton was 
one of the few survivors of the terrible In- 
dian massacre at Wyoming. She was 
among the fugitives who fled from Wyo- 
ming Valley after witnessing the horrors of 
that famous massacre. Among the school 
children whose faces were marked with 
paint by Brandt in order that their lives 
might be spared by his followers was this 
Polly (Mary) W'hittaker. She with her par- 
ents and other children fled through the wil- 
derness towards their former house in 
Orange county. Children: William. Dan- 
iel. Stephen ^^^. mentioned below; Eliza- 
beth. 

(III) Stephen W.. son of William (2) and 
Mary (Whittaker) Fullerton. was born at 
Minisink. Orange county. New York, in 
1793. died in 1855. In addition to working 
on the farm he held various public offices 
from time to time. He was a justice of the 
peace for sixteen consecutive years ; for one 
term. 1837. a member of the assembly and 
in T840 appointed "Associate County Judge" 
of Orange county, an office under the con- 
stitution of the state then in force, resem- 
bling in its functi(Mis the justice of sessioiT^ 
of more recent times. This position he held 
for five years. 

These offices, while unini])ortant in them- 
selves, show that Mr. Fnllcrtcin was held in 
esteem in the communitv in which he lived. 
It may be that the fact that he held these 
offices and the nature of the business to 




('t/c^^i^Ce^ ci-t i-c-'^^,^,.^::;^Co^z;^^x-__ 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



6i 



which they led him to give more or less of 
his time, had some influence in leading three 
of his sons to adopt the law as their voca- 
tion. The Hon. Walter C. Anthony say^ 
of him: "He was a man of great strength, 
close built and stocky, unusually quick and 
active, both physically and mentally, sympa- 
thetic, generous, and kindly. His complex- 
ion was sandy, and his hair was somewhat 
brighter in hue than 'auburn- in his early 
days. He sometimes spoke of himself as 
'old sorrel.' As illustrative of his physical 
strength and courage and his loyalty to a 
comrade, though in this case it was only a 
dog, I give this instance, which is told rrie 
by one of his sons. One Sunday afternoon 
he was looking after his cattle in some of 
the back fields of his farm ; his only com- 
panion was his dog and his only weapon 
was his walking stick. In some way the dog 
managed to get into an altercation with an 
old she wild cat and was rapidly being con- 
verted into strips and shreds. That was 
enough to arouse the Fullerton fighting 
blood and the old gentleman went to the 
assistance of the dog. When the contest 
ended Mr. Fullerton was decidedly the 
worse for wear and his clothing was in tat- 
ters but the wild cat was dead. Mr. Ful- 
lerton had finally got her by the throat and 
literally choked her to death." 

He married Esther Stephens, the daugh- 
ter of Holloway Stephens. Children: i. 
Daniel, born February lo, 1814. 2. Eliza- 
beth, married Peter J\lills. 3. William, men- 
tioned below. 4. Mary, married Coe Mills. 
5. Holloway S. 6. Stephen W., mentioned 
below. 7. Peter P. 8. Benjamin S. 9. John 
Henry. 10. Elsie T., married John H. Deck- 
er. II. Esther I., married a Mr. Wallace. 
12. Frances E., married Isaac Halstead. 

(I\^) Judge William Fullerton, second 
son of Stephen W. and Esther (Stephens) 
Fullerton, was born at Minisink, Orange 
county. New York, May i, 1817, died at 
Newburg, Orange county. New York, March 
15, 1900. 

He had been a member of the bar of New 
York City for nearly half a century and had 
probalily tried more important cases than 
any of his legal brethren. By general con- 
sent he had been conceded to be the ablest 
jury lawyer in the metropolitan district 
since the death of James T. Brady, having 



a profound knowledge of human nature, be- 
ing quick and ready in debate and thor- 
oughly posted on the fundamental principles 
of law. He was pre-eminently a great ad- 
vocate, and as a cross-examiner was in his 
prime without a peer. 

His youth was passed on his father's farm 
and in 1837 he was graduated with honors 
from Union College, having made his way 
through school by teaching. Subsequently 
he studied law and was admitted to the bar 
in 1840. He at once commenced practicing 
in Goshen. He soon moved to Newburg, 
where in the next few years he was retained 
on one side or the other in most of the lead- 
ing cases tried in this and adjoining coun- 
ties. In 1852 he was called upon to try a 
very important case in the second judicial 
district of New York state. It hajjpened 
that his opponent was Charles O'Conor, 
then recognized as the most prominent lead- 
er of the bar. The case was tried in Brook- 
lyn and though closely contested resulted 
in the success of young Fullerton. Mr. O'- 
Conor was impressed with the ability of his 
determined adversary and invited him to 
become a partner, the proposition was ac- 
cepted. He at once joined Mr. O'Conor in 
New York and took the high place in his 
profession which he ever afterwards main- 
tained. 

Perhaps the most noted effort in the ca- 
reer of Air. Fullerton was in the cross-exam- 
ination of Henry Ward Beecher, in the great 
case of Tilton vs. Beecher, which, on ac- 
count of the distinction of the parties con- 
cerned, was extensively reported, and ex- 
cited more public notice than perhaps any 
other tried in the United States. It was a 
combat of intellectual giants and Mr. O'- 
Conor characterized Judge Fullerton's 
cross-examination as the ablest ever con- 
ducted. 

In 1867 while in Canada on his annual 
fishing trip with Chester A. Arthur and 
other friends, he was appointed justice of 
the supreme court to fill a vacancy in his 
district, this being without his knowledge. 
The appointment thus made him e.x-ofificio 
member of the court of appeals, and at the 
following election the people of the district 
elected him without opposition. Judge Ful- 
lerton's services in the court of appeals add- 
ed to his reputation as an advocate and 



'I 



62 



SOUTH F.RX NEW YORK 



jurist. On December 30, 1867, John K. 
Porter, a member of the court of appeals, 
wrote a letter from Albany to Charles O'- 
Conor in which he said he proposed soon to 
resign. It was his expressed desire that 
Judge Fullerton should be appointed as his 
successor. Mr. O'Conor was thoroughly in 
sympathy with Judge Porter and sought to 
induce Mr. Fullerton to accept the appoint- 
ment, but the attraction and emoluments of 
his career as an advocate led Air. Fullerton 
to continue in active practice to the end. 

Judge Fullerton married, in 1840, Cornelia 
M.. daughter of Henry Gale, a merchant of 
Orange county (see Gale VII.) They had 
children as follows: i. William, who com- 
pleted his musical studies in Heidelberg, 
Germany. Many of his compositions were 
published and won immediate recognition. 
He died in England in 1888 in his thirty- 
fourth year. 2. Augusta, married E. B. 
Rudd and has one daughter Alice R., who 
married Mr. Otis, and now resides in New- 
burg, New York; children: W'illiam Fuller- 
ton, born in 1893; Charles Augustus, 1895; 
Philip Stewart, 1900. 3. Mary. 4. Anna. 
The two latter died in infancy. 

(IV) Judge Stephen W. (2) Fullerton, 
son of Stephen W. (i) and Esther (Stephens) 
Fullerton. was born October 17, 1823, died 
in Goshen, New York, in 1902. He was 
admitted to the bar of New York in 1844. 
It would not be easy to define the qualities 
which distinguished Stephen W. Fullerton 
alx)\e his fellows as a lawyer. He had that 
strange faculty which is sometimes spoken 
of as "presence," sometimes as "magnet- 
ism," which compels men to recognize and 
acknowledge those who possess it as the 
appointed leaders of their fellows. It was 
chiefly in the trial of causes that he excelled ; 
and so marked was his skill in this, the most 
difficult dei^artment of a lawyer's work, that 
attorneys from neighboring counties have 
been known to remain at our county seats 
over night merely in order that they might 
watch, for a few hours longer, the methods 
of a master-workman. 

It is useless, however, to attempt to con- 
vey any idea of the man himself by men- 
tioning separate traits of his character. His 
great ciiarm lay in his personality. He was 
gentle as a child, but merciless to those who 
sought to wrong his clients. Courageous 



was he, to a marked degree, but cautious 
withal. Tactful and adaptive, but never 
waiving his clients' rights. He was mod- 
est, unassuming, and free from pretence, but 
always resourceful and self-reliant. But 
above all he was the most loyal and unself- 
ish of friends, not in any mere sentimental 
way but in actual helpfulness to the extent 
of self sacrifice on his own part. His gen- 
erosity knew no limit except that imposed 
by his own circumstances. With him it was 
no dividing of his last crust with a friend. 
If the situation demanded it the friend 
would be free to the whole crust. 

Judge Fullerton married Mary Halstead 
and one son was born to them, Frank. 
(The Gale Line.) 

The word "Gael" means an Irishman or 
a Scotchman in the original Gaelic or Celtic 
language of Ireland and Scotland. The Fac- 
lair Gaidhlig or Gaelic Dictionary of E. Mac- 
Donald and Company. (Edinburgh, 1902), 
says: "The difference between the Irish and 
the Scots is geographical only and not racial, 
as the records of both amply and abundant- 
ly prove. Both call themselves 'Gaidhacl' 
(Gael) in their own language, and fraternize 
instantly as soon as English, the language 
of disunion is dropped." Gale therefore may 
very easily be a form of Gael. Gale mav, 
however, be just as easily a form of "Gall." 
which in Gaelic means "foreigner or strang- 
er." This appears indeed a more probable 
derivation than the other, the name pre- 
sumably being applied originally to some 
stranger appearing in a Gaelic speaking ter- 
ritory of Ireland or Scotland. Still another 
derivation has been given. Thus Lower in 
his "Dictionary of Family Names of tlu- 
United Kingdom; London, i860" says: 
"Gael. The Gaels of Charlton Kings, c. 
Gloucester, have written themselves at vari- 
ous periods Galle, Gale, Gael and originally 
De Galles. If this be correct the family may 
have been of \\'elsh origin in Anglo-Norman 
times when the country was known as 
Gales or Gales." 

(I) Edmund Gale, the supposed first 
.American ancestor of the Gales here dcal^ 
with, was born probably in Great Britain or 
Ireland, died in Boston in 1642. He lived 
at Cambridge, Massachusetts. Nothing is 
known of his wife but his supposed children 
were: i. Thomas, who probably married be- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



63 



fore coming to America, settling at New 
Haven, Connecticut, where he had : Martha, 
baptized March 18, 1660; Abigail, baptized 
June 22, 1660. 2. Robert, who receipted. 
May 14, 1659, sugar of W'illiam Hollisworth 
at Salem and again in 1666 receipted three 
thousand nine hundred lbs. of Muscovado 
sugar at Salem. 3. Ambrose, married Deb- 
orah . 4. Bartholomew, married Mary 

. 5. Edward, married Sarah Dixey. 6. 

Abell, mentioned below. 7. l-'liazer, mar- 
ried Elizabetli Bishop. 

(II) Abell, son of Edmund Gale, was 
probably born at New Haven, Connecticut, 
probably died at Jamaica, Long Island, New 
York. He first appears as having granted 
to him "a lot to set his house on" in Jamaica 
October 18, 1665. He was called "husband- 
man" and in 1683, his rate list contained two 
horses, two oxen, four "cowse," two three- 
year olds; three two-year olds; six swine; 
twenty-one acres of land ; and "the head," 
total value ninety-eight pounds sterling ten 
shillings. Subsequent to this date he oc- 
casionally bought and sold land as shown 
by deeds still on record. The history of 
Jamaica shows that the first settlers were 
from Massachusetts and that Abell was a 
member of the First Presbyterian church. 
He married a woman whose first name was 
Dinah, but whose other name remains un- 
known. Children: John, mentioned below ; 
Jacob, a house carpenter, died in 1720; Ne- 
hemiah, who was a weaver; Thomas, also 
became a weaver; Sarah, married Benjamin 
Smith ; Andrew, whose will was dated De- 
cember 24, 1742, probated in the court lulv 
26. T743. 

CIII) John, eldest son of Abell and Dinah 
Gale, was born probably at Jamaica, Long 
Island, New York, died at Goshen, New 
York. He owned mills in Jamaica. Long 
Island, and was a miller until 1721 when he 
sold out for one thousand five hundred 
pounds sterling and removed the same year 
to Goshen, where he became one of the pro- 
prietors of the new town. The records of 
Jamaica say but little about the Gales. 
John, however, it is recorded, obtained leave 
of the town "to set up a great mill" April 
I. 1701. He was a soldier in Captain Peter 
Schuyler's company in 1602. probably to 
serve against the French ; February 4. 1708-g 
was rated si.xteen shillings and cightpence 



on minister's salary and was a vestryman 
in 1717. In Goshen, John was appointed an 
elisor in a suit by the court in 1726. His 
will was dated May 3, 1746 and proved Oc- 
tober 24, 1750. He named apparently all 
his children in his will. He married a 
woman whose first name was Mary. Chil- 
dren : John, Daniel. Thomas, mentioned be- 
low ; Abraham, Hezckiah, Joseph, married 

Rebecca ; Benjamin, born in 1715; 

Catherine, married Mr. Ludlow. 

(IV) H(m. Thomas Gale, third son of 
John and A-Iary Gale, was born at Goshen, 
New York, died in 1770. He was a mem- 
ber of the New York general assembly from 
October 9, 1739 to 1750 and judge of the 
common pleas court of Orange county from 
1740 to 1749. Judge Gale and his brother 
.Abraham were petitioners for a grant and 
patent for Minisink in 1770, but Judge Gale, 
having died in the spring of that year and 
having previously sold his interest, the 
patent was issued in the name of the pur- 
chaser and Abraham Gale. Thomas Gale 
married and had issue: Thomas, mentioned 
below : Richard. Henry. Tradition says that 
his children were known as Tom. Dick and 
Harry. 

(V) Thomas, eldest son of the Hon. 
Thomas Gale, was born at Goshen, New 
York. He lived at Wallkill, New York. 
Children : John, Henry, mentioned below ; 
Rebecca. Sarah. Abigail. 

(\'I) Henry, second son of Thomas Gale, 
of Wallkill. New York, was born in Orange 
county, died at Newburg. Orange county. 
New York. The name of his wife is un- 
known. Children : Cornelia M., mentioned 
below; Benjamin, born September 15. 1819. 
married Elizabeth C. King. 

('\^II) Cornelia M.. daughter of Henry 
Gale, was born at Wallkill. New York. Sep- 
tember 17, 1817. She married William Ful- 
lerton. son of Stephen W. and Esther 
(Stephens) Fullerton. (See Fullerton IV.). 



The early immigrants to New 
.SMITH England were mostly artisans 

and most of them men of little 
learning. That they were • possessed of 
strong characters is evidenced in a thousand 
ways to the student of history. ^^M^ilc the 
pen was an awkward instrument to many of 
them, they were industrious and conquered 



64 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



the wilderness, establishing the foundation 
of the civilization which we now enjoy. 
Among the most useful men in the colonies 
were the smiths who made all the nails used 
in the construction of buildings and nearly 
all implements of every sort employed in the 
rude life of the pioneers. A century previ- 
ous the country people in England had taken 
surnames, and it fell out that many who 
were smiths by occupation took the word 
for a patronymic. In the midst of these, 
where Christian names were oft repeated, it 
has been difficult to trace a line of descent 
in many cases. 

(I) Among the numerous Smith families 
of the first settlers of Connecticut, was a 
family of four brothers and a sister, who 
settled in Hartford and vicinity, of whom 
further. It is not known that their parents 
came to this country, i. Mary, married Will- 
iam Partridge. 2. Christopher, resided at 
Northampton and died without issue. 3. 
Simon, who was one of the twenty-eight 
original proprietors of Haddam, Connecti- 
cut, coming from Hartford. 4. Joseph, set- 
tled in Hartford, and had fifteen children. 5. 
William, settled in Wethersfield. 

(II) Benjamin, son of Simon Smith, was 
born in 1664 in Haddam, and married Han- 
nah Scoville. They had sons, Benjamin, 
Jacob, Deacon Joseph, and Daniel, of whom 
further. 

(III) Daniel, son of Benjamin and Han- 
nah (Scoville) Smith, was born in 1714 in 
Haddam, and married in 1739; the name of 
his wife is not preserved. She died in 1745, 
and he died July 29, 1793. in Haddam. 

(IV) William, son of Daniel Smith, 
passed his life in Haddam in the old house 
just north of the present jail. He was a 
seafaring man in the West Indies trade, 
owned and commanded vessels, and lost his 
life when only forty years of age. His wife's 
baptismal name was Martha, and their chil- 
dren were: Jeffrey, of whom further; Jona- 
than, Ezra, Lucy, married Captain Brainerd 
of New York City, and lived to the age of 
106 years; Esther, married Luther Board- 
man of Higganum ; Martha, married George 
Kelsey of Haddam. All of the sons were 
soldiers of the revolution. 

(V) Jeffrey, eldest child of William and 
Martha Smith, was born in 1763 in Haddam, 
and grew to manhood in his native place. 



He served an apprenticeship as a blacksmith, 
and then settled in Madison, Connecticut, 
locating on the Neck, where he bought a 
small farm, which he cultivated in connec- 
tion with his work in the smithy. He built 
a fine dwelling house on this tract and there 
spent his life, dying February i, 1846. He 
served during the entire period of the revo- 
lution in the Continental Hne, and was among 
the soldiers who drove the cattle across the 
Hudson river on the ice in the movement 
of Washington's army. Both his brothers 
who were captured died on board the Jer- 
sey prison ship in New York Harbor, and 
were buried near the monument erected at 
Wallabout Bay to the memory of the un 
fortunate men who thus perished. Jeffrey 
Smith survived the hardships of a long and 
most arduous service, and drew a pension 
in his old age. He married Dorothy Hub- 
bard, a native of Haddam, who died in Mad- 
ison, July 13, 1836. Children; i. Jonathan, 
born January 4, 1785. 2. Daniel Hubbard. 
March 23, 1787. 3. Ezra, of whom further. 
4. 'Esther, born October 16, 1790, married 
Dudley Brainerd. 5. Austin, died in infancy. 
6. Austin, February 9, 1794- 7- ^larvin, 
1796. 8. David, 1798. 9. Samuel, August 
16, 1799, lived and died in Madison in the 
house where he was born. 10. Junius, 
March 25, 1801. n. Helena, died in her 
fourth year. 

( \'l ) Ezra, third son of Jeffrey and Doro- 
thy (Hubbard) Smith, was born December 
16, 1788, in Madison, and died there April 
12, 1875. He married, October 3, 1813, 
Martha Stone, who was born in East Guil- 
ford. March 12, 1786, and died June 12, 
1849. She was a descendant of John Stone 
and Governor William Leete, two of the 
original settlers of Guilford. Children, 
probably not in order of birth: i. Catherine, 
married lilihu Kelsey and left three chil- 
dren; Ezra, Sarah M., and Mary E., and 
eight grandchildren. 2. Rosalind, whose 
daughter Rosalind Coe, and granddaughter 
Harriet Coe, are living on the Neck, at Mad- 
ison. 3. Mary, born July 6, 1814, died 
March 29, 1887, married Edwin Watrous 
and had five children: Martha, Julian F., 
Tohn N., Andrus, and Franklin W. 4. Ezra 
Stuart. 5. Thomas Hubbard, born Novem- 
ber 29, 1S24. died February 18, 1884, leaving 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



65 



three children. 6. Andrew Norman, of 
whom further. 

(VII) Andrew Norman, youngest child of 
Ezra and Martha (Stone) Smith, was born 
January 28, 1828, in Madison. He married, 
April 16, 1850, Lydia Smith Kelsey, born 
January 6, 1826, in Saybrook, daughter of 
John and Lydia (Bushnell) Kelsey of that 
town. Children: i. Gerrit, of whom fur- 
ther. 2. Thomas Andrew, born March 2, 
1858; has three children: Gerrit A., Martha 
Stone, and Newman, and resides on the 
Neck in Madison. 3. Martha Stone, born 
May 7, i860; resides in Montclair, New Jer- 
sey, where she has a home ; unmarried. 4. 
Lydia Bushnell, born December 28, 1862; 
resides in Florence, Italy. 5. Elizabeth, 
born January 7, 1869; married, in Novem- 
ber, 1891, Thaddeus F. Leete, a direct de- 
scendant of Governor Leete ; she has three 
daughters, Emma, Dorothy and Caroline, 
and resides in Madison. 

(VIII) Gerrit, eldest child of Andrew 
Norman and Lydia S. (Kelsey) Smith, was 
born January 8, 1854, in Madison, attended 
the district schools and also Lee's Academy 
in that town. In 1873 he entered Yale Col- 
lege, from which he graduated in 1877, with 
the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Following 
this he attended Yale Law School, and 
graduated in 1880. At the September term 
of the superior court, at New Haven, in 
1882, he was admitted to the bar, and in 
the same month was admitted to the su- 
preme court, second department, in Kings 
county, New York. He located in the City 
of New York, and for ten years maintained 
a law office at No. 33 Wall street, and for 
the succeeding ten years was located at No. 
43, on the same street. For seven years he 
was located at 52 Broadway, and in 1908 
removed to the United States Express 
building. He has built up a large and lucra- 
tive law practice making a specialty of cor- 
poration, real estate and probate law. With 
his family, Mr. Smith is affiliated with the 
Congregational church, and politically he is 
a Republican, though not active in practical 
politics. He is a member of Empire State 
Chapter, Society of American Wars. 

He married (first), November 22, 1882, in 
New Haven, Connecticut, Leila Wood, born 
March 27, i8c;6, in Berlin, Connecticut, 
daughter of Charles Wood. She died in 



New York City, July 6, 1903. He married 
(second) at the Brick Church, New York, 
City, October 4, 1904, Gertrude (Hitchcock) 
Diehl, born November 8, 1862. Children of 
first wife: Reynold Webb, of whom fur- 
ther; Helen Marguerite, born September 9, 
1889. Child of second wife, Wolcott, born 
July 16, 1905. 

(IX) Reynold Webb, son of Gerrit and 
Leila (Wood) Smith, was born May 28, 
1885. He graduated at Andover in 1904, 
and from Yale Scientific Department in 
1907, and has since been employed on the 
new barge canal being built by New York 
state. He married, on December 18, 1909, 
Edna Maurer; children: Gerrit Brainerd, 
born at Albany, January 6, 191 1; Leila 
Josephine, at Brewerton, September 12, 
1912. The family resides at present in 
Brewerton, New York. 



The surname Millard i s 
MILLARD French, the family being of 

French Huguenot stock. 
There is an English form of the name, formed 
by dropping the "w" from Milhvard. mean- 
ing the "ward or guardian of the mill'', just 
as the "w" dropped from Woodward leaves 
Woodard. The name first appears in Ameri- 
can colonial records in 1654, when lands in 
Massachusetts and afterwards in New Hamp- 
shire were granted to Luke Millard. In 1670 
John Millard had a grant of land from Wil- 
liam Penn in Pennsylvania and another had 
lands in Virginia. Through intermarriage the 
Millards are connected with many of the old- 
est families of the United States, notably the 
Coffins, Folgers, Starbucks, of Nantucket and 
Massachusetts ; the Greens and Browns, of 
Rhode Island ; the Akins, of Dutchess county. 
New York; the Ten Eyckes, of Albany; the 
Bellons and Goulds, of New Haven, and many 
others. 

f I) John Millard, the progenitor in America 
of the family of the Millards here dealt with, 
was born probably about 1600, died in Reho- 
both, Massachusetts. No details are available 
in the records indicating his occupation, but he 
was admitted a freeman of Newport, Rhode 
Island. He stayed in Newport for a number 
of years, but finally settled at Rehoboth, Mas- 
sachusetts. He married, all that is known of 
his wife being that her first name was Eliza- 
beth. 



66 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



(II) Robert, son of John and Elizabeth 
Millard, was born in 1632, died in Rehoboth, 
Massachusetts, March 16, 1699. Very little is 
known of the events of his life, but it is prob- 
able that he was a farmer and a man of wealth 
and influence in view of his good marriage. 
He married, November 24, 1663, Elizabeth, 
died February 7, 1717, eldest daughter and 
second child of William Sabin, the immigrant 
ancestor of the Sabins in America. William 
Sabin first appears in 1643 at the organization 
of the county of Rehoboth, Massachusetts. It 
is not known when or how he came to Amer- 
ica. He was a Frenchman, and it is believed 
that after leaving France he settled for a time 
in Wales and the south of England. He was 
a man of wealth, culture and an exceedingly 
fine and generous nature, if one can judge 
from his gifts to relieve the wants of those 
who suffered from the Indian raids. He was 
a leader in Plymouth public affairs, in the 
church and in the schools of Rehoboth, Massa- 
chusetts. His first wife died in 1660. Her 
name is not known. He married (second) 
Martha, born December 11, 1641, (twin of 
Mary), daughter of James and Anna Allen 
of Medfield. William" Sabin died about 1687. 
His will was probated in Boston, Massachu- 
setts, July 17, 1687. In it he names sixteen 
of his twenty children, the second of them 
being the wife of Robert Millard. 

(HI) Nchemiah. son of Robert and Eliza- 
beth (Sabin) Millard, was born in Rehoboth, 
Massachusetts, June 8, 1668, died July 23. 
1 75 1. Beyond the bare records of the birth 
and death of Nehemiah very little is known 
of him. It is probable that he combined with 
the agricultural pursuits in which everyone to 
some extent engaged in those days, profes- 
sional or mercantile work of some kind. He 
married (first) Judith, the daughter of a Mr. 
Mason, and (second) Phoebe Shore, who died 
March 11, 1717. 

(TV) Rev. Robert (2) Millard, son of Ne- 
hemiah and Judith (Mason) Millard, was 
born at Rclinboth, Massachusetts, April 2, 
1700, died at Nine Partners, New York, March 
7. 1780. He was a minister of the Baptist 
church, his last charge being Pawling, Dutch- 
ess county. New York, where he continued 
tmtil a short time before his death at the age 
of eighty. He married, March 7, 1726, Han- 
nah, born in Bristol. Rhode Island, daufrhter 
of Eleazar and Elizabeth (Cobb) Eddy, 



granddaughter of John and Deliverance 
(Owen) Eddy, great-granddaughter of the 
first American ancestor, Samuel Eddy, and his 
wife, Elizabeth. Samuel Eddy was the son of 
the Rev. William Eddye, vicar of St. Dun- 
stan's, Cranbrook, England. Children : John, 
of whom further, and Jonathan. 

(V) John (2), son of Rev. Robert (2) and 
Hannah (Eddy) Millard, was born January 
15, 1736, at Rehoboth, Massachusetts, died in 
November, 1813. He married Christina Rust, 
born November 21, 1742, died June 17. 1831. 
Children: Charles, of whom further; Rufus; 
Philo, a musician; Ira, a manufacturer at 
\\'appinger's Falls, Dutchess county. New 
York; Russell, a resident of Connecticut. 

(VI) Charles, eldest son of John (2) and 
Christina (Rust) Millard, was born at Corn- 
wall, Connecticut, in 1763, died at New Ham- 
burg in 1827. He spent some years at Corn- 
wall, being educated in the schools of the 
locality, though his studies, like every trans- 
action of any kind, were interrupted by the 
events and disturbances preceding and accom- 
panying the outbreak of the revolutionary war. 
Charles served in the war during its last year, 
as he was a mere youth during most of the 
time it continued. He was in the army of 
Newburg under Washington, when Arnold, 
the traitor, fled from West Point. At an early 
age he settled in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess coun- 
ty, New York. But after the war he settled 
finally at Marlboro, Ulster county. New York, 
and there he conducted a cord factory run by 
water power on Buckley's Creek. Part of this 
old factory was still standing some years ago. 
To his cord factory he joined a lumber busi- 
ness and seems to have l)een an energetic and 
capable business man. He took considerable 
interest in public affairs though there is no 
record to the effect that he held or sought to 
hold any public position. He was. however, 
one of the first of the bench of ruling elders 
of the Presbyterian church. Marlboro, being 
installed into this office in 1810. He married 
Lydia. daughter of John and Magdalinc Pride, 
of Poughkeepsie, Dutchess county. New York. 
Mr. Pride was proprietor of the halfway house 
between Albany and New York on the old 
post road north of the city of Poughkeepsie. 
Children: i. John, of whom further. 2. 
Tames, who was a lumber merchant at Catskill, 
New York. 3. Charles, who was a merchant 
at New Orleans. 4. William, who was a man 



r 

I 




hfantuet ,yr. t^ii//aK// 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



67 



of means, and travelled extensively. 5. Wal- 
ter, who was engaged with his father in the 
cord and lumber business at Marlboro and 
elsewhere. 6. Cornelia, married Hackaliah 
Purdy, a farmer of Ulster county. 7. Cath- 
erine, became the wife of Elam Dunbar, a 
farmer of Connecticut, who previously had 
conducted a hat factory in Poughkeepsie, 
Dutchess county. New York. 8. Caroline, died 
unmarried. 9. May. 10. Franklin. 

(VII) John (3), eldest son of Charles and 
Lydia (Pride) Millard, was born at Pough- 
keepsie, Dutchess county, New York, May 2, 
1789, died in Brooklyn, New York, about 
1871. He was in Poughkeepsie only in his 
early years, having moved to Marlboro with 
his parents. It was in Marlboro that he was 
brought up and attended the district schools. 
In 1812 when he was about twenty-three years 
old he began to teach school himself, but did 
not stay long at that avocation. In course of 
time he removed to Brooklyn, New York, 
where he engaged in the wholesale grocery 
business. He continued in this business for a 
considerable number of years, building up a 
trade of considerable size and gathering to- 
gether a comfortable fortune. When he 
thought that it was time to retire he pur- 
chased a great deal of real estate, some of 
which is still in the possession of the family, 
and spent the rest of his life in looking after 
his property and watching its development. 
He was a man of a deeply religious cast of 
mind and was a regular attendant at the 
Presbyterian church of which he was a mem- 
ber. His body was brought from Brooklyn, 
New York, to Poughkeepsie. Dutchess county. 
New York, for burial. He married, August 
24, 18 1 2, Sarah, daughter of John and Eliza- 
beth (Jennings) Purdy. born April 17, 179,^. 

Children of John and Sarah (Purdy) Mil- 
lard : Lydia, who lived in Poughkeepsie, 
Dutchess county. New York ; Elizabeth : Hes- 
ter, who lived in Poughkeepsie ; Sarah ; 
Charles; Matthias J.; John P., who lived in 
Poughkeepsie; Samuel N., of whom further; 
James. 

John Purdy, the father of Mrs. Millard, 
was born in Westchester county. New York, 
July II, 1763, died September 23, 1856. He 
was a patriot and when a mere boy served in 
the revolutionary war. He married, March 
21, 1786, Elizabeth, daughter of Peter Jen- 
nings, who was born May 12, 1765, died in 



1842. They had ten children. Elisha Purdy, 
the father of John Purdy, was born at White 
Plains, Westchester county. New York; mar- 
ried Mehitable Smith, a daughter of the Rev. 
John Smith, D. D., and they reared eight 
children. Elisha was a farmer in Westchester 
and Ulster counties. Nathaniel Purdy, the 
father of Elisha, was a native of Westchester 
county. New York, and was an Episcopal 
mniister. His father was John Purdy, a son 
of Joseph, a son of Francis, who is said to 
have come from some part of England in 
1658, settling in Fairfield, Connecticut. The 
Purdys were, according to one account, 
originally from Wales, and are said to have 
settled in the course of time in some part of 
England. The two sons of Francis Purdy, 
Joseph and Francis, were commissioned sur- 
veyors by the Crown and sent to America. 
The Rev. John Smith, D. D., of previous 
mention, was born in England in 1702. He 
wa.s educated at Oxford and for thirty years, 
until his death in 1771, served as a pastor of 
the Presbyterian church at Rye, Westchester 
county, New York. He married Mehitable 
Hooker, a great-granddaughter of the Rev. 
Thomas Hooker, the founder of Hartford, 
Connecticut, in 1636. 

(VIII) Samuel N., son of John (3) and 
Sarah (Purdy) Millard, was born April 13, 
1829, at Brooklyn, New York, and died June, 
1901, at Newburg, Orange county. New York. 
He was educated in the public schools of 
Brooklyn, and when he left school engaged in 
the silver plating business in which he con- 
tinued for some years. In 1856 he went with 
his brother to Marlboro and 'there started a 
business dealing in lumber, coal, lime, and 
building materials. In addition to these in- 
terests they engaged in the produce business 
and owned the screw steamer, "Wyoming," 
which plied three times a week to New York 
and back. Both Samuel and his brother were 
successful in business, and in 1872 when he 
was about forty-three years old Samuel was 
able to retire, and live in Marlboro. He was 
a member of the Fortitude Lodge of Masons, 
Brooklyn, New York; member of the Old 
Volunteer Fire Department, Brooklyn, and 
also a member of the old Atlantic Baseball 
Club of Brooklyn. He married, in September. 
1869, Amelia, daughter of Cornelius and 
Mary (Pinckney) Weygant, of Marlboro. 
New York, born February 18, 1845, who still 



68 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



resides at Marlboro. Cornelius Weygant was 
a descendant of Michael Weygant, one of the 
first settlers in Newburg, Orange county, 
New York, and on the maternal side a de- 
scendant of Louis DuBois, one of the twelve 
New Paltz patentees. 

There were three children of the marriage: 
I. Hester, born March 13, 1872; married Dr. 
\'V. J. Whitman, of Albany, New York. 2. 
Charles, of whom further. 3. Jessie C, born 
April 18, 1889; married Alfred E. Weller. 

(IX) Charles (2), son of Samuel N. and 
Amelia (Weygant) Millard, was born at 
Marlboro, New York, February 16, 1876. He 
was educated in the public schools of Marl- 
boro and at the Newburg Academy. He has 
always led a retired life. He is a member 
of the Newburg, City, and Powellton clubs. 
He married, April 16, 1905, Frances, daugh- 
ter of Homer S. and Maude (Clarkson) 
Ramsdell. Children: Charles R., born Sep- 
tember 29, 1906; Margaret A., born June 13, 
1908; and James P. R., born August 11, 1911. 



The original settler of 
VAN BUREN the Van Buren family 

did not bear the name 
Van Buren. It was not the custom, when 
he came to America, 1631, for Netherlanders 
ti:> have a family name, except in rare cases. 
The Dutch of New Netherland, after the 
succession of the English in 1664, began to 
adopt family surnames, generally taking the 
name of the place from which they or their 
parents amigrated in Holland, using the 
profix "Van," which is Dutch for of or from. 
Thus it was, no doubt, with the second gen- 
eration of the Van Buren family in Ameri- 
ca, the father of whom was Cornells Maes- 
sen — Maes or Maas, being the Christian 
name of his father, the suffix "sen" or "se" 
signifying son. 

(I) Cornells Maessen either emigrated 
from Buren, a village of the province of 
Gelderland, Holland, or was a native of that 
place. During the summer of 1631 he sailed 
for America in the ship "Rensselaerwyck," 
having with him his young wife, Catalyntje 
Martense (daughter of a man named Mar- 
ten), and at least one son named Marten. 
A second son Hendrick is said to have been 
born on the voyage. They settled on a farm 
a little below Greenbush, at a place callel 



Papsknee, leasing a farm from the Patroon 
Killian Van Rensselaer, who had been 
granted large tracts comprising large por- 
iions of the present counties oi Albany and 
Rensselaer, then called Rensselaersvvyck. 
He and his wife died in 1648, and the rec- 
ords show they were buried the same day. 
He died intestate, and the children were 
placed under guardians. His estate con- 
sisted in part ot property in New York City, 
where is now between Fourteenth and 
Christopher streets. Children mentioned in 
legal papers: Marten C, see forward; Hend- 
rick, Maes, Styntje. 

(II) Marten Cornelisse, "Black Marten" 
(son of Cornells Maessen) deposed, 1660. 
that he w^as "born in Houten," a few miles 
from the village of Buren, in the province of 
Utrecht. He was probably about two years 
of age when his parents came to America. 
in 1662 he sold his home, located "this side 
of Bethlehem" (about two miles below Al- 
bany). In 1665 he leased half of Consta- 
pel's Island below Albany. He and his wife 
were members of the Dutch Church in Al- 
bany in 1683. The census of 1697 credits 
his family with a membership of "two men, 
no women, one child." In December, 1683, 
he paid church dues for the rise of the 
"large pall," indicating that at about that 
time he had buried an adult member of his 
family. In 1700 he was captain of a mili- 
tary company in the regiment commanded 
by Colonel Pieter Schuyler. He married 
Maritje, daughter of Pieter Quackenbosch. 
llis will, made April 13, 1703, proved June 
7, 1710 (in which latter year he died), men- 
tions children : Cornelis Martense, Cornelia 
Martense, Pieter Martense, Maitje Mar- 
tense, Marten Martense. 

(III) Pieter Martense, son of Marten Cor- 
nelisse Van Buren, married, January 15, 
1693, Ariaantje Barentse, daughter of 
Barent Meindersen and Eytje (Ida) his 
wife. Pieter M. and his wife were admitted 
to membership of the Dutch Church at Al- 
bany in 1695, as from Kinderhook, where 
they had settled about the time of their mar- 
riage. He was a freeholder in Kinderhook 
in 1720. and probably died previous to 1743, 
which vear four of his sons were mentioned 
as freeholders of Kinderhook. His children 
were baptized in the Dutch Church, Al- 
bany: Cornelis, Barent, Marritje (Maria), 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



69 



Eytje (Ida), Marten, Cornells, Ephrahim 
and Maria. 

(IV) Marten Pleterse, fourth son of 
Pieter Martense and Arlaantje (Barentse) 
\'an Buren, was born December 25, 1701, 
in Kinderhook, where he resided. He mar- 
ried, November 7, 1729, Dirckje Van Al- 
styne, born in .\pril, 1710, daughter of 
Abraham Janse and Marritje (Van Deusen) 
\"an Alstyne. Children: Marritje, died 
young; Pieter, baptized July 22, 1733; 
I\Iarritje, died young; Abraham, mentioned 
below; Ariaantje, March 4, 1739; Marritje, 
October 2, 1743; Marten, baptized 1748 at 
Claverack. 

(V) Abraham, third son of Marten P. and 
Dirckje (\'an Alst3'ne) \'an Buren, was 
baptized February 27, 1737, at Albany, and 
1 elided in the village of Kinderhook, where 
he had a small farm. His house, an unpre- 
tentious one, was long used as a tavern. 
Although a man of quiet and undemon- 
strative nature, he rendered valued service 
in the revolutionary army, rising to the rank 
of captain in Colonel Abraham Van Al- 
styne's regiment. He married Maria Goes, 
widow of Johannes Van Allen, who was dis- 
tantly related to him. Children : Dircke, 
born 1777; Jannetje. baptized January 16, 
1780: Martin, mentioned below; Lawrence, 
SPECL\L— LEWIS— TWO 

Januar}' i, 1786, a farmer of Kinderhook 
and major in the war of 1812; Abraham. 
May II, 1788, an attorney practising in 
Hudson, New York. 

(YD Martin ^'an Buren, eldest son of 
.Abraham and Maria (Goes) Van Buren, 
eighth president of the United States, was 
born December 5. 1782, in Kinderhook. He 
was blessed with keen perceptions and in- 
tellectual power, and finished his studies in 
school at the age of fourteen years. At this 
time he began the study of law. and very 
soon became active in political matters, act- 
ing as a delegate to the congressional con- 
vention of his district at the age of seven- 
teen. In his very active life he came in con- 
tact with many of the ablest people of the 
world, and the lack of a colleee education 
was never apparent to any. At the age of 
twentv-five years he was appointed by Gov- 
ernor Daniel D. Tompkins as surrogate of 
Columbia county, and filled this position for 
five years, from 1808. In- the fall of 1812 he 



was elected to the state senate, and con- 
tinued to serve in this capacity until 1821. 
From 1815 to 1819, he was attorney-general 
of the state. In 1821, in his thirtj'-ninth 
year, he was elected to the United States 
senate and was re-elected in 1827. In the 
fall of the following year he was elected 
governor of the state, and resigned from the 
United States senate January 15, 1821, to 
be inaugurated as governor. He did not 
long retain this position, however, as he was 
induced by President Andrew Jackson to 
take the portfolio of secretary of state in the 
latter's cabinet. In June, 1831, he resigned 
from the President's cabinet in order to be- 
come minister to the Court of St. James. 
Upon the second election of Andrew Jack- 
son to the presidencv Martin Van Buren 
was his companion on the ticket and was 
elected vice-president. Following this he 
was elected president, being the first native 
of the state of New York to reach that posi- 
tion by election, taking his seat March 4, 
1837. In the campaign of 1840 he was de- 
feated for a re-election by William H. Har- 
rison, and retired, after the close of his term 
in 1841, to his home, "Lindenwald." 

^ -^ 

This is a very old fam- 
HASBROUCK ily of Southern New 

York and was founded 
by Abraham and Jean Hasbrouck, 
brothers, who were among the original 
patentees of New Paltz. Ulster county. 
They w-ere active in both the civil and 
ecclesiastical affairs of that section and both 
left large families whose descendants have 
to some e.xtent intermarried. From Ulster 
county the family spread to Orange county, 
Dutchess county, and other counties in the 
vicinity, and it is now numerously repre- 
sented throughout the state. The family 
was conspicuous in the settlement and de- 
velopment of St. Lawrence county, and of 
various sections of Central New York. 
Abraham and Jean Hasbrouck were bo^h 
born in Calais, France, of which town their 
father was a native. The latter with his 
two sons above mentioned and a daughter, 
who was the wife of Pierce Haynar, was 
driven out of France by the persecution of 
the Huguenots, and removed to Mannheim, 
Germany, in the lower palatinate, where 
they resided several years, highly respected 



70 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



and being affiliated with the local churches. 
Numerous other families were similarly sit- 
uated and a considerable group migrated 
to the new world in the latter part of the 
seventeenth century, settling in Ulster coun- 
ty, New York. Jean, with his wife, Anna 
Duyon (Deyo) Hasbrouck, removed in 
1673 from Germany and settled at Esopus, 
New York. 

(I) Abraham Hasbrouck, the immigrant 
ancestor of the branch of the New York 
family of the Hasbroucks here dealt with, 
was born in France, and died at New Paltz, 
Ulster county. New York, March 17, 17 17. 
Abraham Hasbrouck removed from Holland 
to Mannheim, and then to England, whence 
he sailed in April, 1675, landing at Boston, 
Massachusetts. From here he proceeded di- 
rect to New York and in July arrived at 
Esopus, where he found his brother and 
many former European friends. In 1677 a 
groun of these, including the Hasbrouck 
brothers, obtained a patent from Governor 
Andros to a large tract south of Kingston. 
where they settled and named the place. 
New Paltz. Here they founded what was 
known as the Walloon Protestant Church, 
after the name and discipline of the church 
at Geneva, a Calvinistic organization. For 
about half a century, until after the death 
of the Hasbrouck brothers, the service was 
conducted in French, long after which it 
was conducted in the Dutch language. 
Abraham Hasbrouck was a member of the 
provincial assembly and was major of the 
Ulster county regiment of militia. He mar- 
ried, November 17, 167.S. at Hurley, Marie, 
daughter of Christian Deyo, whom he had 
known in Europe and who came to this 
country in the same vessel with him. She 
was probably a sister of his brother's wife. 
Their children were: Rachel, baptized May 
12, 1680. New York; Anna. October g, 1682, 
at Kingston, died young; Joseph, mentioned 
below: Solomon, born October 17, 1686; 
Jonas, born October 14, i6qi ; Benjamin, 
baptized May 31, 1696, at New Paltz. 

(IT) Joseph, eldest son of Abraham and 
Marie CDeyo) Hasbrouck, was born and 
baptized at New Paltz, Ulster county. New- 
York, October 23, 1684. He located at Guil- 
ford on a tract of two thousand acres which 
had been granted by patent in 1683 to James 
Graham and John Delavall. The parchment 



on which the grant of the Guilford tract 
was written is in a good state of preserva- 
tion. He was one of the justices of the 
county of Ulster in 1722 and his name is 
mentioned in a record of that date as hav- 
ing proceeded with two other justices and 
an Indian to locate definitely the southwest 
corner of the Paltz patent at Moggonck. 
The diary of Joseph's son. Colonel Abraham 
Hasbrouck, says that he was "a gentleman 
much respected by those with "'hom he w;.s 
acquainted and he served in several public 
stations in Ulster county. He was very 
affable and agreeable in company, eloquent 
in speech, spoke French, Dutch, and toler- 
al)le English." Joseph Hasbrouck is buried 
in the old graveyard in New Paltz and the 
stone which marks his last resting place 
bears the oldest date of any in the grave- 
vard. It is of brown sandstone, such as 
was used at that period ; at the top of the 
stone is an angel's head and wings : the in- 
scription is as follows : "Here lyes the Body 
of Joseph Hasbrouck, Esq., aged forty years, 
three months, and eighteen days, deceased, 
January 28, 1723-4." 

He married in 1706 Ellsje Schoonmaker, 
who was buried near her husband, outliving 
him by forty years. She lost her husband 
when she was thirty-seven and was left 
with ten children on her hands, while her 
oldest boy, Abraham, was only seventeen. 
But she did not move back to New Paltz 
from Guilford, whither they had gone prob- 
ably at the time of their marriage in 1706. 
She raised her family of six sons and four 
daughters. In her later years when the 
neighborhood increased she kept a store in 
the house. Children: Abraham, married 
Catherine Bruyn and located at Kingston ; 
Isaac, married Antje Low, widow of John 
Van Gasbeck, and located a short distance 
east of old .Shawangunk church : Jacob, 
married Mary Hornbeck ancl moved to Mar- 
bletown : Benjamin, married Elidia Schoon- 
maker and located at what is now the Bor- 
den residence of Wallkill ; Cornelius B., 
who married Janet Kelso: Jonathan, men- 
tioned below. 

(Ill) Jonathan, youngest son of Joseph 
and Ellsie ("Schoonmaker) Hasbrouck. was 
born at Guilford, Ulster county, New York, 
.'\])ri! 12, 1722, and died July 31. 1780. 
Jonathan located at Newburg, Orange 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



county, purchasing in 1747 the property on 
which he built in 1750 part of the house 
afterward known as Washington's head- 
quarters. Subsequently he built an addition 
to this house, where he resided until his 
death. He was the first supervisor of the 
precinct in 1763. He held at different times 
commissions as ensign, captain and colonel, 
his commission to the latter office being 
issued October 25, 1775. His regiment saw 
much active service in the revolutionary 
war, but owing to the ill health of its col- 
onel was much of the time commanded by 
Lieutenant Colonel Johannas Hardenbergh. 
On account of ill health Colonel Jonathan 
Hasbrouck resigned in 1777. The diary of 
his brother. Colonel Abraham Hasbrouck, 
of Kingston, says of him in part: "He was 
a lo\-ing husband, a tender and loving 
father, a loving brother, an obedient and 
dutiful child, a kind master to his servants, 
a good neighbor, a hospitable man, a good 
industrious sober man, and a very good 
liver, and a very good commonwealth's man 
(Whig). He was a pious worthy man, paid 
a good deal of reverence in hearing and 
reading the Word of God. He was good 
natured, not easily ruffled or put in a pas- 
sion, but with a great deal of forbearance." 
He married, in May, 1751. Catherine or 
Tryntje, daughter of Cornelius DuBnis, of 
Poughwoughtenonk. Their children were : 
Abraham; Joseph; Cornelius, born in 1755, 
settled in Canada, took the side of the Brit- 
ish in the revolutionary war; Isaac, men- 
tioned below; Jonathan, who died unmar- 
ried: Mary, who was born in 1763, and 
married Israel Smith ; Rachel, the heroine 
of the famous ride from Newburg to Guil- 
ford, married her cousin Daniel, son of Col- 
onel Abraham Hasbrouck, of Kingston, and 
located at Montgomery, Orange cotinty. 
New York. 

(IV) Isaac, fourth son of Jonathan and 
Catherine or Tryntje CDuBois) Hasbrouck, 
was born in 1761, and died in 1806. Isaac 
Hasbrouck continued to reside at the Wash- 
ington headquarters built by his father. He 
married Hannah Birdsall. Their children 
were : Jonathan, married Phebe Field, and 
left a large family of sons and daughters, 
all of whom were born at the Washington 
headquarters; Israel; Eli, mentioned below; 
Sarah, married ^^^^lter Case, and was the 



only daughter who married ; Rachel ; May. 

(V) Eli, third son of Isaac and Hannah 
(Birdsall) Hasbrouck, was born at the 
Washington headquarters, Newburg, Or- 
ange county. New York. He married Har- 
riet Belknap, and left a large family of chil- 
dren, six of whom married and had chil- 
dren. 

(VI) Charles H., son of Eli and Harriet 
(Belknap) Hasbrouck, was born at New- 
burg, Orange county. New York, February 
7, 1820, died at Newburg. January 30, 1895. 
All his life long he lived in Newburg. Only 
once did he leave the town, and that was 
on the occasion of his voyage to Havre, 
France, with his friend Captain Francis 
Robinson. He attended the Newburg 
schools and in 1844 was a clerk in the High- 
land National Bank. Leaving the bank he 
became a clerk for Lewis D. Lockwood, a 
dealer in dry goods, and within two or 
three years he and his brother Eli formed 
a partnership in the dry goods business and 
started a business in Water street, under 
the style and title of the Hasbrouck 
Brothers. This partnership continued to the 
year 1879. In 1881 Mr. Hasbrouck was 
elected director of the Quassaick National 
Bank, and on September 21, 1885, he was 
elected president, holding both positions 
until his death. He married Helen, daugh- 
ter of John and Margaret (Voorhees) Cur- 
rie, of New Brunswick. Their children 
were : John and Edward, who are deceased ; 
Alice and Margaret C, who live at New- 
burg, Orange county. New York. 



(HI) (Jornelius Benja- 
HASBROUCK min Hasbrouck, son of 
Joseph (q. v.) and 
Ellsje (Schoonmaker) Hasbrouck, was born 
at New Paltz, Ulster county. New York, 
and died in the same place. He married 
Janet Kelso, and had issue : William C, of 
whom further. 

(IV) Hon. William Cornelius Hasbrouck, 
son of Cornelius B. Hasbrouck, was born 
August 23, 1800, died November 5, 1870. 
He was a graduate of Union College at the 
same time, almost, that William Seward 
was an undergraduate, and he soon moved 
to Franklin, Tennessee, and became prin- 
cipal of the academy there, founded by 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Bishop Otey. Among his pupils were such 
distinguished men as John Bell, Samuel 
Houston, FeHx Granby, Andrew Jackson 
and Matthew F. Maury. Returning north 
he became principal of Farmers' Hall Acad- 
emy, Goshen, New York, and in 1822 com- 
menced the study of law with Mr. Wisner. 
He completed his studies with Mr. Ross 
of Newburg and was admitted to the bar 
in 1826. He rose rapidly in his profession 
and was elected to the assembly and chosen 
speaker of that body. He was a man of 
high bearing, spotless character, and had a 
chivalric sense of honor and duty. He was 
described as courteous in his manners and 
liberal in his charities, and an American in 
every aspiration of his mind. He married, 
June 28. 1831, Mary E., daughter of William 
Roe. Children : \\'illiam, who became a 
lawyer; Henry Cornelius, mentioned below; 
Roe, now deceased, was a graduate of Har- 
vard in 1876. and a lawyer; Maria H.. Mary 
Roe Ann ; Emily Anna, who married Clin- 
ton Gurnee ; Mary Elizabeth; Cornelia Jean- 
ette ; Blandina, who married James Wild, of 
Edinburgh, Scotland. 

(V) General Cornelius Hasbrouck, sec- 
ond son of William Cornelius and Mary E. 
(Roe) Hasbrouck, was born at Newburg, 
New York, October 26, 1839. He was ap- 
pointed cadet at the West Point Military 
Academy on July i, 1856, and made a cap- 
tain on July 26, 1866. He remained a cap- 
tain for over twenty years and then on 
March 5, 1887, he was promoted to major; 
ten years later, on October 29, 1896, he was 
made a lieutenant-colonel; on February 13, 
1899, he was made a colonel, and in 1898 he 
was appointed brigadier-general, command- 
ing the second division of the Second Army 
Corps, U. S. A. He was a commandant at 
West Point Military Academy from 1882 to 
1888. He was a member of the board that 
prepared the infantry, cavalry, and artillery 
drill regulations adopted by the war depart- 
ment for use in the United States Army. 
He retired January 5, 1903. 

General Hasbrouck died December 17, 
191 1, in the house built, in 1839, by his 
father, Hon. William C. Hasbrouck, at New 
burg. New York. He was buried on De- 
cember 20, with the military honors of his 
rank, in the historic cemetery of the United 
States Military Academy, at W'est Point, 



New York. He married, October 26, 1882, 
Laetitia \'iele Warren, who survives him. 



This name is manifestly 
VAN BUREN Dutch. The name of 
the original settler, who 
was the progenitor of the family in America, 
appears in the records of the Reformed 
Dutch Church of New York as Van Buren, 
Van Beuren, Van Bueren, and Van Buuren. 
His descendants, or rather the greater num- 
ber of them, now spell the name Van 
Beuren, in contradistinction to the Van 
Buren family of the Upper Hudson, of 
whom Cornells Maas Van Buren is the an- 
cestor. This orthography does not obtain 
in the case of the family here dealt with. 
This particular family, which is descended 
from Dr. Jan or Johannes or John Van 
Beuren or Buren, would appear to have no 
more in common with the Van Burens of 
Kinderhook, to whom the eighth president 
of the United States, Martin Van Buren, 
belonged, than the relationship arising from 
the probable fact that the ancestor of each, 
from whom the surname is derived, came 
from Buren, a village in the province of 
Gelderland, Holland, or was a native of the 
place. It is interesting to observe that the 
original settler of the Van Burens of Kin- 
derhook, unlike the original settler of the 
family here dealt with, did not bear the 
name of Van Buren. It was not the custom, 
when he came to America, in the year 1631. 
for Netherlanders to have a family name ex- 
cept in rare cases where positions of prom- 
inence or some act of more than local impor- 
tance, favorable or otherwise, supplied a 
name symbolical of the particular cause of 
prominence, which would afterwards be 
carried down to posterity. The Dutch in- 
habitants of New Netherland, after a few 
generations, began to adopt family sur- 
names, generally taking the name of the 
place from which they or their parents emi- 
grated in Holland, using the prefix "Van" 
which is Dutch for the words "of" or 
"from". Thus it was, no doubt, with the 
second generation of the Van Buren family 
of Kinderhook, the head of which was Cor- 
nells Maessen ; Maes or Maas being the 
Christian name of his father, the suffix "sen" 
or "se" signifying son. 

This manner of using a substitute for the 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



IZ 



patronymic or surname was then in vogue 
among the Dutch and some other European 
nationalities. To illustrate this custom : 
Marten, the eldest son of Cornells Maessen, 
made his will in 1703, written in Dutch, in 
which his name was signed "Maren Cor- 
nelissen Van Beuren," meaning "Martin son 
of Cornells from Buren." 

The Van Beuren or Van Buren family 
descended from Dr. Jan Van Beuren has 
been chiefly notable for furnishing the city 
and state of New York with a number of 
physicians of eminence, among them the late 
William H. Van Buren. The arms and 
crest of the family are described herald- 
ically: Parti: Au i d'or au levrier rampant 
et contourne de gueules; au 2 de gueules a 
deux fasces bretesse et contre-bretesse d'or. 
Cimier: le levrier rampant, entre un vol de 
gueules et d'or. 

(I) Dr. Jan or Johannes or John Van 
Beuren, the original settler in America of 
the Van Buren family here dealt with, is 
said to have been born about 1678 at Am- 
sterdam, Holland, and died at New York in 
1757. He was a graduate of the University 
of Leyden, and came to New York in 1700. 
About 1724 he removed with his family from 
New York to Flatbush, Long Island, but in 
1729 he returned to New York, where he 
probably continued to reside until his 
death. He was one of the principal physi- 
cians in the citv. He married in 1707, 
Maria Meyer or Myers, a lady who was re- 
lated to the old and prominent familv of 
Van Home. Through this alliance the Van 
Burens are related to the McEvers, Bay- 
ards, and other noted families. Children : 
I. Pieter, born at New York, September 18, 
1709, died young. 2. Christina, baptized 
March 2. 171 1, died young. 3. and 4. Pieter 
and Maria, twins, baptized January 21, 17J3. 
5. Michael, baptized January 26, 1715, died 
young. 6. and 7. Cornelia and Elizabeth, 
twins, baptized January 30, 1717. 8. Cath- 
arina, baptized August 31, 1718, married, at 
Flatbush, August 3, 1743, Gerrit de Grauw. 
and had baptized in the Dutch Church of 
New York, Johannes, June 21, 1747, Walter, 
June 22, 1749, Maria, July 31,' 1751. 9. 
Elizabeth, baptized February i, 1721, mar- 
ried, August 6, 1746, Dr. Engelbert Kem- 
mena, sometimes written Kammega and 
Cammena. 10. Michiel, baptized January i. 



1723, a cordwainer of New York City, and 
admitted a freeman of the city in 1765; 
married Jennetje Hendricks, and had bap- 
tized eight children in the Dutch Church 
of New York. 11. and 12. Jacobus and 
Christina, twins, baptized August 3, 1729. 
13. Beekman, mentioned below. 14. Jan, 
married Femetie. whose maiden surname 
remains unrecorded, and had Itaptized at 
New Utrecht, Long Island, Maria. Jan, and 
probably others. 15. Dr. Hendrick, born at 
Flatbush, married (first) at Flatbush, No- 
vember 28, 1747, Joanna, daughter of Jo- 
hannes Albertise, of Bushwick. Long Island,, 
and (second) Catryntie Van Voorhees, by 
whom he had a son Johannes, baptized at 
Flatbush, July 21, 1754, and probably 
others. 

(II) Beekman \'an Buren, son of Dr. Jan 
and Maria (Meyer) Van Beuren, was born at 
New York, baptized November 5. 1732, and 
died in 1810. Adopting the profession of 
his father, he settled in New York where 
he was engaged in the practice of physic 
until the beginning of the revolutionary war. 
Dr. Francis says that "strong opposition 
was met in those days to the adoption of 
inoculation for the small pox, as pursued by 
Dr. Van Buren in the old Alms House, prior 
to 1770." This is evidence that he was 
abreast of the science of the day and that 
his reputation, which was great, stood on 
sure ground. He married (first) April 12, 
1754, Hyltje, daughter of William and Mar- 
garet (Roosevelt) De Peyster ; (second) De- 
cember 25, 1756, Elizabert, daughter of Wil- 
liam and Maria (Van Zindt) Gilbert ; and 
(third) Angenieze Vrelandt. Child by 
first marriage : Margaret, baptized Septem- 
ber 12, 1755. Children by second marriage: 
Johannes, baptized October 16, 1757: Wil- 
liam, November 22, 1758, died young; Maria, 
November 22, 1760, died young; Maria, 
April 29, 1764; Beekman, February 9, 1766: 
William, November 15, 1767; Hendricks, 
July 30, 1769; Catharina, August 4. 1771, 
died young; Catharina, February 14, 1773. 
Child by third marriage: Michael, men- 
tioned below. 

(III) Michael, youngest son of Beekman 
and Angenieze (Vrelandt) Van Buren, was 
born at New York in 1786, died in 1854. He 
was a well known merchant of New York. 
He married Anne Dash. Children: John 






74 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Dash, mentioned below; Frank, Charles, 
George, William, Daniel, Ann Maria, Mich- 
ael. 

(IV) Colonel John Dash Van Buren, eld- 
est son of Michael and Anne (Dash) Van 
Buren, was born at New York, March i8, 
1811, died in 1885. He was graduated at 
Columbia College in 1829, and studied law 
in the office of Hugh Maxwell. He aban- 
doned the law for commerce and became a 
partner in the well known shipping house of 
Aymar & Company, with which he was as- 
sociated until about 1850, when he retired 
to a farm at New Windsor, in Orange coun- 
ty. He became engaged in politics as a 
member of the Democratic party, was a 
member of the assembly in 1863 and held 
other positions. He derived his title of colo- 
nel from having been appointed paymaster 
of the state troops with that rank by Gover- 
nor Seymour. Later Governor Hoffman 
made him his private secretary and he 
moved to Albany and from there to New- 
burg. New York, where he died. He was 
warden and vestryman for years of St. 
Thomas' Episcopal Church of New W^indsor. 
He was also a member of the St. Nicholas 
Society of New York City. 

He married, March 30, 1836. Elvira 
Lynch, born March iS, 1817, died March 
20, 1898, daughter of Benjamin and Eliza- 
beth (Van Buren) Aymar. Benjamin Ay- 
mar was an eminent merchant of New York, 
and his wife was of the same family as Colo- 
nel Van Buren. 

Children of Colonel John D. and Elvira L. 
(Aymar) Van Buren were: i. Aymar, men- 
tioned below. 2. John Dash, born August 8, 
1838; was graduated at the Polytechnic In- 
stitute, Troy, New York ; was state engineer 
from 1876 to 1878; married Elizabeth Lud- 
low, daughter of the late Samuel T. Jones, 
and descended maternally from the old fam- 
ily of Ludlow. 3. Elizaljcth, born ./Xpril 15, 
1840; married Dr. Thomas H. White, of 
New York. 4. Frank Roe. born December 12, 
1841 ; graduated from Columbia University. 5. 
Robert, born March 25. 1843; graduated 
from the Polytechnic Institute. Troy. New 
York; chief engineer of the Brooklyn Water 
Works ; married Louisa, daughter of Samuel 
Aymar. 

(V) Aymar, eldest son of Colonel John 
Dash and Elvira Lynch (Aymar) Van Bu- 



ren, was born at New York, January 10, 
1837. He was educated in the public and 
private schools of the city, and in 1851 came 
with his parents to New Windsor and en- 
gaged in farming. In 1862 he purchased the 
farm of Edmund Morton and held posses- 
sion of it until 1882, when he disposed of 
the farm and occupied the old Morton home- 
stead in which he now resides. Mr. Van 
Buren has been warden and vestryman of 
St. Thomas' Episcopal Church of New 
Windsor for a number of years, and he was 
treasurer of the same church for eleven 
years. He is trustee and treasurer of Wood- 
lawn cemetery, and has been school trustee 
of New Windsor for the past forty-three 
years. He married, June 4, 1863, Margaret, 
daughter of Edmund Morton, son of General 
Jacob Morton, a prominent member of New 
Y'ork society in the early part of the last 
century, whose house in State street was the 
scene of an elegant ball which he gave to 
Lafayette in 1824. Children: i. Annie, 
born June 12, 1864, died August 17, 1879. 2. 
Caroline, born August 24, 1866; married 
William Van Vorst Powell, of Cornwall, 
New York. 3. Edmund, born February 18, 
1869, died August 25, 1908. 

The ancestor of Mrs. Elvira Lynch (Ay- 
mar) \'an Buren through her mother was 
Dr. Henry or Hendrick Van Buren, above 
mentioned, son of the original settler. Dr. 
Jan \^an Beuren. He married Catryntie Van 
Voorhees, whose sister, Mary Van Voor- 
hees, married Peter Du Bois, and was moth- 
er of Cornelius Du Bois, a wealthy mer- 
chant of New York, who died in 1846. He 
iriarried Sarah P. Ogden, niece of Governor 
Aaron Ogden, of New Jersey, and aunt of 
Governor Daniel Haines, of the same state, 
and had issue who intermarried with the 
Delafields. Jays, Wagstaffs, and other prom- 
inent families. Mrs. Peter Du Bois married 
(second) Dr. Theodorus Van Wyck, of 
Dutchess county. New York, a prominent 
patriot during the revolution, uncle of Gen- 
eral Theodorus Bailey, United States sena- 
tor from New York, 1803-04, and Elizabeth 
Bailey, who married Chanlcr Kent. Dr. and 
Mrs. Van Wyck had a daughter, Mrs. Peter 
A. Mesier, of New York. The Misses \^an 
\'oorhees, previously mentioned, were grand- 
daughters of Colonel Henry Filkin, who 
came to New York City in 1680 and after- 



York, Jaii 

! in the pi. 
•y, and in i" 
\v Windsor 
'62 he pure'.! 
11 and hell 
_. A hen he di> 
led the old Mort. 
' n- )\v resides. 
1 and vest; 
I Church 
UK!- of years, an< 
same church U 
ce and treasurer • > 
1 has been scho' 
for the past fo 
• 'e 4, 1863, :' 
■ irton, son o 
lent membc , 
irly part d 
.11 State stret . 
u ball which b« 
Children : i 
' August 17 
24, i860 
i.-i rowell, of 
mund, born Fc' 
j^. TOo8. 

. Elvira L; 
I'fh her ni' 



■ 116, a wea 
iio died in 
■n, niece 01 
fersey, ai^ 



ter Du JB'.' 
nis Van 
York, a 
hition, un. 

Tl.iit,-.,! '- 



'>Vatci' .' iduglUer, 

Samuel .• k. The I 

! John >^ 

.,n P,.,- , 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



75 



-wards removed to Brooklyn and Flatbush, 
Long Island, where he became one of the 
leading men. He was a member of the colo- 
nial assembly, lieutenant colonel of the mili- 
tia, etc., and a large landed proprietor in 
Dutchess county. He died in 1713. His 
son, Francis Filkin, a wealthy merchant and 
alderman of New York, died in 1781, and 
was the father of Helen Filkin, who mar- 
ried the H6n. John Vanderbilt (of an old 
Dutch family of Flatbush), a wealthy mer- 
chant of New York and patriot during the 
revolution ; delegate to the New York pro- 
vincial convention in 1775 and to the first, sec- 
ond and third provincial congresses of 1775 
and 1776. Their daughter, Mrs. Charles Clark- 
son, had descendants in Flatbush, Long Island. 
Dr. Henry and Catryntie (\^an Voorhees) 
Van Buren were parents of Coertland Van 
Buren. born in 1759, a wealthy resident of 
Brooklyn. He was an old-time Democrat, 
one of the early sachems of the Tammany 
Society prior to 1800, a friend of President 
Martin Van Buren, and died in 1820. He 
had a son, Englebert K. Van Buren, and 
several daughters: Catherine Van Buren, 
born in 1786, died at Flatbush, Long Island, 
in 1849, married John Hasbrouck, a mer- 
chant of New York, who died in 1820, and 
is represented by the children of her son, 
Coertland Van Buren Hasbrouck or Has- 
brook, and by those of her daughter, Mrs. 
John H. Haldane; Anne Van Buren, born 
1789, died 1827, who married Brockholst 
Livingston, a lawyer of New York, died in 
1832, grandson of Governor William Liv- 
ingston, of New York, had no issue: and 
Elizabeth Van Buren, born in 1791, died in 
1843, rnarried Benjamin Aymar, died 1876, 
and was the mother of Elvira Lynch Aymar, 
■who married Colonel John Dash Van Buren, 
above mentioned. 



The familv from which Mr. 
WARREN Charles Elliot Warren, the 

subject of this sketch, is de- 
scended, originally settled in Massachusetts 
(Richard Warren, of the "Mayflower,"' Ply- 
mouth, 1620, and John Warren of the "Ara- 
bella," with Governor Winthrop, with the 
fleet of Sir Richard Saltonstall, Salem. June 
30. 1630, settled in Watertown), the Ameri- 
can immigrants being lineal descendants of 



the de Warrennes, of Warren and Surrey, 
England, A. D. 1083. 

The surname is derived from Carenne or 
Vareene, a small river in the old county of 
Calais or Caux, in Normandy, which gave 
its name to the neighboring commune, and is 
only a few miles distant from Dieppe. 
There is at present a village called Caronne 
in the same district, and it is here that the 
origin of the family has been fixed by his- 
torians. On the west side of the river Ca- 
ronne was the ancient baronial seat of the 
de Warrennes, and some of the ruins were 
standing as late as 1832. The surname has 
assumed different forms from time to time 
— Caroyn, Waroyn, Waryn, Warin, War- 
ing, Warynge, Waryng and Warren, the 
most common. The ancestor of perhaps all 
English, Scotch and Irish Warrens was 
William de Warrenne, who came to Eng- 
land with William the Conqueror and was 
related to him both by marriage and con- 
sanguinity. He had a considerable com- 
mand at the battle of Hastings, and on ac- 
count of his valor and fidelity obtained im- 
mense grants of land from the Conqueror. 
He held estates in Shropshire, Essex, Suf- 
folk, Oxford, Hants, Cambridge, Bucks, 
Huntingdon, Bedford, Norfolk, Lincoln and 
York counties, amounting in all, according 
to Hume, to three hundred lordships. He 
became the first Earl of Warren and Surrey. 
His wife Gundrede, daughter of William the 
Conqueror, and a descendant of Charle- 
mange, died May 27, 1085, and was buried 
in the chapter house of the Priory of Lewes, 
county Sussex. Her tombstone is still in 
existence. The Earl died June 24, 1088. 
His epitaph has been preserved, though the 
tombstone is lost or destroyed. In 1845 
the cofifers containing the bones of the earl 
and his countess were disinterred and are 
now in the Church of St. John the Baptist, 
Southover. 

The history of the Warren family has 
been written and is exceeded in interest and 
antiquity by none in England. In the "New 
England Genealogical Register," published 
1910, the English ancestry of the immigrant, 
John Warren, has been proven by means of 
records and wills to be different from that 
which has been given before. He came from 
Nayland. as did other early settlers in Water- 
town, and his ancestors lived in Wiston, or 



76 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Wissington, Nayland, and Stoke-Nayland, 
three adjoining parishes in Suffolk on the 
Essex border. Robert Warren, mentioned 
below, had a brother, Thomas of Wiston, 
testator of 1558, who was father of Thomas 
Warren of W^iston. testator of 1602, who left 
a widow, Elizabeth, testator of 1604. 

(I) Robert Warren was born perhaps 
about 1485, in Wiston, county Suflfolk, Eng- 
land. He married Margaret . His will 

was made October 29. 1544, when he was 
"aged and sick in body," and was proved 
February 22, 1544-45, by his wife, Margaret, 
who was executrix. He was buried in the 
churchyard at W^iston. He mentioned his 
wife and children in his will and bequeathed 
to them land at W^iston, and "W^yston 
Prestney." Children: James, born perhaps 
about 1515; Lawrence; Thomas, born per- 
haps about 1520; Anne, married Lor- 

kin ; John, mentioned below ; W' illiam, un- 
der age in 1544. 

(H) John, son of Robert Warren, was 
born about 1525, and was of "Corlio," in 
Nayland. His will was made April 21, 1576, 
and proved June 5, 1576, his brothers James 
and W^illiam being executors. He was 
buried April 23, 1576. The name of his first 
wife is not known. He married (second) 
September 5, 1563, Agnes (or Anne) Hew- 
lett. She was buried November 25, 1567, 
and he probably married (third) January 30, 
1568-69, Margaret Firmety, at Great 

Horkeslcy. She was widow of Cole, 

and was buried April 19, 1576. Children by 
first wife: John, "the elder" of "Corlio," 
born about 1550; John, "the middle," men- 
tioned below; Richard. Child of second 
wife: Agnes, baptized October 8. 1564. 
Child by third wife: Margaret, buried April 
15. i.S7i'- 

(HI) John (2), son of John (i) W'arren, 
was born about 1555. He was a cardmarker 
of Nayland. and was taxed sixteen pence 
there on lands in the subsidy for 8 James I, 
161 1. He married (first) October 4, 1584, 
Elizabeth Scarlett, who was doubtless the 
one baptized August 30, 1561. daughter of 
John Scarlett. She was buried March 27, 

1602-03. He married (second) Rose ■ •, 

who was buried August 11, 1610. He mar- 
ried (third) April 23. 161 1. Rose Riddles- 
dale. His will was dated March 27, 1613, 
and proved November 4, 1613, and he be- 



queathed to wife and children, and twenty 
shillings to poor people of Nayland. Chil- 
dren by first wife : John, mentioned below ; 
Daniel, baptized November 13, 1586; Isaac, 
baptized January 28, 1587-88; Nathaniel, 
baptized September 7, 1590: Amos, bap- 
tized March 14, 1591-92; Joshua, baptized 
April 2, 1594; Joseph, buried July 22, 1596; 
Thomas ; Elizabeth ; Mary. 

(IV) John (3), son of John '(2) Warren, 
was baptized August i, 1585, and came to 
Boston from Nayland, England, in the party 
of John \\Mnthrop in the ship "Arabella" 
arriving at Salem, Massachusetts, June 12, 
1630. From Salem he went with the re- 
mainder of the company to Charlestown, 
whence after a brief stay they removed to 
Watertown. He was admitted a freeman 
May 18. 1631. He was selectman of Water- 
town from 1636 to 1640, and was on a com- 
mittee to lay out highways. His homestead 
was between those of John Bisco and Isaac 
Stearns and William Hammond. He had 
seven other lots, aggregating one hundred 
an.d eighty-eight acres. He sympathized 
with the Quakers and was at odds with the 
Puritan church, though he retained his 
membership. He was warned, March 14, 
1658-59, for not attending church, and was 
fined April 4, 1654, for not attending church 
for a period of fourteen Sabbaths, at five 
shillings each. His house and that of his 
neighbor Hammond were searched for 
Quakers, May 27, 16^11. His wife Margaret 
died November 6, 1662. He died December 
13, 1667, aged eighty-two years. His will 
was dated November 30, and proved Decem- 
ber 17, 1667. Children, born in England: 
Mary, baptized April 23. 161 5. at Nayland, 
buried there December 17, 1622; Elizabeth, 
baptized June 25, 1619, buried November 25. 
1622; Sarah, baptized April 20, 1620, buried 
September 7, 1621 ; John, baptized May 12, 
1622, (Captain, 1684, died, 1703) ; Mary, bap- 
tized September 12, 1624, married John 
Bigelow, October 30, 1642, ancestor of all 
the Bigelows of this country; Daniel, men- 
tioned below; Elizabeth, baptized July 21, 
162Q, married James Knapp. 

CV) Daniel, son of John (3) Warren, was 
born in England in 1627. baptized February 
25, 1627. He came with his parents to 
America, became a farmer in Watertown, 
and died there, 1715. He was a soldier in 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



77 



King Philip's war, took part in Sudbury 
fight, was selectman of Watertown from 
1682 to 1698; took the oath of fidehty in 
1652. He married, December 10, 1650, 
Mary (who died February 13, 1716), daugh- 
ter of Elhs Barron, of Watertown, descend- 
ant of a distinguished Irish family. Chil- 
dren: Mary, born November 29, 1651, died 
May I, 1734, married John Child; Daniel, 
October 6, 1653; Elizabeth, married Jona- 
than Taintor; Sarah, July 4, 1658; Susanna, 
December 26, 1663; John, March 5, 1665; 
Joshua, mentioned below; Grace, March 14, 
1672; Hannah, born July 4, 1658, married 
David Mead, September 24, 1675. 

Daniel { V), mentioned above, was born in 
Devonshire, England ; lived in W'atertown ; 
was a private soldier in Captain Nathaniel 
Davenport's company, February 29, i675> 
His petition to the council for allowances 
for services of himself and Joseph Peirce, 
stating the part they took in the great 
Sudbury fight, telling of taking to Sudbury 
town thirteen wounded men, is on file in 
Archives, State of Massachusetts, and is 
described, vol. 68, p. 224, of Records. Served 
with Captain Joseph Sylls and John Cutler 
Januarv 24, 1676, and received pay for serv- 
ices. He was a "^rantee of Narragansett 
township No. 2 in 1733. 

(VI) Joshua, son of Daniel Warren, was 
born at Watertown, July 4, 1668, died at 
Waltham, January 30, 1760. Left will dated 
October 23, 1752. He married, about 1695, 
Rebecca, born June 27, 1678, died April i, 
1757, daughter of Caleb and Joanna 
(Sprague) Church, granddaughter of Garret 
and Sarah Church, and of William SpraguCj 
of Hingham. Children, born at Watertown : 

Lydia, born November 3, 1696, married 

Southworth ; Joshua, born June 4, 1698, mar- 
ried Elizabeth Harris; Nathaniel, born May 
25. 1700, married Susanna Cutting; Rebecca, 
married a Hathaway (Mayflower line) ; 
Mary, married a Tucker, April 3, 1729; 
Elizabeth, born June 19, 1704, married Peter 
Gibbons; Abigail, born December 20, 1705, 
married a How; Susannah, baptized Feb- 
ruary 21, 1706-07, married Bezaleel Flagg; 
Hannah, born June 2, 1708, married Uriah 
Rice; Prudence, born December 5, 1709, 
married a Hardy; Daniel, born July 28, 
1713; Phinehas, born June 21, 1718, married 



Grace Hastings, daughter of Thomas, May 
3, 1738. 

(\ II) Phinehas, son of Joshu,a Warren, 
was born at Waltham, June 21, 1718, died in 
Waltham, June 30, 1797. He married, May 

3, 1738, Grace Hastings, born April 2, 1720, 
died September 7, 1805, daughter of Joseph 
and Lydia (Brown) Hastings. Her father 
was born at Waltham, January 10, 1698, son 
of John and Abigail (Hammond) Hastings. 
Abigail Hammond was descended from 
Lieutenant John Hammond, a pioneer of 
Waltham, Massachusetts ; Lydia Brown 
from Captain Abraham Brown of Water- 
town. Joseph Hastings was born July 10, 
1698, grandson of Thomas and Alargaret 
(Cheney) Hastings. Thomas Hastings was 
a pioneer of Watertown and Dedham, held 
town ofifices in Watertown, was deacon of 
the church. John Hastings, his father, 
served in Captain Nathaniel Davenport's 
company, King Philip's war, 1675. 

The children : Bettee, born November 9, 
1739, married John Wellington; Phinehas, 
born May 29, 1741, married Eunice Ham- 
mond; Lydia, baptized January 13, 1744, 
married David Barnard; Peter, baptized 
July 13, 1746; Josiah, baptized July 4, 1748; 
William, as noted below ; Rebecca, baptized 
June 28, 1752, married John Savage, July 

4. 1782; Grace, January 21, 1754, bap- 
tized February 22, 1756. married Samuel 
Barnes; Eliphelet, born September 19, 1757, 
married Eunice Harrington ; Moses, bap- 
tized July I, 1759; Jonas, baptized March 22, 
1761 ; Charles, baptized January 27, 1765. 

Phinehas Warren was a private on Lex- 
ington Alarm Roll, Captain Abraham 
Pierce's company, called out by Colonel 
Thomas Gardiner on the alarm of April 19, 
1775; marched to Waltham. Concord and 
Lexington. He served with his five sons at 
Concord fight and at battle of Bunker Hill. 

(Vni) William Warren was born at Wes- 
ton or Waltham, Massachusetts, September 
17, 1751. He married Robey, or Rebecca, 
Hathaway, daughter of Joshua Hathaway 
(Mayflower line) of Freetown. Massachu- 
setts, April 7, 1777. Died July 29, 1841. 
Buried in Old Burial Ground, Worcester, 
Massachusetts. According to the official 
record, the following was his service (pro- 
vided by Colonel Asa Bird Gardiner. Secre- 
tary-General, Society of the Cincinnati) : 



78 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



He resided at Waltham, Massachusetts, and was 
a private in Captain Abraham Pierce's company of 
minutemen, which on the alarm that the British 
grenadiers and hght infantry were out of Boston 
for the purpose of destroying the American stores 
at Concord, marched on April ig, 1775, for Concord 
and Lexington, arriving in time to fight the British, 
and the company was retained in service four days 
afterward, by order of Colonel Thomas Gardner, of 
the Massachusetts militia, who was afterward killed 
at Bunker Hill. 

Returning to Waltham, he immediately enrolled 
on April 23, 1775, in Captain Ebenezer Winship's 
company of Colonel John Nixon's regiment for Con- 
tinental service at the siege of Boston, and on June 
6, 1775, was commissioned, by the Massachusetts 
General Court, lieutenant of his company, to date 
from April 23, 1775, which commission was accord- 
ing to the records received by him the same day. 

On the following day, the ever memorable June 
17, 1775, he with his regiment was in the battle of 
"Bunker Hill," where he was very seriously wounded 
so as practically to incapacitate him for further 
active field service. 

His regiment was taken on the Continental estab- 
lishment bv the Continental Congress as the Fifth 
Regiment Continental Foot, and Continental com- 
missions were issued to all the officers by the Con- 
tinental Congress. 

He continued as lieutenant of his company in 
the Continental army until December 31, 1775, when, 
pursuant to resolution of the Continental Congress 
of that month, the Continental army there under 
His Excellency. General Washington, commander- 
in-chief, was reorganized and reduced in number of 
regiments. 

By this reduction Lieutenant William Warren, 
being incapacitated for field service by reason of 
his wounds, became a supernumerary and deranged. 

Under the institution of the Society of the Cin- 
cinnati of May 10, 1783, officers who were deranged 
in any of the reductions of the Continental army 
made pursuant to resolve of the Continental Con- 
gress were entitled to become original members of 
the Society of the Cincinnati. 

Lieutenant William Warren also served with the 
Ninth United States Infantry, United States Army, 
at Sackctt's Harbor, and was lieutenant-colonel 
commanding the Fourth New York Infantry, war of 
1812. He was also one of the Bunker Hill survivors, 
present at the laying of the cornerstone of Bunker 
Hill Monument, Boston, Massachusetts. 

His children were: Rebecca, born Jtine 2, 
1778, died January 4, 1864: Matilda, born 
February 27, 1780, died October 10, 1781 ; 
William, born November 17, 1781, lost at 
sea. 1800; Charles, born June 30, 1783, mar- 
ried Polly Wesson, died February i, 1856; 
Caroline Matilda, born February 21, 1785, 
married James Thayer. M. D., died March 
26, 1844; Charles William Henrv. baptiTied 
June 7. 1787. married Eleanor Patch, died 
September. 1850; George, born October i, 



1789, married Sarah Phelps, January 31, 
1814, daughter of Captain Azor Phelps, of 
Sutton, Massachusetts, who served at West 
Point, New York, in the War of the Revolu- 
tion, died February 24, 1856; Julia Ann Ma- 
ria, born September 28, 1791, married Sam- 
uel White, September 12. 1813, died Octo- 
ber, 1858; Oliver Wellington Lane, born 
May 6, 1794, died February 26, 1847; 
, Charles Jarvis, born August 3, 1796, mar- 
ried Charlotte Wesson, died March, 1883. 

George Warren, above alluded to, was a 
paper manufacturer in Fairhaven, \'ermont, 
owning the largest mills in New England. 
Later he was a wholesale hardware dealer 
in Albany, New York, the firm being War- 
ren & Steele, of State street. They supplied 
the government with shot and shell in large 
quantities during the War of 1812. The 
children of George Warren and Sarah 
Phelps were : 

I. Mary Ann, born at Fairhaven, Vermont. 
September 16, 1825; married Timothy 
Paige, brother of Calvin Paige, at Albany, 
August 23, 1853; died at San Francisco, 
California, October 25, 1893. 2. George 
William, born August 17, 1828; married Mary 
Lizzie, daughter of Richard Henry Pease of 
Albany, September 16, 1858. Was educated 
at Dr. Beck's Albany Academy, class of 
1838. Was a member of the firm of Warren 
& Steele, inerchants, Albany, but abandoned 
a business career for the musical profession. 
Was a composer of sacred music, and an 
organist and pianist of international repu- 
tation. Received the degree of , Musical 
Doctor from several foreign and American 
universities. Was a patron of the arts and 
sciences. George Boughton, of the Royal 
Academy, London, commenting on his 
death, said to the late Samuel P. Avery: 
"The saddest note of all, told of the passing 
away of our good soul of many, many 
years' intimacy, George William Warren : 
'The vast blue of heaven does not contain 
a better or more Christian spirit; a dearer 
fellow on earth did not exist, or a more 
noble, or a more lovable. He was a real 
friend in word and deed, not alone to me, 
but to many another struggler in art. Peace 
to his ashes, and quiet and sweet rest to his 
clean soul. His own sunny nattire bore him 
through many a part of care and sorrow. 
All now is over, and I hope he is being 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



79 



soothed with the most heavenly of celestial 
music' " 

He wrote hymns that have become fa- 
miliar and cherished by church-goers of 
every name and kind. His "Anthems-Spe- 
cial Services" are in very general use. His 
"Children's Carols" have gladdened the 
hearts of hundreds of thousands, many of 
whom, now men and women, recall them as 
they think of the happiest associations of 
their childhood. Bishop Potter said of him, 
that his work in influencing individual souls 
and leading them on to a higher life and its 
fruition would compare favorably with that 
of the most efificient clergyman. The Presi- 
dent of Columbia University remembers 
him "with gratitude, and blesses God for 
his memory." 

Children: Richard Henry, born Septem- 
ber 17, 1859; George, born May 11, 1S61, 
died Novembers 9, 1862; Charles Elliot, 
above referred to : Frank Chickering, born 
April 6, 1866: Alfred Starkey, born April 
23, 1867: died September 18, 1868; Mary 
Elizabeth, born September 21, 1871, died 
March 4, 1906. 

The mother of Mr. Charles Elliot 
\\'arren was Mary Eliza Pease, the eldest 
child of Richard H. Pease. The Pease fam- 
ily was of English origin, although it is said 
that they were originally from Germany, 
moving to England soon after the Conquest. 
Robert Pease, the American progenitor of 
the family, came from Ipswich, England, in 
1^)34, and went to Salem, Massachusetts, 
where he died in 1644. His son, John, who 
was born in England about 1630, and mar- 
ried Mary Goodell, daughter of Robert 
Goodell of Salem, lived in Salem and Enfield, 
Connecticut, being a freeman in 1668, and 
dying in i68g. He was captain of the First 
Train Rand of Enfield, Colony of Connecti- 
cut. In the following generation, Robert 
Pease, who was born in Salem in 1656 and 
married Abigail Randall, was one of the first 
constables of Enfield, having removed to 
that colony in 1681. He died in 1744. The 
son of Robert Pease was Samuel Pease of 
Enfield, 1696-1776; his grandson was Na- 
thaniel Pease of Enfield, 1728-1818, one of 
the first settlers of Norfolk, Connecticut, 
his great-grandson was Earl P. Pease, 1778- 
1864, who established the first factory for 
manufacturing woolen cloths in Norfolk, 



Connecticut, and who was active in public 
affairs there. In 1825 he removed to Hart- 
ford, in 1829 to Albany, New York, and then 
to Brooklyn, where he died in 1864. His 
wife was Mary Ives, daughter of Joseph 
Ives of New Haven. He was the grand- 
father of Mary Eliza Pease, and the great- 
grandfather on the maternal side of Mr. 
Warren. Richard Henry Pease, the ma- 
ternal grandfather of Mr. Warren, was born 
in Norfolk, Connecticut, in 1813. His early 
life was spent in Albany, but he afterwards 
removed to New York, where he was en- 
gaged in the engraving and publishing busi- 
ness. His wife was Mary E. Dawes, whom 
he married in Philadelphia in 1833. 

Mary Ives, the great-grandmother of Mr. 
Warren, was a daughter of Joseph Ives and 
his wife Mary Sherman, and Mary Sherman 
was a daughter of the Rev. Josiah Sherman, 
the line of ancestry thus going back to one 
of the most famous colonial families. Rev. 
Josiah Sherman was the youngest son of 
William Sherman, of Stoughton, Massachu- 
setts, and his wife Mehitable Wellington, 
of Watertown, Massachusetts, and his" eld- 
est brother was the famous Roger Sher- 
man, signer of the Declaration of Independ- 
ence. Rev. Josiah Sherman was born in 
Woodbury, Connecticut, in 1734, and died 
in 1769. Graduating from Princeton Col- 
lege in 1754, he received the degree of A, M. 
from Harvard College in 1758, and from 
Yale College in 1765. He was' an able 
writer and brilliant orator, and labored un- 
ceasingly with voice and pen in support of 
the American revolution. During the active 
hostilities of that period he served as cap- 
tain and chaplain of the Seventh Regiment 
of the Connecticut Line. Mr. Warren is 
also the great-grandson of Azor Phelps and 
Mary Tenney. Azor Phelps, who was born 
in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1761, w^as a 
citizen of Watertown, and served as a pri- 
vate and ofificer in the Continental army of 
the American Revolution. Mr. Warren is 
directly descended from the following fam- 
ilies: Phelps, Bigelow, Penn, Nelson. 
Hathaway, Church, Elliot, Sherman, Win- 
ship, Cheney, Wilder, Wellington, Swan, 
Stickney, Hastings, Fames, Ives, Pease, 
Gale, Turner, Minott, Willard, Barrow, Ball, 
Butler, Dawes, Dickinson, Fuller, Goodell, 



8o 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Harrison, Hyde, Hammond, Lowell, Yale, 
Merrick. 

Charles Elliot Warren, of New York City 
(son of George William Warren, 1828-1902, 
Mus. Doc, Prof, of Columbia University, 
City of New York). Born in Brooklyn, 
New York, April 9, 1864; educated at Trin- 
ity School, New York, St. Paul's, Garden 
City, Long Island, and the University of 
California. Major and inspector. Brigade 
Staff, National Guard, New York, retired; 
captain and adjutant, the Veteran Corps of 
Artillery, New York ; president and director 
the Lincoln National Bank of the City of 
New York, formerly president New York 
State Bankers' Association ; member execu- 
tive and finance committees American 
Bankers' Association; committee on admis- 
sions New York Clearing House Associa- 
tion ; treasurer Eastern Power Company, 
New York ; vice-president, director and 
treasurer the Erie & Kalamazoo Railroad 
Company, New York Central Lines, lessee ; 
treasurer and director the Darrach Home 
for Crippled Children. Member of Society 
of the Cincinnati; manager Sons of the 
Revolution, State of New York; secretary 
the Military Society of the War of 1812; 
Military Society of Foreign Wars; Society 
of Colonial Wars; Society Mayflower 
Descendants, New York; treasurer Society 
of American Officers. Clubs: St. Nicholas, 
New York ; Union League, New York ; Co- 
lumbia Yacht, New York; Piping Rock of 
Long Island; Sleepy Hollow Country Club; 
Army and Navy, New York; Rockaway 
Hunt : Piping Rock Racing Association ; 
Cedarhurst Yacht. 

Married, April 19, 1892, Anna Margaret, 
daughter of Hon. J. Augustus Geissen- 
hainca and Susan Havcmeyer, at Freehold, 
New Jersey. Issue: Susanne Elizabeth, 
born July 7, 189,^; Margaret Reslear, born 
April 13, 1895; George William, born June 

24. 1890; Charles Elliot Jr., born December 

25. 1907. 

Military Record: Private Co. I, 7th Regi- 
ment N. G. N. Y., Nov. I, '83; corporal, 
March 6, 1888; second lieutenant, Co. A, 12th 
Inf'y N. G. N. Y., June 2, 1890; first lieu- 
tenant Co. A, I2th inf'y N. G. N. Y.. April 
28; 1891 ; regimental adjutant, 12th Regi- 
ment Infantry, April 30, 1895 : captain and 
aide-de-camp, 5th Brigade, N. G. N. Y., 



April 26, 1898, Brigade Commander, Brig- 
adier-General George Moore Smith ; acting 
assistant adjutant general. General Smith's 
brigade. New York Volunteers, stationed at 
Camp Black, Hempstead Plains, Long Is- 
land, April and May, 1898; major, inspector 
small arms practice and ordnance ofificer. 
Fifth Brigade N. G. N. Y., February 6, 
1899; resigned, full and honorable dis- 
charge granted by Theodore Roosevelt, 
commander-in-chief, June 5, 1900; private 
The Veteran Corps of Artillery of the State 
of New York, March 19, 1906; sergeant, De- 
cember 22, 1906; adjutant, first lieutenant, 
January 8, 1909; commissioned by Governor 
Dix, adjutant, with the rank of captain, the 
Veteran Corps of Artillery of the State of 
New York, August 30, 191 2. 

Ancestors who did service in the Colonies 
and in the various wars of the country: 

Richard Warren, died 1628. Carried the 
honorable prefix of "Mr." was the twelfth 
signer of the "Mayflower Compact," at 
Cape Cod, November nth, 1620. Served with 
Captain Miles Standish and others in the 
first event of the Indian wars of New Eng- 
land, known as the "First Encounter/' 
which took place near the site of the present 
town of Eastham, December 8th. 1620. Also 
of the Expedition of Discovery, along the 
shore of Plymouth Bay, which selected or 
settled the place of landing of the Pilgrims 
on December 21, 1620, at Patuxit (so known 
to the Indians), and now as Plymouth, Massa- 
chusetts. 

Daniel Warren, a soldier in the Colonial 
wars. 1675. 

William Warren, lieutenant, a soldier and 
officer in the Continental Line, War of the 
Revolution. 

Phinehas Warren, a soldier of the Revolu- 
tion. 

Peter Warren, a naval officer of the Revo- 
lution. 

Azor Phelps, a captain. War of the Revo- 
lution, service at West Point. 

Daniel Tenny, a soldier in King Philip's 
war, 1676. 

Thomas Tenny, a soldier in King Philip's 
war, 1675. 

Thomas Dickinson, Colonial wars, 1675, 
killed by Indians. 

Philip Nelson, a captain. 1690, deputy to 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



8i 



the Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1690, Gen- 
eral Court. 

Thomas Nelson, Deputy to the General 
Court, 1640-41. 

Richard Swan, soldier in King Philip's 
war, deputy to the General Court. 

William Stickney, lieutenant in the Col- 
onies, 1661. 

Samuel Stickney, lieutenant in the Col- 
onies, 1709. 

John Hastings, soldier in King Philip's 
war, 1675. 

Deacon Thomas Hastings, credited with 
military service in the Colonies, 1675. 

Richard Church, Plymouth Volunteers, 
sergeant in Pequot war, 1637. 

Anthony Eames, lieutenant and deputy to 
General Court, 1643. 

Ellis Barron, soldier in King Philip's war, 
1676. 

John Pease, captain ist Train Band of 
Enfield, 1654. 

Robert Pease, first constable of Enfield, 
1681. 

Samuel Pease, soldier in King Philip's 
war, 1675. 

Joseph Ives, captain Connecticut Militia, 
1718. 

Nathaniel Turner, captain in Sanger's 
company, Salem. Massachusetts, 1634; lost 
in "Phantom Ship," 1634. 

John Sherman, captain of the Trayned 
Band of Watertown, 1655; representative to 
the General Court, etc. 

Joseph Sherman, representative to Gen- 
eral Court. 

Rev. Josiah Sherman, captain and chap- 
lain 7th Reg't Connecticut Continental Line, 
1777 (The Society of the Cincinnati). 

Roger Minott Sherman, signer of the 
Declaration of Independence. 

Edward Winship, member Ancient and 
Honorable Artillery Co. of Massachusetts, 
1638; ensign, 1647; lieutenant, 1660; deputy 
to General Court. 

Benjamin Wellington, soldier in King 
Philip's war. 

Ailing Ball, captain in Colonial militia, 
1643- 

Ailing Ball Jr., captain New Haven 
Colony militia, 1656. 

James S. Minott, captain Concord militia, 
1684, deputy to General Court. 

Hon. James Minott, colonel. Concord. 



Massachusetts, militia, 1756, French and In- 
dian war. 

Timothy Wheeler, captain Concord, Mas- 
sachusetts, militia, and deputy to General 
Court. 

John Fuller, a corporal in King Philip's 
war, ensign in Essex regiment. 

Simeon W^illard, commander-in-chief of 
the Expedition of the United Colonies 
against "Ninigret," 1655; commanded the 
Middlesex county regiment in King Philip's 
war. Led the relief in battle of Brookfield; 
founder of Concord, Massachusetts ; deputy 
to the General Court, 1654-76. 

Arms : Gules : A lion rampant ; argent ; a 
chief chequey or an azure. Crest : Out of 
a ducal coronet a demi-wivern, wings ex- 
panded. Motto: Pro patria iiiori. 

Residence : New York City, 326 West 
89th street; (Summer), Woodmere, Cedar- 
hurst, Long Island, New York. 



The Aspinwalls or As- 
ASPINWALL pinalls have been for 
several centuries located 
in the county of Lancaster, England. There 
is no clear indication of the origin of the 
family. The name Aspinwall, like many 
others, has undergone several changes, and 
as near as can be ascertained has arrived 
at its present form through various grada- 
tions, from Aspenhalgh, Aspinhaugh, As- 
pinall, Aspinwall, the name originally sig- 
nifying an "Aspen Mead" or an "Aspen 
\'ale." Toxteth Park, in Lancaster county, 
England, was the home of some of the As- 
pinwalls of America, according to one au- 
thority. It is now a suburb of the city of 
Liverpool and had been the property of the 
Crown from the time of King John, but in 
the year 1604 it was disparked, and came 
through purchase into the hands of one 
Richard Molyneux. Prior to this time it is 
spoken of as "waste land without inhabi- 
tants," but when it was disparked a number 
of persons settled on the land, and began 
its cultivation. Among these was one Ed- 
ward Aspinwall, no doubt a member of the 
Aspinwall family in the immediate vicinity. 
He appears to have been the earliest settler 
of the name at To.xteth Park, and from va- 
rious ciicumstances it is believed that he 
was the father of Peter Aspinwall, the im- 



82 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



migrant ancestor of the family in America 
here dealt with. 

It appears that the early inhabitants of 
Toxteth Park were Puritans in their lean- 
ings, and in 1611, Richard Mather, after- 
wards minister at Dorchester, Massachu- 
setts, at the age of fifteen years, was called 
there to take charge of the school. He lived 
while at Toxteth in the family of Edward 
Aspinwall, and while there became con- 
verted, which, as he expresses it, "was oc- 
casioned by observing a difference between 
his own walk, and the most exact, watch- 
ful, faithful, and prayerful conversation of 
some of the family of the learned and pious 
Mr. Edward Aspinwall of Toxteth, where 
he sojourned." These Puritans at Toxteth 
built a chapel, the first one connected with 
the "dissenters" in the neighborhood of 
Liverpool. The building then erected is not 
now in existence, but upon its site is the 
present church, which was built something 
more than a hundred years ago, preserving 
some of its features, while the old burying 
ground remains undisturbed. In this 
clmrch. in the main aisle, on the stone cov- 
ering of a vault is a brass plate bearing the 
following inscription : "Edward Aspinwall 
of Toxteth Park, Esquire, Departed this life 
in March the 20th, A.D. 1656." Many of 
these Puritans in 1630 and the following 
years emigrated to America and particu- 
larly to New England. 

To those interested in coat armor it may 
be said that there appears in the various 
works on heraldry several different coats- 
of-arms. "Burke's General Armory" gives 
to the Aspinwalls of Lancaster county, 
England, two different ones, the first, "Or. 
a chev. between three griffins' heads erased 
sa. Crest — A dcmi griffin's head erased sa. 
beaked, legged, and collared or." The sec- 
ond is: "Ar. an aspen leaf or." "Edmon- 
son's Heraldry" gives to the Aspinwalls of 
Northumberland, "Gu. — two bars dancette 
Or. within a bordure sa." The motto is 
Aefjis fortissima virtus, meaning that vir 
tue is the strongest shield. It is believed, 
though there is no certain evidence in sup- 
port of the theory, that Peter Aspinwall, 
the first of the American Aspinwalls here 
dealt '.v:th, was a n, ember cf t1ie family of 
Lancaster county, England, above referred 
to. The tradition exists in the familv and 



was recorded at an early date in the eigh- 
teenth century by his great-grandson, and 
as there is nothing inherently improbable 
in the supposition, and much that is in- 
herently probable, it may be assumed that 
such was the case. 

(I) Peter Aspinwall, the immigrant an- 
cestor of the Aspinwall family in America 
here dealt with, came from England with a 
company of others in 1626 qr 1630, and 
settled at Dorchester, Massachusetts. Dr. 
William Aspinwall, of Brookline, Massa- 
chusetts, a great-grandson of Peter Aspin- 
wall, wrote an account of the family in 
1767, which is in the possession of one of 
his descendants. He said: "Peter Aspin- 
wall came from Toxteth Park, near Liver- 
pool, Old England, to Dorchester, near Bos- 
ton, in New England, in company with the 
four thousand who came in the year 1630." 
Aside from this statement that Peter Aspin- 
wall came in 1630, we have no knowledge, 
and the first mention of him in any records 
is in May, 1645, at which time he was made 
a freeman (or voter) by the general court, 
and was then living at Dorchester, Massa- 
chusetts. About this time he was married 
to his first wife, for the records of the First 
Church of Boston show that "Also or sister, 
Alice Sharp, now ye wife of Peter Aspin- 
wall, of Dorchester, had Ires of Recomend 
granted unto her to ye church at Dorches- 
ter. The 8th day of ye 4th moneth (June) 
1645." Nothing forther than the statement 
that he was made a freeman in 1645 ap- 
pears in the Dorchester records, and in 
1630 he removed to Muddy River, now 
known as Brookline, Massachusetts, where 
in connection with one Robert Sharp, per- 
haps his brother-in-law. he purchased a 
farm of one hundred and fifty acres. Upon 
this farm Peter Aspinwall, in the year 1660, 
built the house which was the family home- 
stead for many generations. This house 
stood until the year i8qi when it was taken 
down, being at the time the oldest house in 
the old town of Brookline. It was located 
on the present Aspinwall avenue, near St. 
Paul's Church. Here Peter Aspinwall lived 
and died. He was a farmer and, judging by 
the inventory of his estate taken after his 
death, which included a tanning outfit, he 
probably carried on also a tanning business. 
He does not appear to have been very con- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



83 



spicuous in public affairs, but held several 
town offices. He was surveyor in 1651-52, 
also in 1661-62, and constable in 1667. He 
was appointed, April 24, 1676, with two 
others, a committee "for the preventage of 
excessive drinkage and disorder in private 
houses" and was elected, March 25, 1678, 
"to oversee and regulate the ffences about 
the common ffield at Muddy River." 

According to Dr. William Aspinwall he 
was three times married, but there is some 
doubt about the second marriage. He mar- 
ried (first) probably early in 1645, Alice 
Sharp, who may have been a sister to that 
Robert Sharp, in connection with whom he 
bought the farm described in the foregoing 
deed. He married (third) February 12, 
1662, Remember, daughter of Peter and 
Edith Palfrey, of Reading, Massachusetts, 
Governor John Endicott officiating. She 
was baptized at Salem, Massachusetts, Sep- 
tember 16, 1638. These are the only mar- 
riages of which there is any detailed record. 
Children: Samuel, born November 4, 1662; 
Peter, Jvme 4, 1664; Nathaniel, June 5, 1666; 
Thomas, January 21, 1668; Mehitable, Sep- 
tember 14, 1669; Elizabeth, November 21, 
1671 ; Eleazar, October 9, 1673; Joseph, 
mentioned below, twin of Eleazar; Job, Feb- 
ruary 27, 1675, died young; Mary, August 
4, 1677; Timothy, April 19, 1682, died of 
smallpox while yet a young man, and un- 
married. 

(H) Joseph, son of Peter and Remember 
(Palfrey) Aspinwall, was born at Muddy 
River, now Brookline, Massachusetts, Octo- 
ber 9. 1673, died in 1743. Before he be- 
came of age he went to sea, where he com- 
manded a vessel of his own. As early as 
the year 1700, probably some time before, 
he lived in New York City, and so con- 
tinued until 171 1, when he removed to Say- 
brook, Connecticut, where he kept a store 
and also commanded a sloop out of that 
port called the "Joseph Burthen." He was 
made a freeman of the city of New York, June 
6, 1710. On May i, 171 1, he subscribed one 
pound, two shillings, towards the finishing 
of the steeple of Trinity Church, New York. 
In December, 1711, while living at Say- 
brook, he was allowed by the Connecticut 
assembly the sum of nineteen pounds eleven 
shillings and sixpence for the charges of 
Captain Crane's funeral. In October, 1712, 



he petitioned the Connecticut assembly 
praying for an allowance "for a consider- 
able sum in publick bills of credit of this 
colony lost by fire some time in winter last 
at Wethersfield, where he then sojourned." 
He was burned out at Saybrook, and about 
1713-14 he removed to Dedham, Massachu- 
setts. In 1714 he was imprisoned for a debt 
of one hundred and twenty-eight pounds 
four shillings and four pence, due Philip 
Hedman of Boston, merchant. His release 
was ordered by the court of general ses- 
sions at Boston, after he had "declared upon 
his oath what effects were belonging to 
him." How long he lived in Dedham is 
not known. His first wife probably died 
while he was living there, and he went to 
sea again. In 1724, while at Dedham, he 
bought eighty-four acres of land in Kill- 
ingly, Connecticut, from his brother, Peter, 
but he sold it back to him in 1728. There 
is no evidence that he ever lived on it. On 
December 5, 1729, an attachment was issued 
against the estate of Joseph Aspinwall "late 
of Saybrook in our colony of Connecticut, 
now residing in Boston, mariner, for six 
hundred pounds, to answer to Magdalen 
Hickells of Elizabethtown, New Jersey." 
The jury found for the defendant. On Sep- 
tember I, 1740, he petitioned the general 
court of Massachusetts, renewing his offer 
to go as a pilot for the Spanish coasts. Dr. 
William Aspinwall, writing in 1767, says: 
"He was of middling stature, well propor- 
tioned, and very gentee and something 
hansome : he was very passionate, very gay, 
facetious, good company, and always loose 
and exceedingly careless of his own and his 
children's affairs." 

He married ("first) in New York City in 
1700, Hannah, daughter of Christopher and 
Hannah Deane. The license for this mar- 
riage was granted on June 6, 1700. He 
married (second) a niece of Lord Bello- 
mont, governor of the Massachusetts Bay 
Colony. This was probably while he lived 
at Dedham, and about the time he went to 
sea again. He married (third) some five 
or six years before his death, at Brookline, 
widow of Samuel Smith of that place. She 
probably survived him. Children : Joseph ; 
John, mentioned below. 

(Ill) John, son of Joseph and Hannah 
(Deane) Aspinwall, was born in 1705 or 



84 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



1706, died July 5, 1774. He settled in Ded- 
ham, Massachusetts. He followed the sea 
and was captain of a vessel out of New 
York. Later he became a merchant and 
acquired considerable means, and settled in 
Flushing, Long Island. He was an alder- 
man of New York, and one of the founders 
of the New York Library in 1753. From 
1753 to 1760 he was vestryman of Trinity 
Church, New York. He married (first) 
August 28, 1728, Sarah Sands, of Oyster 
Bay, Long Island; (second), at Stamford, 
Connecticut, June 5, 1766, Rebecca Smith. 
The Nezv York Gazette of December 12, 
1765, said: "Wednesday, departed this life 
in her fifty-seventh year Mrs. Sarah Aspin- 
wall and was decently interred in the family 
vault. Her summons into eternity was ex- 
tremely sudden, but she received it with 
that fortitude and resignation peculiar to 
the Christian character. Her family, friends 
and acquaintances, in her death sustained 
a very great loss, and can only comfort 
themselves under the dispensation by the 
evidence of her faith and piety, which she 
has left behind her." Child by first mar- 
riage: Hannah. By second marriage: Wil- 
liam Smith, Gilbert, John, mentioned below. 

(IV) John (2), son of John (i) and Re- 
becca (Smith) Aspinwall, was born in New 
York City, February 10, 1774, died October 
6, 1847. He was a shipping merchant of, 
New York. In 1794 he entered into part- 
nership with his brother Gilbert, at No. 186 
Queen street, under the firm name of Gil- 
bert and John Aspinwall. They were im- 
porters and jobbers, and owned the ships 
they used. They dissolved partnership in 
1812, and each then carried on business for 
himself. On one occasion during the war 
of 1812, while the partnership existed, they 
cleared twenty thousand dollars on one trip 
of the "Blooming Rose." John had the 
reputation of being a venturesome and gen- 
erous man. He married. November 27, 1803, 
Susan Howland, born May 20, 1770, died 
December 21, 1852. Children: Margaret 
Elizabeth, born September 16. 1804; Emily 
Philips, January 20, 1806; William Henry, 
December i6, 1807; Mary Rebecca, Decem- 
ber 20, 1809; Louisa Edgar, December 28, 
181 1, died at Barrytown. New York, Sep- 
tember 2, 1871, unmarried ; George Woolsey, 



January 10, 1814, died June 19, 1854; John 
Lloyd, mentioned below. 

(V) John Lloyd, youngest son of John 
(2) and Susan (Howland) Aspinwall, was 
born in New York. April 5, 1816, died May 
6, 1873. at New York. He entered the firm 
of Howland & Aspinwall, successors to the 
firm of Gilbert and John Aspinwall of New 
York, at the age of sixteen, rose gradually 
in the firm, and on the death of his father 
became a partner. He continued in the firm 
until 1856 when he retired from active life. 
In i860 he purchased a large estate at 
Barrytown, Dutchess county, New York, 
where he passed the life of a country gen- 
tleman. He was an Episcopalian, and aided 
in founding St. Stephen's College. Annan- 
dale, Dutchess county, New York, of which 
he was treasurer until his death. He 
married Jane Moore, daughter of George 
and Catherine D. (Israel) Breck, residents 
of Bristol. Pennsylvania. Children : Will- 
iam, born 1848. died 1868; John, mentioned 
below; Emily Woolsey, born 1862, died 
1874; Helen Lloyd, born December 23. 
1863. 

(VI) John (3), second son of John Lloyd 
and Jane Moore (Breck) Aspinwall, was 
born October 15, 1858, at Paris, France. 
He was educated in private schools and in 
St. Stephen's College, .^Xnnandalc, New 
York, and graduated with degree of M.E. 
in the class of 1881, from Stevens Institute 
of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey, and 
is now a trustee of this institute. Later he 
became a lecturer on chemistry at St. 
Stephen's College, Annandale, from which he 
received degree of M. A., and was made a 
trustee of this college. In 1899 '^^ founded the 
Fabrikoid Company of New York, and now in 
Newburg, of which he was president until 
it was absorbed by the Dupont Powder 
Company in 1910. He was president of the 
Powelton Club, 1910-11-12; member of the 
City Club, of Newburg; member of the New 
York Yacht Club ; president of the Camera 
Club of New York in 1002: first president 
of the Newburg Tuberculosis Sanatorium ; 
president of New York Microscopical So- 
ciety, 1899-1900; editor of Nezv York 
Microscopical Journal, 1899-1902. He was 
one of the founders of the Automobile Club 
of America. He married (first) in 1882 
Laura Presbey Elderkin, died in 1883 ; 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



85 



(second) September 29, 1885, Julia W. 
Wilson. Child, Bessie Reid, married, No- 
vember 24, 1909, Lieutenant Hayden W. 
Wagner, Third United States Cavalry, and 
they are the parents of a son, John Aspin- 
wall Wagner, born February 23, 1912. 



This old Dutch name 
WESTERVELT is derived from a lo- 
cality in Holland, 

meaning the "western field," and was 

brought to America in 1662. 

(I) In the year 1662, Lubbert Lubbert- 
sen Van Westervelt and Gessie Roelofs Van 
Houten, his wife, and six children, as immi- 
grants, came from Rleppel, in the province 
of Drenthe, in Holland, reaching New Am- 
sterdam about May ist. They crossed in 
the Dutch West Indies ship "Faith." In 
December, 1662, they settled in Flatbush, 
where he purchased a farm. Their children 
were : Lubbert, Roelof, John, Juriaen, Mar- 
gretie, and Mary. It is probable that Lub- 
bert Lubbertsen had a second wife, as the 
records of the Dutch church in New York 
show the baptism on March 2, 1681, of 
Aeltie, daughter of Lubbert Lubbertsen and 
Hilletie Paulus. 

(II) Roelof, second son of Lubbert Lub- 
bertsen Van Westervelt, married Ursulina 
Steinerts, probably from Thymens, as her 
name appears in the records of the first 
Dutch church of New York as Ursulina 
Thymens. They had children : Jannetie, 
born 1686; Kasporus, mentioned below; 
Johannes, 1695; Ariantie. 1699; Maritie, 
1704; Annatie, 1707. The New York church 
records show the baptism of another child, 
Janneken, September 27, i6gi. 

(III) Kasporus Roelofson Westervelt 
was born in 1694, in Flatbush. He married 
Aeltie Bougart. Children : Orselana, born 
1715; Roelof, mentioned below; Maritie, 
1720; Jan, 1722; Annatie, 1724; Cornelius, 
1726; Benjamin, 1727; Maria, 1729; Eliza- 
beth, 1731, died young; Jacobus, 1733; Eliz- 
abeth, 1735. 

(IV) Roelof (2), second child and eldest 
son of Kasporus and Aeltie (Bougart) 
Westervelt, was born June 15, 1718. He 
married Arjaenty Romein. Children : Cas- 
porus, born 1751; Aeltie, 1753; Albert, men- 
tioned below. 

(V) Albert, junior son of Roelof (2) and 



Arjaenty (Romein) Westervelt, was born 
March 5, 1754, died November 6, 1829. He 
settled upon a farm in the town of Ramapo, 
Rockland county, New York. He married 
at Schraalenburg, New Jersey, Maria Van 
Saun, born November 4, 1761, died January 
21, 1853. Children: Ralph, born November 
21, 1780; Nancy, 1785; Jacob, 17S8; Jacobus, 
mentioned below ; Hester and Sarah. 

(VI) James (baptized Jacobus), fourth 
child of Albert and Maria (Van Saun) 
Westervelt, was born October 24, 1792, at 
Ramapo, Rockland county. New York, died 
there October 17, 1879. He was a farmer, 
a member of the Dutch Reformed church, 
and gave his political support to the Demo- 
cratic party. He married Hannah Teneyck, 
born January 22, 1797, died January 15, 
1853. Children: i. Sylvester, mentioned 
below. 2. Marie Antoinette, born August 
19, 1822, died February 28, 1887, in Spring 
valley, Rockland county, New York. 3. 
John Henry, October 21, 1827, died October 
18, 1868, in New York City. 4. Schuyler, 
July 27, 1829, still living. 5. Louisa, Jan- 
uary 18, 1832, died July 12, 1856, in Ramapo, 
Rockland county, New York. 6. Sarah 
Ellen, January i, 1840, died October 6, 1874, 
in Ramapo. 

(VII) Sylvester, eldest child of James 
and Hannah (Teneyck) Westervelt, was 
born March 9, 1821, at Ramapo, died Jan- 
uary 24, 1901, in Newark, New Jersey. He 
learned the trade of carriage builder in that 
town, and engaged in business of his own 
at Ramapo, removing to Haverstraw, New 
York, and subsequently to Newark, New 
Jersey. In 1854 he took charge of the 
Phoenix Carriage Works at Stamford, Con- 
necticut, and in i860 returned to Newark, 
where he was superintendent of a wheel 
factory. He was a Republican in political 
principles. He married (first) December 31, 
1844, Margaret Blauvelt, born April 2, 1825, 
in Ramapo, Rockland county. New York, 
died January 25, 1849, daughter of Joseph 
C. and Rebecca (Ramsen) Blauvelt (see 
Blauvelt VII). He married (second) Eliza 
Frances Van Name, born July 15, 1825, died 
January 19, 1869. He married (third) Ann 
Maria Ostrom, widow, born August 20, 
1822, died April 28, 1904. Children of the 
first marriage : Warner Wesley, mentioned 
below; Margaret, born January 9, 1849, died 



86 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



February 3, 1849. Child of the second mar- 
riage: Mary AHce, born August 26, 1852. 

(VIII) Warner Wesley, eldest child of 
Sylvester and Margaret (Blauvelt) Wester- 
velt, was born July 13, 1847, ^t Ramapo. 
He attended the public schools in Spring 
Valley and Stamford, Connecticut, also at 
Newark, New Jersey, and again at Spring 
\'alley. Entering the Normal College at 
Albany, New York, he was graduated in 
1867. and engaged in teaching in the Union 
Academy at Belleville, New York. Later 
he was a teacher in the Union Hall Acad- 
emy at Jamaica, Long Island, and follow- 
ing this in the Polytechnic Institute in 
Brooklyn, New York. Afterward he taught 
in the .Ashland public school of East Orange. 
New Jersey, and the public school of Plain- 
field, New Jersey. He was admitted to the 
New York bar in 1880 and since then has 
practiced his profession in New York City, 
and now resides at Woodcliff Lake, Bergen 
county, New Jersey. With his family Mr. 
Westervelt affiliated with the Dutch Re- 
formed church of West New Hempstead 
(known as the Brick Church), in the town of 
Ramapo. He is an earnest supporter of 
Republican principles, but takes no part in 
fjractical politics, and has never l)een a can- 
didate for official position. 

He married, August 4. 1869, in East 
Orange, New Jersey, Mary Amelia, born 
September 30, 1847, in Livingston. Essex 
county. New Jersey, daughter of Henry 
Oscar and Charlotte (Osborn) Beach. 
Henry O. Beach was born July i, 1825, in 
Livingston, Essex county, New Jersey, 
where he now resides; his wife, Charlotte 
Osborn, was born August 27, 1824, died 
February 15, 1911; children: Mary Amelia, 
mentioned above, as the wife of W. W. 
Westervelt ; Clarence Eugene, born July, 
1851, died April 16, 1910; Maurice Beach, 
and Eliza Virginia, March 3, 1863. 

Children of W. W. Westervelt and wife : 
I. Jennie Elizabeth, born June 3, 1S70, is 
the wife of Thomas JefFerson Ward, re- 
siding at Hanover, Morris county. New 
Jersey. 2 and 3. Burton Blauvelt and Bessy 
Beach, twins, August 22, 1872: the latter 
died one month old, and the former April 
('. 191 1, in Hackensack, New Jersey. 4. 
Mary Amelia, November 29. 1876. 5. Mar- 
garet, October 31, 1878; married, April 29, 



1908, Samuel D. Yates, and resides in Jer- 
sey City, New Jersey. 6. Warner Wesley, 
January 29, 1883, married Ada Louise 
Cromwell, July 12, 1910, resides in Hacken- 
sack, New Jersey. 7. Stewart Livingston' 
August 12, 1891. 

(Tlic Blauveh Line.) 

(V) Joseph, third son of Johannes G. 
(q. V.) and Marytje (Smidt) Blauvelt, was 
born September 17, 1740. baptized Septem- 
ber 21, at Tappan, died March 15, 17S9, in 
the town of Ramapo, New York. He mar- 
ried, May 13, 1769, Hannah Demorest, born 
August I, 1749. Children: John, born May 
8, 1770; Nicholas, June 4, 1772; Cornelius, 
mentioned below ; Daniel, December 16, 
1782. 

(VI) Cornelius, third son of Joseph and 
Hannah (Demorest) Blauvelt, was born 
July 12, 1775, in Ramapo, died June 12, 
1858. He married, November 4, 1796, 
Bridget Talman, born August 9, 1778, 
daughter of Jan and Frynckye ( Mebie) Tal- 
man. Children: Joseph C, mentioned be- 
low; John, born August 21, 1801 ; Cornelius. 
August 20. 1808; .Abraham C. J., December 
18, 181 1 ; Tunis; Nicholas C. 

(VII) Joseph Cornelius, eldest child of 
Cornelius and Bridget (Talman) Blauvelt, 
was born November 8, 1798. in Ramapo. 
died January 5, 1883, in Spring \'alley. He 
married. May 12, 1821, Rebecca Ramsen, 
born June 20. 1803, in New York City, died at 
Spring Valley, April 21, 1885. Children : 
Mary, born March 5, 1822, married John 
DeBaun, and died July 6, 1845; Isaac Ram- 
sen and Margaret, twins, April 2, 1825: 
Aaron DuBois, June 21, 1832; John Calvin, 
October 29, 1835 ; Cornelius Edmund, Jan- 
uary 4, 1838. 

(VIII) Margaret, second daughter of Jo- 
seph C. and Rebecca (Ramsen) Blauvelt. 
and twin of Isaac R., became the wife of 
Svlvester Westervelt, of Ramapo (see 
Westervelt VII). 



Joline is a surname of French 
JOLINE or Huguenot origin. Charles 

W. Baird says in his work, 
"Huguenot Emigration to America": 
"Along the Gironde on the south shore of 
Saintonge (France") are the seaport towns 
and villages of Royan, Meschers, Saint 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



87 



Palais, and Saint Georges. Two of the ref- 
ugees in New York, Daniel Lambert and 
Andre Jolin, were natives of Saint Palais." 
And he adds: "Andre Jolin obtained deniza- 
tion in New York August 6, 1686, and was 
naturalized April 15, 1693. He was a mem- 
ber of the French Church, New York in 
1688. His wife was Madeileine Poupin. A 
family Bible in the possession of T. S. 
Drake, Esq., of New Rochelle, New York, 
contains the name of Guis Jolin. Guy J|olin, 
natif de Vaux, paroisse de Saint Palais en 
Saintonge, was one of the refugees in Bris- 
tol, England, in the latter part of the eigh- 
teenth century." From the Andre Jolin, 
above mentioned, the American family of 
the name would appear to be descended. 

(I) John Joline, first traceable ancestor 
of the branch of the Joline family here 
dealt with, lived at Princeton, New Jersey, 
in the latter part of the eighteenth century. 
The oldest house in which he lived was re- 
cently standing on the farm of which it was 
the homestead and not far north of the 
William Gulick residence, later belonging to 
Alexander Gulick, between Princeton and 
Kingston. John had a brother named An- 
thony who was prominent in politics. He 
married but there is no available record of 
the name of his wife. Child, John, men- 
tioned below. 

(H) John (2), son of John (i) Joline, 
was born in Princeton, New Jersey, about 
1769, died in the same locality in 1839. He 
was one of the most notable landlords or 
innkeepers of Princeton. He had kept Hudi- 
bras House from the year 1810 to the year 
1812 and took charge of the Nassau Hotel 
and kept it from 1812 to the year 1836. He 
was widely celebrated as a genial host who 
could tell a good story and could sing a 
good song. He kept good horses, set a 
great table, and was a favorite with the 
students of the university, giving them good 
suppers and clandestine sleigh rides. The 
public travelling through Princeton grew 
into a large business while John Joline kept 
the Nassau House. Children : William, 
graduated with first honors from Princeton 
University; James van Dyke, graduated 
from Princeton ; Charles Oliver, mentioned 
below; Mary, married Ashbell Green, son of 
Ashbell Green, the president of the college 
and a lawyer; Cornelia, married a Mr. Maur- 



ice, of Sing Sing, New York; Catherine, 
married the Rev. Mr. Billings, of Virginia. 
(HI) Colonel Charles Oliver Joline, third 
son of John (2) Joline, of Princeton, was 
born at Princeton about 1823. He served 
with distinction in both the Mexican and the 
civil wars and attained the rank of colonel. 
He married, in 1848, Mary Evelyn, third 
child of Adrian Kissam HofTman, M. D., 
and Jane Ann (Thompson) Hoffman, a sis- 
ter of the late John T. Hoffman, governor 
of New York : Children : Adrian Hoffman, 
mentioned below; Catherine H., born De- 
cember II, 1853, married the Rev. James O. 
Drumm, rector of St. Andrew's Church, 
Watervliet, West Troy, New York ; Cor- 
nelia Maurice, born at Sing Sing, October, 

1857- 

( IV ) Adrian Hoffman, eldest son of Colonel 
Charles Oliver and Mary Evelyn (Hoffman) 
Joline, was born at Sing Sing, New York, 
June 30, 1850, died October 15, 1912. He 
prepared for college at the Mount Pleasant 
Academy, Sing Sing, New York, and under 
the private tuition of the Rev. Dr. James I. 
Helm. In 1863 he was clerk of the military 
commission at Norfolk, Virginia, convened 
for the trial of Dr. Wright for the murder 
of Lieutenant Sanborn, one of the first offi- 
cers of colored troops. In 1864 he was also 
clerk of the military commission that sat at 
Fort Lafayette for the trial of prisoners. He 
was graduated from Princeton with the de- 
gree of A. B. in 1870 and with the degree of 
A. M. in 1873. He attended also the Co- 
lumbia Law School and attained the degree 
of LL.D. of Princeton. He was admitted 
to the bar in May, 1872, and shortly after 
entered the law firm of Brown. Hall & Van- 
derpoel. Next he became a member of But- 
ler. Stillman & Hubbard, continuing from 
1881 to 1896; then of the firm of Butler, 
Notman, Joline & Mynderse, continuing 
from 1896 to 1905, and then of the firm of 
Joline, Larkin & Rathbone, which he helped 
to form. Early in his career he devoted 
particular attention to railway litigation and 
to questions pertaining to trusts, mort- 
gages and reorganizations. He engaged in 
many important litigations and legal con- 
troversies. At the time of his death he was 
a director of the Albany and Susquehanna 
railroad, the American and Foreign Marine 
Insurance Company, the Bridge Operating 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Company, the Chatham and Phoenix 
National Bank, the National Surety 
Company, and the United Traction and 
Electric Company, and vice-president of the 
New Orleans Warehouse Company. He 
was chairman of the board of directors and 
president of the Missouri, Kansas, and 
Texas Railway Company from 1906 to 1909, 
and receiver of the New York City Rail- 
way Company and Metropolitan Street Rail- 
way Company in 1907. For years Mr. Jo- 
line was engaged in the legal work of the 
large railroad interests. Mr. Joline was 
also an author of considerable reputation, 
the following being among his productions: 
"Meditations of an Autograph Collector," 
1902; "Diversions of a Book Lover," 1903, 
"The Book Collector," 1904; "The Auto- 
graph Hunter," 1906; and "At the Library 
Table." He was a liberal contributor to the 
columns of The Collector, a magazine for 
autograph and historical collectors, for 
many years. "The American Political 
Biography," which ran for several years, 
was written by him. His final contribution 
was the series of six articles, "Concerning 
Autographs." He had a large autograph 
collection, which was very valuable. It con- 
tained all the usual American sets, and was 
especially rich in British literary. He was 
an earnest collector in many lines for about 
a quarter of a century, and having large 
means he secured great numbers of fine 
things. By his essays on autograph collect- 
ing he did much to dignify this intellectual 
pursuit, and he was always interested in be- 
ginners and helped start many a young col- 
lector. He was a member of the American 
Bar Association, the New York State Bar 
Association, the Association of the Bar of 
the City of New York, the New York, New 
Jersey, Virginia and American Historical 
societies. He was also a member of the 
Century, Grolier, University, Princeton, St. 
Elmo. City. Barnard, Morristown. Down 
Town, Chicago, Caxton, and Dofobs clubs. 
He married, in 1876, Mary E., daughter of 
the Hon. Francis Larkin, the distinguished 
leader of the Westchester bar, 

(The Hoffman Line.) 
This family is of Swedish origin though 
the name is distinguished in Dutch and Ger- 
man literature. It is not improbable that 



the Dutch and the German families are of ' 
Swedish extraction and travelled originally 
from Sweden, as in the time of Gustavus 
Adolphus in the seventeenth century large 
numbers of Scandinavians removed to Hol- 
land and Germany. The name in the Scan- 
dinavian dialect seems to have been at first 
Hoppman, signifying in Swedish the same 
as Hoffman in Dutch, namely, "Man of 
Hope." Arthur on "Family Names" says: 
"Hoffman : Dutch from Hoofdman, a captain, 
or director, or head or chief man. Also 
Hofman, from Hof, a court, the man of the 
court." There were several individuals of 
the name of Hofifman who arrived in some 
of the early migrations of the Swedes to 
Delaware, who were included among those 
transferred by Governor Stuyvesant (on his 
conquest of New Sweden to prevent a revo- 
lution among them in favor of Queen Chris- 
tina of Sweden) to the city of Amsterdam 
where they commingled Swedish blood with 
the Dutch population of the city in which 
the Dutch predominated. 

(I) Martin Hermanzen Hoffman, son of 
Hermann Hofifman, was born in 1625 at 
Revel (on the Gulf of Finland, at that period 
belonging to Sweden but now part of the 
Russian Empire, having been conquered by 
Peter the Great in 1710). He is said to have 
been Ritmaster in the army of Gustavus 
Adolphus of Sweden. It is probable that he 
was living prior to the emigration to Amer- 
ica at Ezen, Ostenbenzie, Holland, for Mar- 
tin Hoffman was authorized by his brother- 
in-law, Tjerck Claesen de Witte (the ances- 
tor of the De Witte family of New York), 
to recover some property for him at Ezen, 
Holland. Martin emigrated to America 
about 1657. He settled at Esopus (Kings- 
ton), where in 1658 he joined with the other 
residents in the vicinity (against the orders 
of Ensign Smith who was in command of 
the garrison there) in an attack on the In- 
dians. He removed to New Amsterdam 
(New York) where, according to the direc- 
tory of the city published in 1661, he was 
living in De I lure straat (Broadway) in 
that year and was a large taxpayer and an 
extensive auctioneer. He continued for 
some time here and here at least two of his 
children were born, following the contract- 
ing of two marriages. From New Amster- 
dam he removed to Albany, then known as 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



89 



Fort Orange, where in 1672 he was Hving 
in the house conveyed to him in that year 
and which, with the lot on which it stood, 
is referred to as a boundary in other deeds. 
In December, 1676, he sold this property to 
Cornelius Cornelise Van de Hoeve and 
bought another house and lot in Fort 
Orange, where he was living and following 
the occupation of a saddler in 1678. Short- 
ly afterwards he removed to Ulster county, 
New York, and settled at Kingstowne. "Mar- 
tin Hoffman" received a grant from the 
Crown of land in the "Towne of Kingstowne," 
Ulster county, which is recorded in the 
county clerk's office at Kingston under date 
February 6, 1688. In the roll of names and 
surnames of those having taken the oath of 
allegiance in the county of Ulster by order 
of the government, September i, 1689, are 
found the names of Martin Hofifman, Ter- 
rick Claes De Witt and Anthony Crispell. 
Martin Hoffman married (first) March 3, 
1663, Lysbeth Hermans, by whom he had no 
issue; (second) May 16, 1664, Emmerentje 
Claesen de Witte. Children: Annetje, born 
1665, married Hendrick Pruyn ; Marretje, 
1666; Zacharias, married Hester Bruyn ; 
Nicolas, mentioned below; Taatje, married 
Everardus Bogardus. 

(II) Nicolas, eldest son of Martin Her- 
manzen and Emmerentje C. (De Witte) 
Hoffman, was born at Kingstowne, Ulster 
county. New York, about 1680. He settled 
in Esopus (now Kingston) and the stone 
mansion erected by him on the corner of 
North Front and Green streets, once used as 
a fort, is still standing and is occupied by 
one of his descendants. Nicolas made ex- 
tensive purchases of property, acquiring large 
estates in both Ulster and Dutchess counties. 
He obtained grants of land near Kingstowne 
from the trustees in 171 3 and 1721, and made 
purchases of property from Gerret Aertson in 
1718 and from John Rutson in 1720. On 
September 11, 1720, a conveyance was exe- 
cuted from Colonel Peter Schuyler to Cap- 
tain Nicolas Hofifman of "land in Dutchess 
County going by the name of Mastenbrock, 
bounded southerly by the land of Barent 
Van Benthuysen, easterly and northerly by 
the manor of Livingston, and westerly by 
the Hudson river." The conveyance is the 
first record we have of the possession of 
property in Dutchess county by the Hoff- 



man family, who afterwards became such 
extensive landowners in that county. Nico- 
las Hoffman's name appeared first in the 
list of freeholders of the towne of Kingstowne 
in 1728 and in the census of Dutchess coun- 
ty taken in 1740 he and his son Martinus 
Hoffman are named as freeholders. Among 
the English manuscripts in the office of the 
secretary of state at Albany is a muster roll 
of Captain Nicolas Hoft'man's company in 
Captain Jacob Rutsen's regiment, Ulster 
county, November 21, 1715. This military 
organization was in accordance with the act 
entitled "An Act for the Better Security 
and Defence of this Province and the Set- 
tling of the Militia," passed by the council 
held at Fort Orange in New York, July i, 
1715. Captain Nicolas Hoffman command- 
ed a company (Second) of the Ulster county 
regiment at Kingstowne in 1717, his commis- 
sion being signed by General Hunt, dated 
October 3, 1717. Nicolas Hoffman was a 
trustee of the corporation at Kingstowne in 
1712, 1720, 1726, and treasurer of Kingstowne 
in 1737. He was a deacon of the Reformed 
Dutch church of Kingstowne and in this ca- 
pacity signed the petition for the charter of 
this church which was obtained from 
George I., November 17, 1719. 

He married, January, 1705, Jannetje On- 
atio Crispell, born in Horley, February, 
1686, daughter of Antonie Crispell, a Hu- 
guenot, who settled in that region and was 
one of the patentees of New Paltz, Ulster 
county, New York. Children : Martinus, 
mentioned below; Antje, born 1709; An- 
thony, 171 1, married Catherine Van Gaas- 
bech ; Zacharias, 1713, married (first) Hel- 
ena Van Wyck, and (second) Letitia (Brick- 
erhoff) Van Wyck; Petrus, baptized at 
Kingstowne, December 2, 1716, died young; 
Hendrick, baptized at Kingstowne, June 7, 
1719. died young; Anaatjen, baptized at 
Kingstowne, December 3, 1721, died young; 
Maria, 1724, married John Ten Broeck ; 
Peter. 1727, married Catharine Van Alstyne. 

(Ill) Martinus, son of Nicolas and Jan- 
netje (Crispell) Hoffman, was born at 
Kingstowne, Ulster county. New York, Feb- 
ruary 6, 1706-07. He removed from the 
neighborhood of Kingstowne to Dutchess 
county and settled, as did several of his 
brothers, near Red Hook, on the Hudson 
and east of it, on land purchased by his fa- 



90 



SOUTHERN NEW ^'OKK 



ther. Holgate says: "It is from Martinus 
Hoffman and his brothers that the branch of 
the family in New York descends. This 
branch has become affluent and highly dis- 
tinguished for literary attainments." Mar- 
tinus became occupied in the care of his 
property, farming and cultivating it and es- 
tablished, under his father, the celebrated 
grist mill which gave the name to the neigh- 
borhood of "Hoffman's Mills." He was also 
a large purchaser of real estate. February 
IQ, 1755, he received for the sum of nine- 
teen hundred pounds a conveyance of land 
in Dutchess county. For many years he 
was colonel of the regiment stationed at 
Dutchess county and the state archives at 
Albany contain frequent references to him. 
The public records show that in 1748 Mar- 
tinus Hoffman was endeavoring to concili- 
ate the Indians in Dutchess county, and 
April 15, 1767, a petition was presented to 
the government by the native Indians claim- 
ing lands "from a place called Waunaukar- 
mackack, a little south of where Colonel 
Hoffman now lives and east of the Hud- 
son." Martinus was appointed justice of 
the peace for Dutchess county in 1750. In 
1755 when an official list of negro slaves "in 
Zaciiarias Hoffman's district," Dutchess 
county, was made, Colonel Martinus Hoff- 
man owned ten slaves, the largest number 
held by any one person in Rhinebeck pre- 
cinct, and "he was a man of large property 
and influence." He was one of the original 
members of the old Red Church near Mad- 
aim, the ground for which was given I)y his 
brother Zacharias. 

He married (first) in the Reformed Dutch 
church of New York, October 19, 1733, 
Tryntje (Catharine), born May 30, 1712, 
died March 31, 1765, daughter of Robert and 
Cornelia (Roosc) Benson ; (second) .'\lida, 
born 1715, widow of Henry Hemsen, of 
Harlem, New York. Children by first mar- 
riage: Cornelia, born 1734, married Isaac 
Roosevelt; Nicholas, born 1736, married 
Sarah Ogden ; Robert, 1737, married Sarah 
Van Alstyne ; Anthony, 173Q, married Mary 
Rutgers; Annaatje, 1741, died young; Ma- 
ria, 1743, married Rev. Dr. Archibald Laid- 
lie; Harmanus, 1745, married (first) Catha- 
rine Douw, (second) Cornelia Vrcdenburgh, 
(third) Catharine Verplanck ; Martin, 1747, 
married Margaret Bayard; Zacharias, 1749, 



married Jane Hoffman; child by second 
marriage; Philip Livingston, mentioned be- 
low. 

(IV) Philip Livingston, son of Martinus 
and Alida (Hemsen) Hoffman, was born in 
New York, September 20, 1767, died No- 
vember 25, 1807. He was a lawyer and 
lived in Johnstown, New York. He mar- 
ried, November 18, 1787, Helene, born May 
16, 1769, only daughter of Benjamin and 
Catherine (Rutgers) Kissam. Children: 
Catherine Ann, born 1788, married Daniel 
Coolidge ; Alida, born April 26, 1790; Rich- 
ard Kissam, born 1791, married Jane Ben- 
son; Philip Livingston, born February, 
1793; Helene, born November 25, 1794; 
Adrian Kissam, mentioned below ; Henry 
H., July 15, 1801 ; Charles Ogden, December 
30, 1807. 

(V) Dr. Adrian Kissam Hoffman, son of 
Philip Livingston and Helene (Kissam) 
Hoffman, was born March 26, 1797, died 
May 6, 1871. He was a physician and re- 
sided at Sing Sing, New York. He married, 
February 26, 1825, Jane Ann, born April 20, 
1801, died February ir, 1876, daughter of 
the Hon. Dr. John Thompson, of Saratoga 
county. New York, and Mary (Lyell) 
Thompson. Children: Cornelia, born 1825, 
married Alfred Buckhont; John Thompson, 
born 1828. married Ella Starkweather; 
Mary Evelyn, mentioned below; Emma 
Kissam. born 1835. married the Rev. Minot 
M. Wells; Catherine Coolidge, born 1839. 
married (first) Charles C. Hyatt, (second) 
General W. H. Morris. 

(VI) Mary Evelyn, daughter of Dr. Adri- 
an Kissam and Jane Ann (Thompson) Hoff- 
man, was born in 1830. She married, in 
1848. Colonel Charles Oliver Joline (see 
Joline III). 



Regarding the surname. Barns 
BARNS or Barnes, Lower says that it 

is in origin the same as Bern- 
crs. .\ccording to the Domesday Book of 
England. Hugh dc Bcrners, as a tenant in 
chief held Eversdan. county Cambridge, 
England. The Itin. Norm, mentions si.x lo- 
calities called Bernieres in different parts 
of Normandy, but which of them, if any, is 
the cradle of the race is unknown. A differ- 
ent origin is assigned in the Archaeological 
Journal, which says : "O. Fr. bernier, a 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



91 



vassal who paid berenage, a feudal due for 
the support of the lord's hounds." The 
name may in other cases be derived from 
residence near a monastic or manorial barn. 
There are several Barns families in the 
United States that are not traceable to a 
common origin, and it would be impossible 
to find a common origin for them in Eng- 
land, from which presumably most of them 
came. The Barns of the East Hampton 
family are certainly descended from Wil- 
liam Barnes, who died December i, 1699, 
and Elizabeth, his wife. But the parentage 
of William has not been ascertained with 
absolute certainty. Tradition says that he 
was the son of Charles and Mary Barnes, 
who have been traced at East Hampton, 
Long Island, in the period 1655-63. All ef- 
forts to find the ancestry of W'illiam in any 
part of New England or Old England have 
failed, and it is certain that he was not de- 
scended from any of the other early Barnes 
settled on Long Island; so that, if he was 
not a son of Charles, we know nothing of 
his ancestry. 

(I) Charles Barnes, the supposed progeni- 
tor of the Barnes family of East Hampton, 
Long Island, was born at Eastwinch, Nor- 
folkshire, England, about 1615, came to 
America and is supposed to have returned 
to England and died there. He was school- 
master at East Hampton, Long Island, be- 
tween 1655 and 1663. Under date of July 
6, 1655, an account is given of his ejecting 
Daniel Fairfield from the school-house for 
unbecoming language and conduct. In the 
same year he entered an earmark for his 
cattle. On September 15, 1657, he obtained 
judgment against John Mulford, Thomas 
Baker and John Hand, three pounds sterling 
each for slander. On October 6. 1657, at the 
general court a thirteen acre lot, without 
meadow, was awarded to him. In 1663 he 
executed a power of attorney to his wife. 
On November 18. 1663, at Southampton, 
Long Island, Captain Scott asked one hun- 
dred pounds sterling from Charles Barns for 
slander. Defendant made acknowledgment 
and was forgiven but must pay costs. In 
the same year, on complaint of Mr. Odell, 
Charles Barns was held in ten pounds for 
the December court. He appears to have 
been a man of considerable spirit, adding 
not a little to the animation of the small 



community in which he was a prominent fig- 
ure. He married a woman, whose first 
name was Mary. Children: William, men- 
tioned below ; Amy, born in East Hampton, 
Long Island. 

(II) William Barns, the supposed son of 
Charles and Mary Barnes or Barns, was 
born probably in England, and died at East 
Hampton, Long Island, December i, 1699. 
Several tracts of land in East Hampton, 
Long Island, were allotted to him in 1653. 
He entered earmarks for his cattle at a date 
not clearly indicated. The town meeting at 
Southampton in 1672 granted unto William 
Barns and John Rose should have ten acres 
of land at Sagabonack, adjoining the house 
lot of William Barns, instead of the land 
which Rose was to have taken up at the 
Mill Stone brook. On April 2, 1681 — and it 
seems in pursuance of the foregoing- — John 
Lupton received land from John Rose upon 
the account of William Barns. 

At East Hampton, April 4, 1699, a high- 
way is mentioned as "flanking to the west- 
ward side of William Barns Lot." On April 
16 land was assigned to William Barns and 
his brothers, except Thomas (these were 
the children of William). On May 7, 1708, 
land was drawn by the widow of William 
Barns. On April 4, 1710, there was a vote 
in the town meeting and action thereupon. 
May 13, 1710, by which land was allotted to 
the heirs of William Barns. About the 
same time in an account of each man's right 
of commonage the heirs of William Barns, 
deceased, were credited with four acres, two 
roods. Of the children of William Barns, 
Thomas is distinctly named the eldest son. 
The order of their birth has not been ascer- 
tained, but they are given here as they are 
given by Hedges and Howell, except that 
Matthew is put before Isaac, because in 
several conveyances, in which their names 
appear jointly, the name of Matthew pre- 
cedes that of Isaac, which suggests that 
Matthew was the elder of the two. William 
married a woman named Elizabeth, who 
died February 28, 1724, "aged near eighty." 
Children: i. Thomas, who married (first) 
before March 3, 1692, the widow of Thomas 
Bee, who died January 26. 1701, (second) 
March 18, 1702, Mindwell Dibble. 2. Ben- 
jamin, known as the "Deacon," born about 
1671, died July 23, 1740; supposed to have 



92 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



married a woman whose first name was 
Abigail and had a child baptized at Bran- 
ford, Connecticut, in August, 1701. 3. Ste- 
phen, married Mary Barns, daughter of 
Hannah (Linsley) Barns, and removed to 
Branford. 4. Matthew, died February 6, 
1703; married, September, 1702, Elizabeth 
Leeds or Leek. 5. Isaac, mentioned below. 
6. Nathaniel, died October 5, 1715, "child- 
less." 7. Samuel, married, February 21, 
1705, Elizabeth Dyke. 8. Recompense, died 
September 15, 1739, "childless." 9. William, 
died August 26, 1706; married Mary Rog- 
ers, who died May 9, 1705. 10. Mary, who 
"owned the covenant," September 20, 1713, 
and had a son, Ezra, baptized the same day. 
II. Elizabeth. 12. Hannah, died February 
13, 1742, "aged between sixty and seventy 
years." 

(HI) Isaac, son of William and Elizabeth 
Barns, was born at East Hampton, Long 
Island, about 1675, died August 20, 1769. 
He is mentioned by Pelletreau as a native of 
Southampton and as descended from Charles 
Barns, the first schoolmaster in that town. 
On March 18, 1694, Isaac Barns entered the 
earmark for his cattle at East Hampton. 
On September 25, 1701, a conveyance was 
made to him as of East Hampton, weaver, 
by Thomas Barns, and on May 13, 1702, a 
conveyance of land was made by Robert 
Parsons to Matthew Barns, Isaac Barns and 
Samuel Barns, in exchange for other land. 
On March 13, 1703, a conveyance was made 
by Thomas Barns to Matthew Barns and 
Isaac Barns of land that had belonged to 
William Barns, deceased. On April 13, 
1704, Isaac Barns, husbandman, received a 
con\eyance of land from Samuel Barns, and 
on March 30, 1705, Isaac Barns, brickmaker. 
received a conveyance of land from Jacob 
Schillinx. It is thus evident that besides 
weaving Isaac must have engaged in hus- 
bandry and brickmaking also, unless there 
was another Isaac Barns. On July 25, 1705, 
Isaac Barns, weaver, received a conveyance 
of land from Samuel Barns, and on June 2, 
1709. he received a conveyance of land from 
Recompence Barns. There is a further rec- 
ord to the efifect that Isaac, still described as 
a weaver, had on March 17, 1710, other deal- 
ings in land. 

Isaac Barns married, April ig, 1704, Anna, 
daughter of Noah and Elizabeth (Taintor) 



Rogers. Children: i. Isaac, mentioned be- 
low. 2. Patience, baptized March 30, 1707; 
married, October 2, 1729, Cornelius \^an 
Scoyeck, of Oyster Bay; she "owned the 
Covenant," November 22, 1724, and had a 
child, Zerviah, baptized on the same date, 
who married, May 20, 1745, Uzziel Cook. 
3. Elizabeth, baptized March 20, 1709. 4. 
Anna, baptized November 21, 1713, died De- 
cember 26, 1714. 5. Jonathan, baptized 
April 22, 1716, died October 17, 1722. 6. 
Anna, baptized March 22, 1724. 

(IV) Isaac (2), eldest son of Isaac (i) 
and Anna (Rogers) Barns, was born at East 
Hampton. Long Island. January 29, 1705, 
died April 22, 1772. He took considerable 
interest in military affairs and was known 
as the captain. In 1727, on the question of 
pasturage rights at Montauk, he was credit- 
ed with 15, 14, and 5. On April 3, 1732, at 
the town meeting, he was chosen a trustee. 
On April 6, 1736, the town meeting author- 
ized a division of land, and on June 4. 1736, 
fift}^ and a half acres at Hog creek was al- 
lotted to Isaac Barns. On April 5, 1737, at 
the town meeting, he was chosen collector 
and again on April 4, 1738. On February 
6. 1744, the town meeting empowered the 
trustees to apportion land and Isaac Barns 
got thirty-nine and a half acres and thirty- 
nine poles. On the same date there was a 
further apportionment of land and Isaac 
Barns and Isaac Barns, Jr., got seven and 
three-quarters and thirty-one poles. On 
April 5, 1743, at the town meeting. Captain 
Isaac Barns was chosen a surveyor of high- 
ways. In 1747 a drawing of lots took place 
and Isaac Barns and son got seven acres, 
three roods and thirty-one poles. In 1753 a 
town meeting was called and Isaac Barns, 
Jr., was chosen a trustee, and in 1754 at 
another town meeting Isaac Barns, Esq., 
was chosen as assessor. There is another 
record to the eft'ect that at a town meeting 
held in 1755 Captain Isaac Barns was 
chosen a trustee. There are similar records 
showing like elections of Captain Barns in 
1757-59-61. On September 29, 1762, Isaac 
Barns was included in the commissions of 
the justices of the peace to be assistant jus- 
tice of the court of common pleas of the 
county of Suffolk. On April 5, 1763, at the 
town meeting, Isaac Barns, Esq., was 
chosen a trustee, and on April 2, 1765, he 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



93 



was re-elected. He was chosen as assessor 
in 1766. In 1771 he received a conveyance 
of pine land, lot 43, of Napeague Pines. 

He married (first) June 17, 1725, Sarah, 
daughter of David Concklin ; (second) 
March 7. 1737, Hannah, daughter of An- 
uanias and Hannah (Ludlow) Conkling, of 
East Hampton, born October 5. 1715, died 
August 27, 1759. Children: Isaiah, bap- 
tized November 6, 1726, died January 27, 
1733; Keziah, baptized August 4, 1728, mar- 
ried, September 7, 1749, Jeremiah Sherrill ; 
Tabitha, baptized January 25, 1730; Eliza- 
beth, baptized April 21, 1734; a son, died 
October 14, 1736, aged seventeen days; 
Isaac, born July i, 1738, baptized July 23, 
1738, died October 21, 1758, in command of 
a company of provincial soldiers in Cape 
Breton, Nova Scotia, during the French and 
Indian war; Nathaniel, born March 18, 1740, 
removed to Westerly, Rhode Island, and 
married Elizabeth Brown ; Hannah, born 
March 22, 1742, baptized April 18, 1742; 
Matthew, born November 20, 1744, baptized 
December 16, 1744; Isaiah, born January 
29, 1747; Anna, born July 18, 1749; Jona- 
than, born April 23, 1752: Sarah, born De- 
cember 18, 1754; Isaac, mentioned below. 

(V) Isaac (3), son of Isaac (2) and Han- 
nah (Conkling) Barns, was born at East 
Hampton, Long Island, February 5, 1758, 
died near Cooperstown, New York. He 
spent the greater part of his youth and early 
manhood in his native place, and then re- 
moved to Litchfield, Connecticut, where he 
remained until about the close of the revolu- 
tion. He eventually moved to Coopers- 
town, where he purchased a farm and set- 
tled. He married, at the age of twenty-one. 
Mary Huntting, of Southampton, Long Isl- 
and. Children : Jonathan, who lived in Ti- 
oga county. New York; Isaac, settled at 
Haverstraw, Rockland county. New York ; 
Matthew, lived near Central Valley, Or- 
ange county, New York ; Huntting. who 
went west and lived in Wisconsin; Urial, 
who lived in Cayuga county. New York ; 
Hannah; Betsey; Mary; Joseph; Nathaniel, 
mentioned below. 

(\^I) Nathaniel, son of Issac (3) Barns, 
was born in Litchfield county, Connecticut, 
September 23, 1782, died at Middle Hope, 
in the town of Newburg, Orange county. 
New York, in 1879. He went with his par- 



ents to Cooperstown in early life and re- 
mained there until about the year 1830. His 
next step was to engage in road building 
which he did at the rate of ten dollars a 
month and his board. In 1828 he came to 
Orange county, New York, went into part- 
nership with his brother, and between them 
they purchased a yoke of o.xen and engaged 
in the road building business for a number 
of years. Nathaniel built the old Milton 
turnpike and the pike from Cedar Cliff to 
Plattekill, Ulster county. He also built the 
road from Balmville to Plattekill, and the 
Snake Hill turnpike out of Newburg. He 
settled eventually at Middle Hope, in the 
tov^'nship of Newburg, where he purchased 
a farm of eighty-six acres. He remained 
working on this farm until his death, sup- 
plementing his agricultural pursuits with 
occasional commercial transactions of vari- 
ous sorts. He married, January 21, 1828, Ef- 
fie, daughter of Dr. W'illiam Dusenberre, of 
Modena, New York. Children : William 
D. ; Nathaniel, mentioned below ; Mary E. 
(VII) Nathaniel (2), second son of Na- 
thaniel (i) and Efifie (Dusenberre) Barns, 
was born near Newburg, Orange county. 
New York, February 20, 1831. He was 
educated in the district schools of New- 
burg and at a high school at Marlborough, 
New York, later teaching school himself 
during one winter term. He did not feel in- 
clined, however, to continue in this occu- 
pation and when he was able he worked 
one of his father's farms on shares, keeping 
at this work for two years. He then bought 
a tract of forty acres from his father and 
cultivated it. Then he took a farm of ninety 
acres with his father. This farm his father 
later gave to him, deed for ninety acres, 
and part of it is still in his possession. He 
has become consequently well known as 
a farmer and grower of small fruits, which 
he has made his specialty. All of Mr. Barns' 
time has, however, not been given to the 
land. He has taken considerable interest in 
the public questions of the day, and has 
taken no small part in local affairs. In poli- 
tics he is and has always been a Democrat. 
In religion he is a Methodist, and he has 
been a member of the Methodist church of 
Middle Hope, Newburg, for the last sixty 
years. He was elected assessor of the dis- 
trict, and retained the position for a period 



94 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



of nine years. He was excise commissioner 
for two years, and from the year 1865 to 
the year 1870 he held the office of the first 
supervisor of the town of Newburg, and in 
1870 was chosen chairman of the board. 

He married, in 1853, Martha, daughter of 
James Waring. There were five children of 
the marriage, two of whom are now de- 
ceased, the surviving children being: i. 
James W., engaged in the dry goods busi- 
ness in Newburg, New York; married (first) 
March 29, 1882, Sarah P., daughter of Nel- 
son Owen, of Goshen, New York ; child, 
Nathaniel Waring, born July 25, 1884, now 
professor in De Pauw University at Green- 
castle, Indiana, and who married, Decem- 
ber 15, 1909, Mabel Bonnel ; married (sec- 
ond) October 5, 191 1, Cornelia Deyo, daugh- 
ter of Jacob A. Bloomer, of Fostertown ; no 
children. 2. Charles L., engaged in the 
produce business in New York City; mar- 
ried Ivate Baunies, of Coeymans, New York ; 
children: Bertha and Martha. 3. Emma, 
married Arthur Meyers, of Newburg. 



There are many old towns in the 
RING British Isles having or having 

had an open space or circus where 
in former times bullbaiting and such like 
pastimes took place and these are some- 
times called rings. Possibly the name Ring 
may have been assumed or bestowed on 
families because of their proximity to such 
places. The name Ring is known in Eng- 
land, Wales and Scotland, and in those 
countries the above derivation seems not 
improbable. Ring is a surname fairly prev- 
alent in Ireland also. But the Irish family 
is a branch of the royal "Line of Heber." 
the chief ancestor being Daire Cearb, son 
of Olioll Flann-Beag, and brother of Lug- 
haidh, who is No. 88 on the Heber line. The 
ancient form of the surname in Ireland and 
the Gaelic provinces of Scotland was O'Bill- 
rian, meaning the "descendant of Billrian," 
who was the son of Dubartach. The arms 
of this family are: Argent, on a bend gules 
three crescents of the first. Crest: A hand 
vested sa. cuffed or. holding a roll of paper. 
(I) Benjamin Ring, the first ancestor of 
the Ring family here dealt with in America, 
was born in Wales, died in Pennsylvania. 
He emigrated to Pennsylvania about 1750 
and erected mills on the Brandywme. The 



battle of Brandywine was fought partly on 
the farm of Benjamin Ring, whose house 
served as headquarters for Washington and 
his stafT, consisting of Lafayette, Pulaski, 
Knox and others, when making themselves 
accjuainted with the surrounding country 
and deciding on the battle ground. Al- 
though Benjamin Ring was a Quaker and 
on that account prevented from taking an 
active part in the war it was well known 
that he was a strong sympathizer with the 
patriot cause. Just before the battle an 
American spy informed him that it would be 
unsafe for him to remain with his family, 
that they had better leave taking with them 
what valuables they could carry. His wife, 
daughters, and young son, who drove, 
hastily left in a carriage, carrying with them 
nine hundred dollars in gold, a quantity of 
silver plate and other articles, in all amount- 
ing to quite a large sum, which, the roads 
becoming blocked by troops, they were 
obliged to abandon, making their escape 
across the fields. Benjamin Ring with two 
companions joined them on horseback, and 
after seeing them to a place of safety, re- 
turned to Washington, who had just heard 
that his retreat was likely to be cut off. 
Hearing the conversation he rode up to 
Washington and pointed out a way by tak- 
ing which he would cut off nearly two miles. 
He said that he would pilot them, but be- 
ing stout and advanced in years would not 
be so suitable as his friend, William Har- 
vey, a young man and fine horseman, and 
one in whom the general could feel every 
confidence. By hard riding across fields 
and over fences the balance of the army was 
rejoined and the retreat made in safety. Ben- 
jamin Ring's house, which was of stone, 
was used as a fort alternately by the con- 
tending parties. The roof was riddled with 
grape shot, one si.x pounder going through 
the gable and there was not a place on the 
walls large enough to lay one's hand upon 
that did not bear a mark. Everything in- 
side the house was destroyed, the farm was 
cleared of cattle, and not a fence left on the 
place. Benjamin Ring married Rachel 
James. They had eight children, among 
them Nathaniel, mentioned below. 

(II) Nathaniel, son of Benjamin and 
Rachel (James) Ring, was born in 1767, at 
Brandywine, Pennsylvania, and died in 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



95 



1850. He left his native place at an early 
age and emigrated to Cornwall, Orange 
county, New York. He was a millwright 
by trade, and was captain of a sloop that 
ran between New York City and Cornwall, 
Orange county, for a score of years. H'^ 
was elected a ruling elder of New Windsor 
church, July 6, 1783. He married, January 
6, 1793, Martha Clark, born April 30, 1770, 
died February, 1854, daughter of Jeremiah 
Clark, of Cornwall, Orange county, New 
York, who was born in Bedford, Westches- 
ter county, New York, in 1730, died May 
30, 1808. He married Martha Newman, 
November 27, 1752. He was elected a rul- 
ing elder of New Windsor church. He was 
a man of much influence and prominence 
and a firm friend of liberty and national 
union. He passed the greater part of his 
life at Cornwall, Orange county. New York. 
He was a member of the first provincial 
congress from Orange county in 1775, of 
the second provincial congress in 1775 and 

1776, and of the fourth provincial congress 
and representation convention in 1776 and 

1777, at the last session of which the first 
constitution of the state of New York was 
formed at Kingston, April 20, 1777. He 
was a member of the assembly of New 
York from Orange county, beginning with 
the first assembly of the state, which met at 
Kingston. September i, 1777, and of the as- 
semblies of later years. He also filled the 
offices of sheriff and lay judge of Orange 
county. New York. 

(Ill) Thomas C. son of Nathaniel and 
Martha (Clark) Ring, was born at Corn- 
wall, Orange county, New York, October 
21, 1804, di'ed May 8, 1889. His early life 
was passed at home where he enjoyed the 
advantages of a common school education. 
At the age of thirteen he left the care of 
his parents and with no other capital than 
strong hands and an industrious and ambi- 
tious spirit he started out to encounter the 
duties of life. His first position was that of 
clerk in a general store owned by Oliver G. 
Burton at West Point, in which place he re- 
mained for three years. He then returned 
home and assisted his father in his brick- 
yard. In 1821 he came to Newburg and 
was a clerk for M. G. Miller, a general trader. 
About 1825 he was appointed to a clerk- 
ship in the Newburg Bank, a position which 



he filled for about two years, and in 183 1 
he was a clerk on the steamship "Albany," 
and in 1832 on the steamship "New Phila- 
delphia," running between New York and 
Albany. In 1833 ^^ became cashier of the 
Highland Bank of Newburg and served 
until 1838, and in the following year he be- 
came cashier of the Powell Bank, a position 
which he held until 1864, in which year they 
went out of business. In 1858 he was made 
treasurer of the Newburg Savings Bank, 
in which office he served until his death. 
In 1858 and the years following until 1864 
he was superintendent of the ferry between 
Fishkill and Newburg. He was treasurer 
for the village of Newburg from 1854 until 
1868. He was a member of the first board 
of education, and from 1867 until 1881 was 
secretary of the Newburg Gas Light Com- 
pany. He participated in the reception to 
General Lafayette in 1826, and was a mem- 
ber of the militia under Captain John D. 
Phillipse. Mr. Ring was recognized as one 
of the old, substantial citizens of Newburg 
and was held in high esteem by all classes of 
people. Starting out in life with small 
means and at a tender age, he by close 
application to duty and industrious regular 
habits achieved success in various undertak- 
ings in which he engaged and won for 
himself a reputation as an upright and hon- 
orable man. When he first entered the 
Newburg Savings Bank the total deposit at 
the institute aggregated about twenty-eight 
thousand dollars. This amount, owing to 
careful management, judicious investment 
and the confidence of the public, increased 
to many millions. 

Mr. Ring married (first) Mary Ann Os- 
borne, who died in 1833. He married (sec- 
ond) Catherine Speir. Children: A. Smith, 
mentioned below; Anna, married a Mr. 
Muir; Clara, died in infancy. 

fIV) A. Smith, son of Thomas C. and 
Catherine (Speir) Ring, was born at New- 
burg, Orange county. New York. March 17, 
1838, died at his summer home, "W'ood 
Lake," Orange county. New York. July 8, 
1893. He was educated at the Newburg 
Free Academy, and at an early age entered 
the Powell Bank, where his father was em- 
ployed and when the latter became treas- 
urer of the Newburg Savings Bank he went 
with him and was connected with that in- 



96 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



stitution until a few years before his death. 
He was a staunch Democrat. He was a 
member of the Ringold Hose Company, was 
treasurer of Washington's Headquarters and 
trustee of the Newburg Skating Associa- 
tion. In 1875 he was elected city treasurer, 
serving for two years. Much of his time in 
later life was devoted to philanthropic work 
and he was much interested in the Board of 
Associated Charities, being one of its mana- 
gers. He was a man of more than ordinary 
ability, and one whose liberality and kind- 
ness will long be remembered by the re- 
cipients of his bounty. He married, Oc- 
tober 5, 1881, Frances Ludlow, born April 
I, 1864, daughter of George W. Kerr, of 
whom further. There was one son of the 
m.arriage: Thomas Ludlow, who is unmar- 
ried and is employed in the Newburg Na- 
tional Bank. 

George W. Kerr, father of Mrs. A. Smith 
Ring, was born in Warren county. New Jer- 
sey, February 15, 1810, died June 3, 1890. 
He was for more than half a century an 
officer of one of Orange county's strongest 
financial institutions. His ancestors were 
originally from Scotland, but Mr. Kerr's 
father was born at Freehold, New Jersey. 
His parents removed to Ithaca, New York, 
where he obtained a position in the branch 
of the Bank of Newburg. In 1830, when 
the branch was withdrawn, and the Bank of 
Ithaca established, Mr. Kerr entered the 
new bank and remained there until Oc- 
tober, 1831, when a position was offered 
him in the Bank of Newburg, with the offi- 
cials of which he had become acquainted 
through his connection with the branch 
bank. In 1836 Mr. Kerr was promoted to 
the iiosition of cashier, and in 1854 he was 
elected president to fill the vacancy caused 
by the death of John Chambers. In 1864, 
when the old Bank of Newburg was re- 
organized under the National banking act 
as the National Bank of Newburg. Mr. Kerr 
was again honored with the presidency. He 
continued in that position until his death, 
having been cashier of the bank for eight- 
een years, and president for thirty-seven 
years. Mr. Kerr was a trustee and vice- 
president of the village in 1856, and a mem- 
ber of the board of education in 1852 and 
the years following up to 1854. For forty- 
seven years he was a vestryman of St. 



George's Protestant Episcopal Church, and 
for thirty-one years treasurer of the board. 
Upon his death the directors of the bank 
adopted the following minute: 

"His sound judgment, perfect integrity, and emi- 
nent ability, have been long recognized in financial 
circles, and his e.xcellence in all the relations of life 
will be long remembered in this community. By 
us his immediate associates, and by all in any ca- 
pacity attached to this bank, his memory will be 
cherished. He has left to his family and to this 
community, where he has spent so many years of 
a long and useful life, a leeacy better than earthly 
riches — a good name." 

The vestry of St. George's Church adopt- 
ed resolutions recording their 
"very high esteem for his character and life- 
long devotion to the church and her interests. It is 
with grateful feeling that we remember the steady 
consistency of his Christian walk, his uprightness as 
a business man, his value as a citizen, his zeal as a 
churchman. We owe him no slight debt for his 
faithful service as our treasurer for thirty-one years, 
during which time his unflagging attention to the 
affairs of the parish has contributed essentially and 
in a large degree to its stability and prosperity." 

Mr. Kerr married (first) Emeline Ross; 
(second) Margaret T. L., daughter of the 
Rev. John Brown, D. D. There were twelve 
children of the latter marriage, of whom 
six daughters and two sons survive. The 
two sons are John B., of whom further, and 
Walter, who is vice-president of the New 
York Life Insurance and Trust Company, 
New York City. 

John B. Kerr, vice-president of the On- 
tario & Western railroad, located at New 
York City, was born October i, 185 1, at 
Newburg, New York. He was educated in 
public schools of his native town and Trin- 
ity School, New York City. He read law 
in the office of Eugene A. Brewster, of New- 
burg. was adiriitted to the bar in 1872, and 
began the practice of his profession, which 
continued until 1881, and during that time, 
from 1874 to 1878, served as recorder of city 
of Newburg. During the construction of 
part of the Ontario ot W'estern railroad in 
Orange county in 1881, he became connect- 
ed with that corporation. In 1883 he moved 
to New York, still in their service, and in 
1888 became attorney for the road, and also 
a director of the same. In 1891 was elected 
vice-president, a position he still retains. 
He is a Republican, member of New York 
State Bar Association, and of the Newburg 
City Club. He is an Episcopalian. He 




y^v.//. //. Jrr/,,'9- 




J»-- 




/VV//V/ , yf^/yv-jr // ^ /rAry //^V/r/' 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



97 



married, November 16, 18S1, Elizabeth R., 
daughter of Robert L. Case, of Newburg; 
two daughters and a son, Marian M., Kath- 
arine and John Kerr. 



This family sprang from 
LEEPER French ancestors, said to 
have gone from France to 
Scotland in the train of Mary Queen of 
Scots. The name has undergone radical 
change, but may be identified through its 
various changes from La Pierre Lapeare, 
Leiper and in this branch as Leeper. 

(1) The earliest authentic record of the 
Newburg family is of William Leeper, of 
Shippensburg, Cumberland county, Penn- 
sylvania, believed to have been born in Vir- 
ginia. The first mention of him in Penn- 
sylvania is in 1740, when he was a resident 
of the then small village of Shippensburg, 
where he was the original purchaser of lot 
No. 45. In the year mentioned he built a 
log flouring mill on the west bank of the 
stream south of the town. He continued 
milling for many years, and was the owner 
of other mills in the neighborhood. He 
married (first) (name unknown) and by her 
had a son and daughter, the former becom- 
ing a lawyer and moving to the west. The 
daughter married Joseph Arthurs, an iron 
master of West Virginia. He married (sec- 
ond) Mrs. Hannah (Blythe) Reynolds. 
Children: i. George Reynolds, of whom 
further. 2. Elizabeth Heron. 3. Jane 
Blythe, married Rev. Joseph McCarrell, 
D. D., of Newburg, New York. 

(H) George Reynolds, only son of Wil- 
liam Leeper and his second wife, Jane 
(Blythe-Reynolds) Leeper, was born in 
Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, October 6, 
1799, died in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 
April 6, 1861. He was educated and grew 
to manhood in Cumberland county, and 
rendered service in the war of 1812, al- 
though but a boy. Later he settled in Pitts- 
burgh, Pennsylvania, where he was en- 
gaged in the iron and salt business. He 
married, September 28, 1820, Juliet Bu- 
chanan Galbraith, born April i, 180^, died 
1847 Csee Galbraith VI). Children: i. Wil- 
liam Edward, born November 23, 1822, died 
February 8, 1828. 2. Elizabeth Herron, Au- 
gust 16, 1825. 3. Bartram Galbraith, born 
May 30. 1827, died November 16, 1870, at 



Carson's Landing, Mississippi ; was a sol- 
dier of the Mexican war in Company K, 
First Regiment Pennsylvania Vofunteers, also 
lieutenant-colonel. First Regiment Ken- 
tucky Volunteers in the war between the 
states ; he married Hannah Elizabeth Mc- 
Carrell and had a son. Rev. Joseph McCar- 
rell Leeper, now living at Blauvelt, New 
York. 4. Edward Shippen, born November 
21, 1830, died at Louisville, Kentucky, in 
May, 1863; was a soldier of the Union 
army, serving in a Pennsylvania regular. 
5. Joseph McCarrell, of whom further. 6. 
Juliet Abbie, born September 3, 1839; mar- 
ried David Kuhn. of Norwalk. Ohio. 

(HI) Colonel Joseph McCarrell Leeper, 
fourth son of George Reynolds and Juliet 
Buchanan ((Galbraith) Leeper, was born 
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, June 6, 1835, 
died in Newburg, New York, April 6, 1906. 
He was twelve years of age when his moth- 
er died and shortly afterward he came to 
Newburg, where he made his home with 
liis uncle, Rev. Joseph McCarrell, then pas- 
tor of the Associate Reformed Church and 
a professor in the Theological Seminary at 
Newburg. He obtained a good classical 
education, and then began the study of 
law, his preceptors being Thomas McKis- 
sock, E. A. Brewster and W. C. Hasbrouck, 
all eminent lawyers of their day. He was 
admitted to the bar in 1857 and began prac- 
tice in Newburg. In 1858 he was elected 
police magistrate, serving for three years. 
In 1861 he journeyed southward, and while 
in Louisville, Kentucky (where his uncle, 
Edward Shippen Leeper, resided) he enlist- 
ed in Company F, First Regiment Kentucky 
Volunteer Infantry, of which his uncle was 
lieutenant-colonel. He saw hard service 
with his regiment in the west and rose rap- 
idly in the service. In the fall of 1861 he 
commanded the guard which escorted the 
first detachment of Confederate prisoners 
sent to Camp Chase at Columbus, Ohio, and 
in 1862 was promoted first lieutenant of 
Company G, of his regiment. While a lieu- 
tenant he was hotly engaged with his regi- 
ment at the battle of Shiloh (Pittsburgh 
Landing) and saw other hard service. He 
then passed through an attack of typhoid 
fever and on his recovery was transferred 
to Company E, One Hundred and Fortieth 
Regiment New York Volunteers, with the 



98 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



same rank, first lieutenant. At the battle of 
Fredericksburg he won a captain's commis- 
sion "For gallant and meritorious conduct." 
He was in constant service until Chancel- 
lorsville, where he was wounded and again 
at the battle of Gettysburg, where he was 
seriously injured in the head, narrowly es- 
caping sudden death. After recovery he 
was traisferred to the veteran service as 
captain of Company G, First Regiment, 
First Army Corps (Hancock's). He was 
honorably discharged at the close of the 
war, in which he had borne so conspicuous 
a part, and returned to New York. 

He fir3t settled on a farm at Montgomery, 
Orange county, where until 1889 he en- 
gaged in farming. In the latter year he 
moved to Newburg and again engaged in 
legal practice, continuing in successful 
practice until his death. He served three 
years as recorded in Newburg, from 1858 to 
1861, on the Democratic ticket, nevertheless 
he cast liis vote for Abraham Lincoln. In 
later years he served as justice of the peace 
of Montgomery. He was breveted a colo- 
nel. He was a member of Calvary Presby- 
terian church of Newburg, of the Independ- 
ent Order of Odd Fellows and Grand 
Army of the Republic. He was a man of 
influence in his community. He was an 
excellent lawyer, a brave soldier, and in 
private life an exemplary citizen, wholly de- 
voted to his family. 

He married, in Brockport, New York, Oc- 
tober 12, 1859, Mary Garrison Decker, born 
al Blooming Grove, New York, June 16, 
1836. died in Newburg, November 6, 1908, 
daughter of Jonah Decker, of Blooming 
Grove, New York, a descendant of Jan 
Broersen Decker, of Kingston, New York, 
who settled there in 1639. Jonah Decker 
married Maria Ann Miller, a descendant of 
Johannes Miller, also an early Dntch settler 
of the Hudson Valley. Mrs. Leeper also 
was a descendant of the Ilasbrouck family, 
and of John Wilkins. born 1614, a one time 
bishop of London, England, and of the Ten 
Evcks. Ten Broecks, Ilasbrouck an<l of 
other families of early colonial fame. Chil- 
dren: I. Anna Decker, married Joseph V. 
Jordan, of Newburg, New York. 2. Bar- 
tram Galbraith, bom in Newburg, May 22, 
1863, member of the firm of Varney Rod & 
Reel Company of Poughkeepsie ; married, 



June 30, 1887, Kittie Lef?erts, daughter of 
Milton and Phoebe (Ford) Pembclton, and 
resides in New Haven, Connecticut. 3. Jane 
Miller, married, February 5, 1895, Thomas 
Denton Wilkin, a lawyer of Rochester, New 
York. 4. Mary Garrison, died in infancy. 

(The Galbraith Line.) 
The Galbraith family is of remotest an- 
tiquity, the name being derived from the 
Celtic. It was in the Parish of Baldunoch, 
county Sterling, that the Galbraiths of Bal- 
dunoch, chiefs of the name, had their resi- 
dence. In Frazier's statistical account of 
the inhabitants of the Isle of Giglia the fol- 
lowing occurs: "The majority of them are 
of the names Galbraith and McNeil, the for- 
mer reckoned the more ancient." The Gal- 
braiths in the Celtic languages are called 
Breatannieh, that is Britons, or the children 
of the Briton, and were once reckoned a 
great name in Scotland, according to the 
following lines, translated from the Gaelic : 
"Galbraiths from the Red Tower, Noblest 
of all Scottish surnames." 

(I) The first of this branch of whom there 
is definite mention is John Galbraith, who 
probably died before the emigration of his 
sons to America. Sons: i. James, of whom 
further. 2. John, who married and left is- 
sue. After his arrival in this country he 
spent several years in Philadelphia, but lit- 
tle is known of him. 

(II) James, son of John Galbraith, of 
Scotch parentage, was born in the North of 
Ireland in 1666, died in Chester county, 
Pennsylvania, August 23, 1744. He came 
from Ireland to Pennsylvania about the 
year 1718, settling in Conestoga, (after- 
wards Donegal) then in Chester county. 
He was one of the founders of the old Derry 
Church, a man of prominence and the 
founder of a remarkable family. He is bur- 
ied in the old churchyard at Derry. He 
married Rebecca, daughter of Arthur Cham- 
bers. Children: i. John, born in Ireland. 
1690, died in Donegal township, Lancaster 
county, Pennsylvania, in October, 1753 : he 
was a miller by trade and in 1721 built a 
grist and saw mill at the run along the 
"Great Road"; kept an "ordinary"'; was 
sheriff of Lancaster county in 1731, and a 
member of the first grand jury drawn in 
that county; he married Jane and left 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



99 



issue. 2. Andrew, born 1692 in Ireland; 
came to this country with his father ; he was 
the first coroner of Lancaster county, Penn- 
sylvania, one of the justices of the court of 
common pleas and quarter sessions, serving 
six years; in 1732 he and his neighbor, John 
Wright, were candidates for the assembly ; 
none but freeholders then could vote and 
the only polling place was in the town of 
Lancaster; Mr. Galbraith took no active 
part in the canvas, but his wife did ; mount- 
ing her favorite mare, Nelly, she rode 
through the Scotch-Irish settlement and 
persuaded the voters to go with her to the 
polling place ; she appeared at the court 
house leading a procession of mounted men 
whom she halted and addressed ; the result 
was — her husband triumphantly elected ; 
after his first election he seems to have had 
no opposition, serving several years ; he was 
one of the first ruling elders of the old Don- 
egal church, appointed justice of the peace 
in 1730, holding seventeen years, when he 
moved west of the Susquehanna. 3. James, 
of whom further. 4. Eleanor, married, Feb- 
ruary 27, 1737, Patrick McKinley. 5. Isabel, 
married, October 21, 1735, Alexander Mc- 
Millan. 6. Rebecca, died 1748; married 

Stewart. 

(Ill) James (2), son of James (i) Gal- 
braith, was born in the North of Ireland in 
1703, died June 11, 1786, in East Pennsboro 
township, Cumberland county, Pennsyl- 
vania, and is buried in Derry Church grave- 
yard with his father. He took up a tract in 
(now) Derry township, Dauphin county, on 
Spring Creek, which was warranted to him 
March 13, 1737. He became a man of note 
on the frontier, and the early provincial rec- 
ords of Pennsylvania contain frequent ref- 
erences to him. He was elected sheriff in 
October, 1742; was for many years one of 
the justices of Lancaster county; served as 
an officer during the Indian wars of 1755- 
63. Prior to the revolutionary period he 
moved to Cumberland county. He mar- 
ried, April 6, 1734, in Christ Church, Phila- 
delphia, Elizabeth Bartram, born 1718, in 
New Castle-on-Tyne, daughter of Rev. Wil- 
liam Rartram, who was born in Edinburgh, 
Scotland, February 2, 1674, died May 2, 
1746, a graduate of the University of Edin- 
burgh and a faithful minister of the Presby- 
terian church, licensed by the Presbytery 



of Bangor, Ireland, and came to this coun- 
try about 1730. He married, 1706, Jane 
Gillespie, widow of Angus McClain. He is 
also buried in the old Derry Church grave- 
yard. Elizabeth, his daughter, a woman of 
rare accomplishment and womanly excel- 
lence, sleeps with her husband and father in 
the same burial ground. Children of James 
(2) and Elizabeth Galbraith: i. William, 
born 1736. 2. Bartram, of whom further. 
3. Robert, born 1740, died January, 1804; 
was commissioned presiding judge of Hunt- 
ingdon county, Pennsylvania, November 23, 
1787. 4. Dorcas, born 1744; married John 
Buchanan. 5. Thomas, born 1746. 6. John, 
1748. 7. Andrew, 1750; married Barbara 

. 8. Elizabeth, born 1758; married 

Charles Torrance. 

(IV) Colonel Bartram Galbraith, son of 
James (2) Galbraith, was born in Derry 
township, Lancaster (now Dauphin coun- 
ty), Pennsylvania, September 24, 1738, died 
March 9, 1804, in Cumberland county, Penn- 
sylvania, while on a visit to his brother An- 
drew and is buried in the Donegal Church 
graveyard. He received the best education 
the schools of his day afiforded, and became 
a proficient surveyor, following that profes- 
sion for many years. During the French 
and Indian wars Colonel Galbraith served 
as an ofticer of a company of rangers, formed 
for the protection of the frontier. From 
1760 to 1775, acting in his professional ca- 
pacity, he surveyed the greater portion of 
the lands located in the present counties of 
Dauphin, Perry and Juniata. He was a 
member of the provincial convention of 
January 23, 1775, delegate to the provincial 
conference of June 18, 1776, and member of 
the constitutional convention of July 15, 
1776. During tliat same year he was elect- 
ed colonel of one of the Lancaster battalions 
of associators, and was on duty in the Jer- 
seys during the greater portion of that year, 
serving also as a member of the Pennsyl- 
vania assembly, 1776-77. On June 3, 1777, 
he was appointed county lieutenant, a very 
responsible position; November 8, 1777, one 
of the commissioners to collect clothing for 
the army ; on December 16, 1777, appointed 
by the assembly to take subscriptions to the 
continental loan. He was one of the com- 
missioners who met at New Haven, Con- 
necticut, November 22, 1777, to regulate the 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



prices of commodities in the colonies. After 
four years of hard and exhaustive labor he 
was compelled to resign the office of county 
lieutenant, but remained an officer of the 
militia until peace was restored. In 1789 he 
was appointed one of the commissioners to 
view the Juniata and Susquehanna rivers 
and mark the places where locks or canals 
were necessary to make these streams nav- 
igable. He was appointed state deputy sur- 
veyor, November 4, 1791, and while acting 
as such took up large tracts of land in 
Lykens Valley. He died before patents 
were issued to him and in the litigation that 
followed his heirs lost all the magnificent 
estate intended for them by their father. 

Colonel Galbraith married (first) Ann 
Scott, born December 26, 1741, died June 
29, 1793. daughter of Joseph Scott, of Done- 
gal. He married (second) February 15, 
1798, Henrietta Huling, of Isle Benevue. 
Children by first wife: i. Josiah, married 
and left issue. 2. Samuel, of whom further. 

3. Elizabeth, married Dr. Lecky Murray. 

4. Mary, died unmarried. 5. Henrietta, died 
prior to 1804; married David Cook and had 
issue. 6. Jean, born 1772, died January 13, 
1842; married David Elder and had issue. 
7. Ann, married Thomas, son of John Bay- 
ley; no issue. 8. James, married, April 6, 
1810, Rosetta Work and had issue. 9. Wil- 
liam Bartram, born October 19, 1779. died 
November 24, 1835; married Sarah, daugh- 
ter of John and Eleanor Elder Hays. Chil- 
dren by second wife: 10. Sarah, married 
Samuel Morris, of Philadelphia, and had is- 
sue. II. Bartram Gillespie, born May 9, 
1804; married Eliza Eager Bell. Colonel 
Calbraith was survived by his second wife 
who married (second) George Green, of 
Easton, Pennsylvania. 

(V) Samuel Scott, second son of Colonel 
Eartram Galbraith and his first wife, Ann 
(Scott) Galbraith, was born about the year 
T765. He was a physician, and one of the 
founders of the town of Bainbridge. Penn- 
sylvania. He married Cfirst) Margaret 
, born 1772, died April 29, 1801 ; no is- 
sue. He married (second) Juliet Buchanan, 
born 1774, died April, 1813, daughter of 
John and Dorcas CGalljraith) Buchanan, 
Dorcas a daughter of James (2) Galbraith 
(see Galbraith III). Children of Samuel S. 
and Juliet Galbraith: i. Juliet Buchanan, 



of whom further. 2. Bartram, a physician, 
married (first) a Miss Riegart, of Lancas- 
ter, Pennsylvania, (second) a Miss Lehman, 
of Lancaster, Pennsjdvania. 3. James. 

(\'I) Juliet Buchanan, eldest child of 
Samuel Scott Galbraith and his second wife, 
Juliet (Buchanan) (ialbraith, was born 
April I, 1803. She married. September 28, 
1820, George Reynolds Leeper (see Leeper 
II). 



James Edmonston, the 
EDMONSTON founder of this family, 

emigrated in 1720 from 
Enniskillen, county Tyrone, Ireland, to 
.America. He landed at Plymouth, Massa- 
chusetts, where he remained for seven years 
and then removed to New Windsor, Orange 
county. New York, where he bought two 
hundred acres of land located just west of 
Vail's Gate. Here he built what has for 
many years been known as the old stone 
Edmonstone house, which with some of the 
land purchased by him is still owned by his 
descendants. For this property James Ed- 
monston gave the Widow Ingoldsby twenty 
shillings an acre. His first house was of 
logs, and when built was the only house 
between New Windsor and Washington- 
ville. He married, in Ireland, Margaret 
Smith, who with her nephew, Benjamin 
Smith, the founder of the family of his name 
in Newburg, accompanied her husband to 
.America. Children : William, referred to 
below ; Sally, married Patrick McDaniel. 

dl) William, son of James and Margaret 
(Smith) Edmonston, was one of the old set- 
tlers of New Windsor township. Orange 
county. New York, during the revolution, 
and owing to his great acquaintance with 
the country roundabout. General W^ashing- 
ton selected him to accompany himself and 
Colonel Pickering and help to select a suit- 
able camp ground for the army. Edmon- 
ston took the two along the old Indian path 
until they came to the Square which was 
chosen as the site of the camp. While here 
the soldiers commandeered all except about 
sixteen bushels of Edmonston's large field 
of potatoes and shot down sixteen of his 
hogs. The hospital stores, while the army 
was encamped at the Square, were kept in 
his house, which was also the headquarters 
of Generals Gates and St. Clair. He mar- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



ried Jane, daughter of David Sutherland, of 
Canterbury, Cornwall. Children: Four 
daughters, names unknown ; James, referred 
to below; William, married Mary, daughter 
of Daniel Tompkins, of Westchester; David, 
married Margaret Dunning, of Scotchtown, 
Orange county. New York. 

(III) James (2), son of William and Jane 
(Sutherland) Edmonston, was a farmer 
near Newburg, New York, where he died in 
1844. He served as a major in the revolu- 
tion. He married Gertrude Harris, of 
Poughkeepsie. Children : Samuel, a phy- 
sician in New York City ; DeWitt Clinton, 
a physician in Newburg; Harris, a physi- 
cian, first at Washingtonville, and then at 
Newburg; W^illiam H., a physician at Jack- 
sonville, Florida ; Thomas, referred to be- 
low. 

(IV) Thomas, son of James (2) and Ger- 
trude (Harris) Edmonston, was born on the 
homestead near Newburg, New York, 
March 13, 1804, died at Chester, Orange 
county, New York, March 11, 1852. He 
studied melicine with Dr. J. M. Gardiner, 
of Newburg. and established himself in the 
drug business there. January 20, 1820, he 
was granted a license to practice medicine 
by the Herkimer Medical Society and he 
then settled himself at Chester where he 
built up a large practice and became the 
most prominent physician in that section of 
the country. He was a member of the 
Presbvterian church at Chester. He mar- 
ried Drusilla, daughter of John and Chris- 
tina (Welles) Decker, who on her father's 
side was a descendant of the early settlers 
of Esopus, Ulster county. New York, and 
on her mother's side came from Sarah 
Welles, the first white woman settler in the 
town of Goshen, New York. Drusilla Deck- 
er had one sister, Cornelia, wife of George 
G. Mitchell, and one brother, Theodore 
Welles Decker, a graduate of Rensselaer 
Polytechnic at Troy, New York. Children 
of Mr. and Mrs. Edmonston: John Decker 
and Cornelia Mitchell, both of whom reside 
in Chester. 



There is an English sur- 
GOODSELL name of Goodsell. but in 

the case of the family here 
dealt with the name is German in origin. 
Tn this case it is possibly a modern form of 



the German family name of Goetschel, 
which is related to the other names Gotsch, 
Gotsche, Gottsche, Goetsch and Goedschel. 
The British name of Goodsell, which is not 
very prevalent, is hypothetically deduced by 
one authority from the local name of God- 
shill in the Isle of Wight. By another ety- 
mologist it is thought to be derived from 
the personal name, Godesilus, the name of 
an early Burgundian king, and may thus 
quite likely have a Norman origin. The 
name is now a well known American one. 
One of the leading representatives in the 
earlier records was Thomas Goodsell, of 
East Haven, Connecticut, who is thought to 
have been born in Somerset county, Eng- 
land, in 1646, died in East Haven in 1713. 
He was a graduate of Trinity College and 
was for a time at Oxford University. He 
married, June 4, 1684, Sarah, daughter of 
Samuel Hemenway, the largest taxpayer, 
elector of the colony, and selectman. 

(I) Theodore Goodsell, the paternal an- 
cestor in Germany of the Goodsell family in 
America here dealt with, was born at Baden, 
Germany, in 1801, died in Baden, Germany, 
in 1848. He was a butcher by occupation, 
l)Ut probably in a very large and prosperous 
way, for he eventually held high ofifice and 
public position. He was a burgomaster in 
his native land, a position akin to that of 
m.ayor in this country, but not usually elect- 
ive, and one of great responsibility and 
honor. He married Rosa Goodsel, born in 
i8oi, died in 1884. They had ten children, 
among whom were : Theresa, deceased ; 
Rosa, died December, 1912, married George 
Stevens, of Highland Falls, New York, who 
is also deceased; Anthony, who belonged to 
Regan's Battery, and was killed at the bat- 
tle of Fair Oaks; Martha; Joseph, deceased; 
Catherine, deceased; Louis F., mentioned be- 
low. 

(II) Senator Louis F. Goodsell, son of 
Theodore and Rosa (Goodsel) Goodsell, 
was born at Baden, Germany, January 30. 
1846. He spent his first four infant years 
in Germany and was brought to this coun- 
try, July 4, 1850. He was educated in 
Tracy's Military Academy, at Ossining, 
New York. At the early age of seventeen 
and while still attending school he enlisted 
in Company F, Forty-seventh Regiment 
New York \'olunteers, and was mustered 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



out in May, 1867. During the period when 
lie saw active service in the civil war he was 
present in the engagements at Bentonville, 
bmithtield and Fort Fisher, lie was mus- 
tered tiut on August 30, 1S65, and re-entered 
sthool. In May, 1867, he graduated from 
Eastman's Business College at Poughkeep- 
sie. New York. The next two years were 
spent in Omaha and Nebraska, and from 
i^ih;; to 1S78 he was a resident of Newburg, 
and then five years at Savannah, Georgia, 
In 1885 he was' engaged in the oil business 
in Chicago, and the lumber business at Ot- 
tumwa. Iowa. In 1887 he returned to High- 
land Falls, New York. There he was a 
meniijer of the board of supervisors for 
eighteen years, and in 1894 was elected a 
member of the assembly first district, 
Orange county, being re-elected in the years 
1895-96-97. In 1898 he was elected state 
senator from the twenty-third district, and 
re-elected in 1900-02-04. He has always 
been a firm believer in the principles of the 
Republican party. 

He married, October 19, 1869, Frances A., 
daughter of David and Mary (Gosling) 
I arry, of Bucks county. Pennsylvania. 
Children: Edith; Harry, born January i, 
1887 ; he married Jennie Mandigo, born and 
hving at Highland Falls, New York. 



The family name of Rath- 
RATIIBONE bone is derived from the 

Saxon language, and sig- 
nifies an early gift. There have been vari- 
ous spellings of the name in this country, 
but some of them result from mistake. It 
is liest to speak only of tliosc who, belong- 
ing to the same family by various lines of 
descent, have adhered to definite forms. It 
is declared, with good authority that the 
smiilar name of Rabone (Rabun) was of the 
s.imc origin, as were also Rawsbone and 
Rathbun. In James Savage's "Genealogical 
Dictionary," i)rominent mention is made of 
George Rabun, and in Belknap's "History 
of New Hami)shire" it is stated that this was 
probably a mistake for George Rathbone, 
who was in Exeter in if\y). The year previ- 
ous he haci sympathized with Rev. Mr. 
Wheelwright, a man of considerable learn- 
ing. ])icty and position, and the brother of 
Mrs. Anne Hutchinson. With him Rabun 
or Rathbone was banished from Boston for 



defending his religious opinions. Having 
been deprived of his privileges he combined 
with some others suflfering the same fate, 
about thirty-five in all, and set up an inde- 
pendent government at Squamscot F'alls, 
New Hampshire, naming the place Exeter. 
The Rathbone arms consist of a shield ar- 
gent three doves azure. Crest : A dove 
proper hcjlding an olive branch. Motto: 
Suaviter et fortiter. 

Regarding the origin of the family in 
America there were several accounts for- 
merly current. It was asserted that this 
family descended from Thomas Rathbone, 
who came from England in 1621. A second 
statement is to the effect that those of the 
name came from John Rathbone, a member 
of a Liverpool family, who came to America 
in 1625. Another explanation is that they 
are descended from an elder Ijrother of Colo- 
nel John Rathbone, who was an officer of 
the parliamentary army of 1658, noted for 
his devotion to republican principles. The 
earliest authentic records point to Rev. 
William Rathbone as the first of the name 
aj/pearing in America, and allusion is made 
to him in a work published in 1637, which 
item was reprinted in the "Historical Col- 
lections of Massachusetts." This man was 
an author. It is shown that his doctrinal 
views were not in accord with those of the 
members of the Massachusetts colony. It 
is beliexed that he and his descendants were 
not admitted into the New England church, 
with the consequence that they were not 
permitted to participate in general public 
affairs. The Rhode Island colonial records 
mention John Rawsbone, of New Shore- 
ham, as one who w-as admitted to full politi- 
cal rights as freeman on May 4. 1664, being 
the same person whom the Block Island 
records name John Rathbone. The latter 
was one of those who met at the house of 
Dr. Alcock on August 17. 1660, to confer 
regarding the purchase of Block Island, and 
was one of the original sixteen purchasers 
of that island from Governor Endicott and 
three others, to whom it had been granted 
for public services ; hence, he will long con- 
tinue to figure in the country's history. 
John Rathbone was chosen in 1676 one of 
the surveyors of highways. He occu])iL'(l a 
place in the Rhode Island general assemblv 
in 1682-83-84 as representative from Block 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



103 



Island. He was one of the petitioners to 
the king of Great Britain in 1686 in refer- 
ence to the "Quo Warranto," and was one 
of the Rhode Island grand jury in 1688. He 
had an interesting experience during the 
French and Indian wars, which has been 
handed down with authenticity as family 
history. In July, 1689, Mr. Rathbone had 
a narrow escape from the French, who had 
come in three vessels and were then pillag- 
ing the island. They inquired of some one 
or more of the people "who were the likliest 
among them to have money." They were 
told of John Rathbone as the most likely. 
The French proceeded to capture him, as 
they supposed, and demanded money. The 
captive denied having any but a trifling sum. 
They endeavored to make him confess that 
he had more and to deliver it to them, by 
tying him up and whipping him barbarous- 
ly. While they were doing all this to an 
innocent man whom they mistook for the 
monied John Rathbone, the latter escaped 
with his treasure. They had mistaken the 
son, who by submitting to this crueltv in 
the room of his father saved the latter from 
being robbed. 

That the lives of the early Rathbones who 
settled on Block Island were fraught with 
severe hardship and almost continuous dan- 
ger may well be believed from all accounts. 
In his history of Rhode Island Arnold 
makes this reference : "The local history 
of Block Island, truthfully written, would 
present an interesting study. The tradi- 
tional history of the aborigines is full of the 
romance of the war. Their authentic his- 
tory in connection with the whites abounds 
in stirring incidents, the peculiarities of the 
English settlers and their posterity, their 
customs, laws and domestic institutions are 
among the most singular and interesting 
developments of civilized life, while the 
martial defense of a people, within and 
around whose island there has been more 
hard fighting than on any territory of equal 
extent in America, and where the horrors 
of savage and of civilized warfare have al- 
ternately prevailed, almost without cessa- 
tion from the earliest traditionary period 
down to a recent date would altogether fur- 
nish material for a thrilling history that 
might rival the pages of a romance. The 
dangers of the sea and the sterner perils of 



war united to produce a' race of men whose 
courage and hardihood cannot be surpassed. 
It was out of such material that naval he- 
roes were made." Of this character were 
the men, and women also, of the earlier 
generations of the Rathbone family. 

(I) John Rathbone, of Block Island, was 
horn about 1634, died there between Febru- 
ary 12, 1702, the day on which he signed his 
will, and October 6, 1702, the date on which 
Simon Ray, warden, took oath that William 
Hancock Jr., James W'elch and Roger Dick- 
ens appeared before him to testify "that 
they were testimony to the signing and 
sealing." It is an interesting family docu- 
ment, and a portion of it is worth citing. 
■'I give and bequeath to my son Samuel 
Rathbone the table and cubbard which 
stand now in his house as for are lomes 
(Heirlooms?) to the house, and I leave my 
wife Margaret Rathbone my executrix of 
all my movable and household goods, houses 
and chattels, cattle, sheep and horse kind ; 
and I leave (her?) the income of my house 
at Newport for her lifetime, and at her de- 
cease the westward (end?) of my house at 
Newport, and the leanto of that end so far 
as the post that the door hangs on, and the 
shop to be left for my son John Rathbone's 
son John, and his heirs forever; and the 
eastward end of said house and the rest of 
the leanto to be left for my son William 
Rathbone's son John and his heirs forever, 
and the yard to be equally for their use. 
And I leave to my wife for her life-time the 
twenty acres of land which I bought of 
Henry Hall, and the running of two cows 
and a horse and the end of the house which 
I now live in ; and I leave that my four sons 
shall pay to my wife during her life-time 
forty shillings apiece a year. And I leave 
to my wife during her life-time my nigger 
man, and at her disposing, and at her de- 
cease to my son Thomas Rathbone for three 
years, and at the end of the three years, to 
give him as good clothes as his mistress 
leaves him, and then to set him free." It 
may be said in this connection that the fam- 
ily lands at Newport greatly increased in 
value, as did the estate situated on Block 
Island, and while he gave evidence of abo- 
lition tendencies by his provision for this 
negro he did not care to put his ideas into 
efl'ect while he yet lived. John Rathbone 



I04 

married Margaret Dodge. Children: i. 
William, married, December i8, i6So, Sarah 

. 2. Thomas, married April 21, 1685, 

Mary Dickens. 3. John, of whom further. 
4. Joseph, married. May 19, 1691, Mary 
Mosher. 5. Samuel, died January 24, 1757; 
married, November 3, 1692, Patience T. 
Coggeshall. 6. Sarah, born June 10. 1659: 
married (first) December 20, 1678, Samuel 
George; (second) September i, 1710, John 
Ball. 7. Margaret. 8. Elizabeth. 

(II) John (2). son of John (i) and Mar- 
garet (Dodge) Rathbone, was born in Rox- 
bury. Massachusetts, in 1658. He was ad- 
mitted a freeman by the assembly of Rhode 
Island, May 5, 1696. He received from his 
father, just previous to his marriage, a deed 
for sixty acres of land on Block Island, the 
nominal consideration for which was "one 
barrel of ])ork on demand." It may be con- 
cluded that this farm was. therefore, a wed- 
ding present or settlement. It is known 
that the father some years before his death 
settled his sons on farms on the island 
where he lived, and entertained great hopes 
that his descendants would dwell there for- 
ever. Their grandchildren, however, scat- 
tered, leaving Samuel Rathbone's descend- 
ants the only ones of the name on that isl- 
and. Tiie original settler's grandson Jona- 
than, son of John Rathbone (2), removed to 
Colchester. Connecticut, and is the ancestor 
of the Rathboncs of Albany, New York, as 
well as those of Otsego county. New York. 
Joshua, another son of John (2). settled at 
Stonington. Connecticut, and is the ancestor 
of the Rathbones of New York City. Other 
sons of the same, John, Benjamin. Nathan- 
iel and Thomas settled in Exeter. Rhode 
Island. Elijah, son of Samuel, settled in 
Groton. Connecticut, and in this way the 
family spread to various sections of the 
country, while very few represented the old 
stock at the place of original settlement. 
On December 13, 1698 "Great James" and 
Jane, his wife, two Indians, bound their 
d.nughter, Betsey, to John Rathbone (2) and 
his wife, as an indented servant for eighteen 
vcars, the consideration being only one gal- 
lon of rum and one blanket in hand, and five 
years after one gallon of rum, and yearly 
thereafter. If she remained five years then 
the said Rathbone was to pay four blankets, 
and one every third vc;ir thfrc.iftcr. John 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



(2) Rathbone married, January 10, 1688, 
Ann Dodge. Children: i. Mary, born Oc- 
tober 3, 1688. 2. Jonathan, of whom fur- 
ther. 3. John, born December 23, 1693; 
married, December 20, 1720, Patience Fish. 
4. Joshua, born February 9, 1696; married, 
February 16, 1724, Mary Wightman. 5. 
Benjamin, born February 11, 1701. 6. An- 
nah, born August 9, 1703. 7. Nathaniel, 
born February 7, 1708. 8. Thomas, born 
Alarch 2, 1709. 

(Ill) Jonathan, son of John (2) and Ann 
(Dodge) Rathbone, was born May 22, 1691, 
died April i, 1766. Possessing the same 
Sort of pioneering spirit that had character- 
ized so largely many of his ancestors, while 
still a yoiuig man he set out for other parts, 
removing before 1715 to that part of New 
London county, Connecticut, formerly 
known as Colchester, later the town of Sa- 
lem. Here he purchased a tract of land 
from the Mohegan Indians, on which he set- 
tled, and a portion of this estate has con- 
tinued uninterruptedly in the possession of 
his descendants of the same name for two 
centuries. He was a member of the Bap- 
tist church there in 1726. He married Eliz- 
abeth . Children: John, born January 

I, 1715, died November 27, 1755; married, 
March 30. 1737, Anna Tennant. 2. Benja- 
min, married, November 11, 1752, Mary Co- 
hoon. 3. Jonathan, married, November 8, 
]744< Abigail Avery. 4. Joshua, of whom 
further. 5. Isaiah, born September 7, 1723; 
married. May 9, 1764, Fanny Lamphear. 6. 
Joseph. 7. Elizabeth. Probably others. 

(I\') Deacon Joshua Rathbone, son of 
Jonathan and Elizabeth Rathbone, was 
born September 7, 1723, being twin brother 
of Isaiah. It is .said that "he was a godly, 
truth-seeking man," and was always known 
as "Deacon Rathbone." He married. De- 
cember 4, 1745, Sarah Tennant. Children: 
T. Elizabeth, born June 9, 1747. 2. Tabitha, 

born August 4. 1749; married (first) ■ 

Treadway. (second) 1806, Holmes. 

Children by first tnarriagc : Sarah and Mary. 
Child by second marriage: Clarissa. 3. 
Joshiia, born May 7, 1751 ; married Eunice 
Martin. 4. Sarah, born November 23, 1752: 

married Chamberlain, and removed to 

Richfield Springs, New York. 5. Moses, 
born November 12, 1754; married Olive 
Ransom. 6. Samuel, of whom further. 7. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



105 



Anna, born September 12, 1758; married 
Holmes. 

(V) Samuel, son of Deacon Joshua and 
Sarah (Tennant) Rathbone, was born Sep- 
tember 12, 1758, twin brother to Anna, died 
at Colchester, Connecticut, February 16, 
1831. His life had been spent on a farm of 
several hundred acres, which had been be- 
queathed to him by his father. He married, 
March i, 1785, Lydia, daughter of Simon 
and Lydia (Brown) Sparhawk. She died 
July 13, 1825, aged sixty years. Children : 
I. Samuel, born August 8, 1786, died Octo- 
ber 9, 1787. 2. Valentine Wightman, born 
September 13, 1788, died May 18, 1833; mar- 
ried, in 1814, Nancy Forsyth. 3. Jared Lew- 
is, Salem, Connecticut, born October 2, 
1791. He was a successful merchant of Al- 
bany, New York, for several years elected 
to the common council, and thrice called to 
fill the position of mayor of the capitol city, 
being the last mayor chosen by the council 
and the first elected by the vote of the peo- 
ple. He assumed that office first, as the 
forty-first mayor, January 24, 1839. and the 
third time, on election by popular vote, on 
May 12, 1840, at which time only four thou- 
sand five hundred and eighty-eight votes 
were cast at that important municipal elec- 
tion. He resided at No. 28 Eagle street, 
corner of State street, Albany. He married, 
June 26, 1834, Pauline Noyes, daughter of 
Joel Penney, of Buffalo, New York. Chil- 
dren : Charles, Henry R., Anna Pauline and 
Jared Lawrence. 4. Lydia, born March 21, 
1794, died August 7, 1873: married, Novem- 
ber 17, 1819, William W. Reed. 5. Samuel, 
born November 6, 1796, died unmarried Oc- 
tober 17, 1818. 6. Sabria Lewis, born July 
3. 1799; married, February 10, 1818, Clark 
Ransom. 7. Anna, born November 6, 1803, 
died November 12, i86s ; married David 
Tewett, no children. 8. Joel, of whom fur- 
ther. 

(VI) Joel, son of Samuel and Lydia 
(Sparhawk) Rathbone, was born in Salem, 
Connecticut, August 3, 1806, died in Paris, 
France, Sunday, September 13. 1863. He 
came to reside in Albany, New York, in the 
fall of 1822, as a clerk in his brother Valen- 
tine W. Rathbone's wholesale grocery store, 
on the corner of Hudson avenue and Quay 
street, then the busiest section of the city. 
Two years later he became associated with 



his brother in the business. In 1827 as one 
of the firm of Hermans, Rathbone & Com- 
pany he commenced the wholesale stove 
business. By reason of certain modifica- 
tions and improvements in the patterns of 
stoves made under his direction, he secured 
a very large and lucrative business, which 
became known all over the country, and 
doubtless was the most important concern 
of the kind then in America, destined to 
make the name of Rathbone known for the 
century or more. Following the death of 
Mr. Hermans in 1829 Mr. Rathbone suc- 
ceeded to the entire business, which he con- 
tinued in his own name until 1841. At the 
early age of thirty-five years with a well- 
earned fortune he then retired from active 
mercantile pursuits to the enjoyment of 
country life. He purchased a large estate 
bordering the southern end of Albany, 
which he laid out and made beautiful. 
"Kenwood,'' as it was named, became his 
lesidence for a number of years. Although 
retiring from business cares so early he was 
still connected with many of the public en- 
terprises of Albany, being vice-president of 
the New York State Bank, the oldest insti- 
tution in the city; president of the Ex- 
change Company, doing business where the 
Federal Building was located in 1910; and 
an active cooperator in and generous con- 
tributor to most of the benevolent enter- 
prises of Albany. He was known as a con- 
scientious and consistent Christian, a gen- 
tleman of unusual taste and refinement. 

He married. May 5, 1829, Emeline Weld, 
daughter of Lewis and Louisa (Weld) 
Munn, and she died in Newport, Rhode Isl- 
and, August 25, 1874. Lewis Munn was 
born December 14. 1784, died July 8, 1810. 
Louisa (Weld) Munn was born' April i. 
T791. died December 6, 1808. Children of 
Joel Rathbone: i. Jared Lewis, born April 
23, 1830, died August 20, 1831. 2. Erastus 
Corning, born January i, 1832, died Febru- 
ary 2, 1832. 3. Joel Howard, born June 11, 
1835, died March 29, 1865, unmarried. 4. 
Sarah, born December 5. 1837, died March 
13, 1910: married, November 19, 1863, Gen- 
eral Frederick Townsend. born in Albany, 
September 21, 1825. He was a graduate of 
Union College, 1844: admitted tolegal prac- 
tice, 1849; adjutant-general of New York 
state, 1857-61 ; raised and commanded the 



SOUTIIERX NEW YORK 



Third Regiment New Ynrk \'(>liinteers, 
May, 1861 ; brevetted brigadier-general and 
resigned from army, 1868; again appointed 
adjutant-general by Governor Cornell in 
1880, serving until January i, 1883, and died 
at Albany. Children: Annie Martin, born 
in Paris November i, 1866; Sarah Rathbone, 
March 23, 1869, in Albany: p-rederick (2), 
October 28, 1871: Joel Rathbone, October 
13. ^^79- died October 15, 1879. 5. Albert, 
born Alay 27. 1841, died December 10, 1865, 
unmarried. 6. Clarence, of whom further. 
7. Edward Weld, born October 20, 1848, 
died July 30, 1849. 

evil) Clarence, son of Joel and Enieline 
(Munn) Rathbone. was born on his father's 
handsome estate, "Kenwood." on the south- 
ern outskirts of Albany. New York, Novem- 
ber 17, 1844. He received his education at 
Farmington, Connecticut, and at Charlier's 
French Institute in New York City. He 
entered the Naval Academy, then located at 
Newport, Rhode Island, in September, 1861, 
and was graduated fifth in his class, 1863, 
having successfully undertaken the three- 
year course in the space of two years. He 
received his commission as an ensign in the 
United States navy, and was ordered to the 
"Niagara" in the fall of 1863. then on duty 
at Newport. In June, 1864. he was ordered 
tc New Orleans, and given duty in the 
squadron of Admiral Farragut. He served 
during the latter part of the war of the re- 
bellion, taking part in the celebrated battle 
of Mobile Ray, where he was wounded 
slightly. Subsequently he served on block- 
ade duty off Galveston. Texas. At the ter- 
mination of the civil war he returned to 
New York. June, 1865, and shortly there- 
after resigned his commission on account of 
his being left the only son of his widowed 
mother upon the death of his brothers loel 
Howard and Albert, which had occurred in 
1865. For several years following this pe- 
riod of his life he was the head of a large 
manufactory of stoves, but while still in the 
j;rime of life retired from active business 
He is a trustee of the .Mbany Savings Bank 
the Albany Medical College, and the Dud- 
ley Observatory. \Vhen first married he 
resided at No. 5 Elk street, his handsome 
residence fronting on the Academy Park 
and later removed to his present spacious! 
h-vnie nearer the city outskirts. No e^jd 



W'estern avenue. He is an Episcopalian, 
and in politics a Democrat. He is also a 
past master of Masters Lodge, No. 5, Free 
and Accepted Masons. Mr. Rathbone is a 
member of the following clubs : Army and 
Navy, and Manhattan, of New York; the 
Loyal Legion of America ; and the Gradu- 
ates Association of the United States Naval 
Academy. 

Clarence Rathbone married, at Albany, 
New York, September 11, 1866, Angelica 
Bogart Talcott, born at Albany, February 
24, 1846. Her father was Brigadier-General 
Sebastian Visscher Talcott, son of George 
and Angelica (Bogart) Talcott, born in 
New York City November 24. 1812, died at 
his residence, No. 748 Broadway, Albany. 
November 10, 1888. He attended Yale and 
became a civil engineer, doing considerable 
excellent work in the survey of the bound- 
ary line between the United States and Can- 
ada, and also in the improvement of naviga- 
tion in the Hudson river near Albany, which 
work has endured as a specimen of the best 
construction of its kind along the length of 
the entire river. He was appointed quar- 
termaster by Governor Horatio Seymour in 
1862. with the rank of brigadier-general. 
General Talcott has left an enduring me- 
morial of himself in several volumes of 
genealogies which he prepared with inde- 
fatigable labor, notably his "Genealogical 
Notes of New York and New England Fam- 
ilies," published by him in 1883. He mar- 
ried Olivia Maria Shearman on November 
23, 1843. She was born in L^tica. New York. 
October 14. 1823. died in Albany January 
29, 1888. She was the only child of Robert 
Shearman, son of Robert and Honor 
(Brown) Shearman, who was born at South 
Kingston, Rhode Island, September 10, 
1790. died at Westmoreland. New York. 
September 6. 1838. and married Anna Maria, 
daughter of \Vatts and Olivia (Gillson) 
Sherman. She was born September 17, 
1800. died at St. Augustine, Florida, March 
9, 1825. Children of Clarence Rathbone: 
I. Albert, of whom further. 2. Joel, of whom 
further. 3. Angelica Talcott. "of whom fur- 
ther. 4. Ethel, of whom further. 

(VIII) Albert, eldest son of Clarence and 
Angelica Bogart (Talcott) Rathbone, was 
born July 27, 1868, in Albany. He received 
his early education in the Albany Boy's 



I 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



107 



Academy. Following this he entered Wil- 
liams College, where he was a member of 
the Alpha Delta Phi Society, and the class 
of 1888. He pursued the study of law in the 
Albany Law School, a branch of Union Uni- 
versity, and was admitted to the bar in 
1890. He engaged in the practice of law 
about ten years in his native city, becoming 
a member of the firm of Tracy, Cooper & 
Rathbone. Removing to New York City he 
became a member of the firm of Butler, 
Korman, Joline & Mynderse. Upon the dis- 
solution of this firm Mr. Rathbone became 
a partner in the firm of Joline, Larkin & 
Rathbone, which is now engaged in general 
practice in New York City, with offices in 
Wall street. Mr. Rathbone affiliates with 
the Democratic party in political action. He 
ii^ a member of numerous clubs, including 
the Metropolitan, Down Town, Racquet & 
Tennis, Ardsley, Automobile of America, 
Sleepy Hollow Country, Riding & Driving, 
Rumsen Country, Fort Orange, and Albany 
Country. He is also a member of the Alpha 
Delta Phi Club, St. Nicholas Society of New 
York, and Military Order of the Loyal Le- 
gion. He married, April 14, 1891, at Al- 
bany, Emma Marvin, daughter of Thomas 
Worth and Emma (McClure) Olcott. Chil- 
dren, born in Albany: i. Grace Olcott, born 
December 9, 1894. 2. Anna Talcott, August 
14, 1897. 

(Vni) Joel, son of Clarence and Angelica 
Bogart (Talcott) Rathbone, was born in 
Newport, Rhode Island, September 12, 1869. 
He was educated at the Albany Academy. 
He entered the employ of the National Com- 
mercial Bank of Albany, and afterwards was 
the treasurer of the Albany Railway Com- 
pany. In 1895 he left for New York City, 
where he is first vice-president of the Na- 
tional Security Company. He married, in 
New York City, October 4. 1894, Josephine, 
■daughter of Carlisle and Ethel Josephine 
(Hanbury) Norwood. Child : Carlisle Nor- 
wood, born in Saratoga Springs, New York, 
July 26. 1895. 

(VIII) Angelica Talcott, daughter of 
Clarence and Angelica Bogart (Talcott) 
Rathbone, was born in Albany, New York, 
March 13, 1871. She received her education 
at St. Agnes' School in her native city. She 
married in New York City, December 25, 
1899, Dr. Charles Russell Lowell Putnam. 



of Boston, Massachusetts, who is now prac- 
ticing medicine in New York City. Child : 
Patrick Tracey Lowell Putnam, born in 
New York City September 15, 1904. 

(VIII) Ethel, daughter of Clarence and 
Angelica Bogart (Talcott) Rathbone, was 
born in Albany, New York, December 11, 
1877. She married, in Paris, March '14, 
1907, Jean Marty, son of Jean Marty, of 
Carcassone, and his wife, Marie Claudine 
(Chaumien) Marty, of Alligny en Moreau, 
France. 



The name of Brewster ap- 
BREWSTER pears among the old fam- 
ilies in the reign of Ed- 
ward III., as ranking among the "English 
Landed Gentry." John Brewster was wit- 
ness to a deed in the parish of Henstead, in 
Suffolk, in the year 1375, and not long after, 
in the reign of Richard II., a John Brewster 
was presented to the rectory of Godwich, in 
the county of Norfolk. This Norfolk branch 
became connected by marriage with the dis- 
tinguished houses of DeNarburgh, Spelman, 
Gleane and Coke, of Nolkham ; and, in the 
county of Suffolk, Robert Brewster, of Mut- 
ford, possessed also lands in Henstead, and 
Robert Brewster, of Rushmore, died pos- 
sessed of these estates prior to 1482. From 
this Suffolk connection a branch became es- 
tablished at Castle Hedingham, in Essex, 
and formed connection with several knight- 
ly families. Elder William Brewster was 
probably of this connection. It is supposed 
that Scrooby, a Nottinghamshire village, 
was his birthplace, whither he went after 
leaving a responsible position in the service 
of Mr. William Davison, who was one of 
Queen Elizabeth's ambassadors, and after- 
wards one of her principal secretaries of 
state. 

(I) William Brewster Sr. lived in Scroo- 
by, Nottinghamshire, England, as early as 
1570-71, in which year he was assessed in 
that town on goods valued at £3. In 1575-76 
lie was appointed by Archbishop Sandys re- 
ceiver of Scrooby and bailiff of the manor- 
house in that place belonging to the bishop, 
to have life tenure of both offices. Some 
time in the year 1588, or possibly before, he 
was appointed to the additional office of 
postmaster under the Crown. He was 
known as the "Post" of Scrooby, and was 



io8 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



master of the court mails, which were ac- 
cessible only to those connected with the 
court. He died in the summer of 1590. His 

wife was Prudence . Child: William, 

mentioned below. 

(H) Elder William Brewster, who cama 
in the "Mayflower," was born during the 
last half of the year 1566 or the first half of 
1567, the date being fixed by an affidavit 
made by him at Levden, June 25, 1609, when 
he declared his age to be forty-two years. 
The place of his birth is not known, but it 
is supposed to have been Scrooby. The 
parish registers of Scrooby do not begin 
until 1695, and no record of Brewster's 
birth, baptism or marriage, has ever been 
discovered. He matriculated at Peterhouse, 
which was then the "oldest of the fourteen 
colleges grouped into the University of 
Cambridge," IDecember 3, 1580, but does not 
appear to have stayed long enough to take 
his degree. He is next found as a "discreete 
and faithful!" assistant of William Davison, 
secretary of state to Queen Elizabeth, and 
accompanied that gentleman on his embassy 
to the Netherlands in August, 1585. and 
served him at court after his return until 
his downfall in 1587. He then returned to 
Scrooby, where he was held in high esteem 
among the people of that place, and did 
much good "in promoting and furthering 
religion." In 1590 he was appointed ad- 
ministrator of the estate of hi.s father, who 
died in the summer of that year, and suc- 
ceeded him as postmaster, which position 
he held until September 30, 1607. While in 
Scrooby he lived in the old manor-house, 
where the members of the Pilgrim church 
were accustomed to meet on Sunday. When 
the Pilgrims attempted to remove to" Holland 
in the latter ])art of 1607, ^^^ey were im- 
prisf>ncd at Boston. Brewster was among 
those imprisoned and suffered the greatest 
loss. After he reached Holland he endured 
many unaccustomed hardships, not being 
as well fitted as the other Pilgrims for the 
hard labnr which was their common lot. 
and spent most of his means in providing 
for his children. During the latter part of 
the twelve years spent in Holland he in- 
creased his income by teaching, and by the 
profits from a printing press which he set 
up in Lcydon. When after the twelve years 
i' was decided that the church at Levden 



should emigrate to Virginia, Brewster, who 
had already been chosen elder, was desired 
to go with the first company. He was, 
therefore, with his wife Mary and two 
young sons, among the jnissengers of the 
"Mayflower," which landed in Plymouth 
harbor, December 16, 1620. Here he bore 
an important part in establishing the Pil- 
grim repul)lic, was one of the signers of the 
famous compact, and believed to have draft- 
ed the same. He was the moral, religious 
and spiritual leader of the colonj' during its 
first years, and its chief civil adviser and 
trusted guide until his death. His wife 
Mary died .\pril 17, 1627, somewhat- less 
than .sixty years old. Elder Brewster died 
April 10. 1644, in Plj'mouth, and a final 
di\ision of his estate was made by Bradford, 
Winslow, Prence and Standish, between 
Jonathan and I^ove, his only remaining chil- 
dren. Children: Jonathan, born August 
12, 1593, at Scrooby; Patience; Fear; child, 
died at Leyden, buried June 20, 1609; Love; 
Wrestling, came in the "Mayflow-er" w'ith 
his parents and brother Love, was living at 
the time of the division of cattle. Mav 22, 
1627. 

(HI) Jonathan, son of Elder \\ illiam 
Brewster, was born August 12, 1593, in 
Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England, and 
came over in the ship "Fortune," 1621. He 
married Lucretia Oldham, of Darby. April 
10. 1624. doubtless a sister of John Oldham, 
whri came to Plymouth about 1623. She 
died March 4, 1678-79. He had married be- 
fore at an early age, and buried his wife and 
a child by this marriage in Leyden, May 10, 
1619; one child surviving^ Nathaniel, men- 
tioned below. He moved from Plymouth to 
Duxbury about 1630, and from there was dep- 
uty to the general court. Plymouth colony, 
in 1639-41-43-44. From there he removed 
to New London about 1649, and settled in 
that part later established as Norwich, his 
farm lying in both towns. He was admit- 
ted an inhabitant there February 25, 1649- 
50, and was deputy to the general court of 
the colony in 1650-55-56-57-58. He engaged 
in the coasting trade, and was master of a 
small vessel plying from Plymouth along 
the coast of Virginia. In this way he be- 
came acquainted with Pequot harbor, and 
entered the river to trade with the Invlians. 
He was clerk of the town of Pequot, Sep- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



109 



tember, 1649, and received his first grant of 
land in that town in the same month from 
Uncas, Sachem of the Mohegans, with 
whom he had estabhshed a trading house. 
At this latter place, still called by his name, 
Brewster's Neck, he laid out for himself a 
large farm. The deed of this land was con- 
firmed by the town November 30. 1652, and 
its bounds determined. In 1637 he was a 
military commissioner in the Pequot war, 
in 1642 a member of the Du.xbury commit- 
tee to raise forces in the Narragansett alarm 
of that year, and a member of Captain 
Myles Standish's Duxbury company in the 
military enrollment of 1643. He was promi- 
nent in the formation of the settlement of 
Duxbury and in the establishment of its 
church ; sometimes practiced as an attorney, 
and was also styled gentleman. He died 
August 7, 1659, and was buried in the Brew- 
ster cemetery at Brewster's Neck, Preston. 
A plain granite shaft, about eight feet high, 
was erected in 1855 to his memory and that 
of his wife. The original footstone is still 
in existence, and leans against the modern 
monument. No probate papers relating to 
his estate have been found, but bills of sale 
are recorded, dated in 1658, which conveyed 
all his property in the town plot, and his 
house and lands at Poquetannuck, with his 
movable property, to his son Benjamin and 
son-in-law John Picket. His widow was 
evidently a woman of note and respectabil- 
ity among her fellow citizens. She had al- 
ways the prefix of Mrs. or Mistress, and 
was usually recorded in some useful ca- 
pacity as nurse or doctor, as a witness to 
wills, etc. Children, the first three born in 
Plymouth, the fourth in Jones River, the 
others in Duxbury: William. March 9, 1625: 
Mary, April 16, 1627; Jonathan. July 17, 
1629: Ruth, October 3, 163 1 ; Benjamin, No- 
vember T7, 1633: Elizabeth. May i, 1637; 
Grace, November i, 1639, married Captain 
Daniel \\^etherell, had child, Mary, married 
George Denison ; Hannah, November 3, 
1641. 

(lY) Nathaniel Brewster, supposed to 
have been a son of Jonathan Brewster by 
his first marriage, was born about 1619. He 
died at Setauket, Long Island, December 
18, 1690. "aged seventy years." The ages 
of people as stated in those early days are 
notoriously inaccurate, and he was prob- 



ably more nearly seventy-two than seventy 
years of age at death. He graduated in the , 
first class of Harvard College in 1642, and 
settled soon after at Abby, county Norfolk, 
England, where he pursued studies in the- 
ology. Going from England to Ireland, he 
presented a letter from Oliver Cromwell to 
Fleetwood, the Lord Deputy of Ireland, 
dated June 22, 1655. In this letter Crom- 
well said : "Use this bearer, Mr. Brewster 
kindly. Let him be near you; indeed he is 
a very able and holy man. Trust me and 
you will find him so." He received the de- 
gree of Bachelor of Divinity from Dublin 
University, returned to America and was 
minister of the First Church at Boston in 
1663. In 1665 he became the first minister 
at Brookhaven, Long Island, and thus con- 
tinued thirty-five years, until his death in 
1690, as above noted. He married Sarah, 
daughter of Roger Ludlow, and had sons : 
John, Timothy and Daniel. 

(V) John, eldest son of Nathaniel and 
Sarah (Ludlow) Brewster, lived in Brook- 
haven, and but little is known concerning 
him. 

(VI) Samuel, son of John Brewster, was 
born July 18, 1718, in Brookhaven, and died 
in New W'indsor, Orange county. New 
York. He was among the original pat- 
entees of the town of New W'indsor in 175 1- 
52, and was a member of the committee of 
safety during the revolution. He was 
buried in the old graveyard at New \Vind- 
sor, overlooking Newburgh Bay. He built 
a saw mill, forge and anchor shop, and as- 
sisted in forging the chain which was 
stretched across the Hudson river in the 
hope of checking the movement of British 
vessels up that stream. In 1775 he built a 
residence which tradition says sheltered 
Lafayette as a headquarters during the rev- 
olution. His first wife bore the name of 
Mary. He married (second) Mary Wood, 
who survived him and died at New Wind- 
sor, February 3, 1807. Children : Samuel, 
Timothy ; Hannah, married Joseph Dubois ; 
Abigail, married Jonas ^\'illiams; Susannah, 
married Moores. 

(VII) General Timothy Brewster, second 
son of Samuel Brewster, was born Novem- 
ber 3, 1746, in New Windsor, and during 
the revolution removed to Basking Ridge, 
New Jersey, and later to W'oodbridge, same 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



state, where he occupied large tracts of land 
bordering on Staten Island Sound, now 
called Kill-von-Kull. About 1812 he re- 
moved from Woodbridge, and in 1823 he 
settled near Coldenham, Orange county. 
New York, where he died in 1831. He was 
elected elder of the Good Will church, and 
was active in local affairs. He married 
(first) October 17, 1774, Phebe Wood, of 
Woodhaven, born February 17, 1754. He 
married (second) Phebe Youngs, of Long 
Island. Children: Samuel, born July 12, 
1775; John, August 15, 1777; Mary, April 
7, 1782, married Clark Noe, two children, 
Catherine and Albert Noe, a well-known resi- 
dent of Xcwburg; Betty, born P^ebruary 27, 
1785, died in infancy; Nathaniel, born Octo- 
ber 27, 1786; Timothy, mentioned below. 

(VHI) Timothy (2), son of Timothy (i) 
and Phebe (Wood) Brewster, was born 
April 22, 1789, in Woodbridge, and died 
May 2, 1836. He settled in Newburgh in 
1831, and carried on a lumber business at 
the foot of Fourth street. After his death 
his family removed to West Troy, New 
York, and remained two years, returning 
again to Newburgh, where they have since 
resided. He married, November 9, 1813, 
Juliet Wright. Children : Caroline, died 
young; Mary, married Silas Martine, and 
resided in Newburgh ; Richard W. ; Harriet ; 
Eugene A., mentioned below ; Caroline, all 
are now deceased. 

(IX) Eugene Augustus, second son of 
Timothy (2) and Juliet (Wright) Brew- 
ster, was born April 13, 1827, in New York 
City, and died December 14, 1898, in New- 
burgh. His education was obtained in the 
public schools, of Newburgh, including the 
high school, where he was an assistant in- 
structor in 1843. In the same year he en- 
tered the law office of Hon. John W. Brown 
and was admitted to practice as an attorney 
and counsellor in 1848. In 1830 he formed 
a partnership with Nathan Reeve, which 
continued until 1855, and thereafter prac- 
ticed independently until his death. He 
served several terms as a member of the 
board of almshouse commissioners, was 
fourteen years a member of the board of 
educatinn. and was a trustee of Washing- 
ton's Headquarters. He drew up the orig- 
inal charter of the city of Newburgh ; as- 
sisted in the incorporation of the National 



Bank of Newburgh and was its vice-presi- 
dent. For more than thirty years he was 
a vestryman of St. George's (Protestant 
Episcopal) Church, and was four years a 
warden. For many years he was a leading 
lawyer of Orange county, and was promi- 
nently connected with St. Luke's Hospital. 
He was among the most liberal contributors 
toward the establishment and support of 
that institution. He married, June i, 1859, 
Anna W., daughter of Rev. Dr. John Brown. 
Of their children, two now survive, George 
R., mentioned below, and Anna W., wife of 
Eugene W. Harter, of New York City. 

(X) George Richard, only surviving son 
of Eugene A. and Anna W. (Brown) Brew- 
ster, was born November 17, 1873, in New- 
burgh, where he grew up and prepared for 
college at Siglar's Preparatory College of 
Newburgh, after which he entered Yale 
University, graduating in 1894 with the de- 
gree of Ph. B. Pursuing the study of law 
in his father's ofifice, he was admitted to the 
bar in 1896, and since that time has been 
successfully engaged in the practice of his 
profession in his native city, and in New 
York and Westchester counties. He is a 
member of the Democratic, Yale and Trans- 
portation clubs of New York, and a director 
of the City Club of Newburgh. He is a 
warden of St. George's Church, and is a 
director in numerous local corporations, in- 
cluding the National Bank of Newburgh, 
for which he is attorney. He is also largely 
interested in the breeding of hacking horses, 
and maintains for that purpose one of the 
finest farms in this state. 

He married, January 18, 1899, Margaret 
Copley Orr. daughter of the late James Orr, 
of Newburgh. 



Like a large proportion 
VAN CLEFT of the Dutch names in 

New York, this is de- 
rived from a place. The /Vmerican ancestor 
came from the village of Cleef in the Neth- 
erlands, hence the name Van (from) Cleef. 
The name has many other forms in the 
early Dutch records of New York, such as 
Van Clyf, Van ClyfT, Van Clvft. Vander 
Clyft— Cleef— Cleeft—Cleyft. The name has 
been prominently identified with the busi- 
ness interests and general development of 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



the state of New York down to the present 
time. 

(I) Jan Van Cleef, born 1628, came to 
New Amsterdam (New York) in 1653, and 
was a farmer at Gravesend on Long Island, 
in 1656. In 1659 he resided at New Utrecht 
in the same vicinity, and was in BushwicTi 
in 1664. He received a deed December 23, 
1662, from Albert Albertse Terhune of 
twenty-four morgens of land in New 
Utrecht, which he sold in 1669. He pur- 
chased a pasture lot in New Utrecht, De- 
cember 2'j, 1677, and owned lots Nos. 6, 7, 
13 and 14 at Yellow Hoek (Bay Ridge). In 
1677 he was a member of the New Utrecht 
church; was constable of that town in 1678, 
and took the oath of allegiance to the Eng- 
lish government in 1687. He signed docu- 
ments now in existence with a mark. He 
was probably married before coming to New 
York, as the records of the Dutch church 
show that his son, Dirck, had a child bap- 
tized in 1668. He married (second) before 
March 10, 1681, Engelte, daughter of 
Louwerens Pieterse. Children : Catherine, 
baptized October 23, 1681 ; Benjamin, No- 
vember 25, 1683; settled in New Jersey; 
Joseph, settled in New Jersey; Angelica; 
Ceytie, baptized May 13, 1688; Isebrant, of 
whom further ; Nelke ; Cornelius, resided 
in New Utrecht, Dirck, Rebecca. Probably 
several of these were of the first marriage. 

(II) Isebrant (also spelled in the records 
Ysebrant and Eyzebrand), son of Jan Van 
Cleef, resided in early life in New Utrecht, 
where he was grand juror in 1699. He was 
undoubtedly a child of the first marriage 
since he must have been of age in 1699. 
For some time he resided upon, or in the vi- 
cinity of Staten Island, where he was wit- 
ness to the baptism of a child, July 26, 1711, 
and ultimately settled in Monmouth coun- 
ty, New Jersey. The record of all his chil- 
dren has not been found. He married in 
Gravesend, Jannetie Aertse Vander Bilt, 
baptized September 17, 1682, in New 
Utrecht, granddaughter of Jan Aertsen 
Vander Bilt, immigrant ancestor of all bear- 
ing that name in New York. Jan Aertsen 
Vander Bilt (from the Bilt) came from the 
village of Bilt (Bilt meaning hill) in the 
province of Utrecht, Holland, as early as 
1650, to New Amsterdam. He married 
(first) in New Amsterdam, February 6, 



1650, Anneken Hendricks, from Bergen, 
Norway, (second) Derber Cornelis, and 
(third) December 16, 1681, Magdalena 
Hanse, widow of Hendrick Jansen Spier of 
Bergen, New Jersey. He resided at New 
Amsterdam, Flatbush, and lastly at Ber- 
gen, where he owned lands in 1694, and died 
February 2, 1705. 

Aris, son of Jan Aertsen Vander Bilt, 
born about 165 1, died after 171 1. He mar- 
ried, October 6, 1677, Hillagonde Remsen, 
daughter of Rem Janse Vanderbeek. Their 
children found of record are: Marretje, 
baptized January 25, 1716, in New Y'ork ; 
Benjamin, April 19, 1715, at Port Richmond, 
Staten Island; Janneke, March 8, 1720, in 
Freehold, and another of the name Benja- 
min, January 7, 1724, in Freehold. It is 
probable that the first Benjamin died in in- 
fr.ncy. 

(HI) Cornelius Van Cleft, undoubtedly a 
son of Isebrant Van Cleef, was born about 
1710, and resided on Staten Island, where 
he married Sara Marschall. No record of 
the marriage or her birth or parentage can 
be found. 

(IV) Jan, or John, son of Cornelius and 
Sara (Marschall) Van Cleft, was baptized 
April 26, 1736, in the Dutch church of Port 
Richmond, Staten Island, and settled about 
the time of his majority in the Minnisink 
district, which included parts of the present 
Orange county. New York, and of New 
Jersey. He had five sons and one daugh- 
ter. The sons were : John, Cornelius, 
Jesse, Joseph, of whom further, and Benja- 
min (twins). The daughter, whose name 
has not been preserved, married an Ives. 

(V) Joseph, son of John Van Cleft, was 
born at Minnisink, where he lived. He was 
by trade a millwright; died in 1814. He 
married Elizabeth Dunning, who died Jan- 
uary 27, 1848, and had two sons and four 
daughters : Hector, Lewis, of whom further ; 
Ann Eliza, Sarah, Jane, Katura. 

(VI) Lewis, son of Joseph and Elizabeth 
(Dunning) Van Cleft, was born March 4, 
1805, at Minnisink, and died in July, 1870, 
at New Windsor, Orange county, New 
Y'ork. In early life he was employed in a 
woolen mill at Phillipsburg, New York, and 
after his marriage settled on a farm of one 
hundred acres, which he purchased in the 
town of New Windsor, Orange county, 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



there ending his days. He married in 
Blooming Grove, same county, Henrietta 
Woodruff Cooper, February 19, 1834. Chil- 
dren: Henry, Joseph, of whom further; 
Sarah E., Lewis A. 

(V'H) Joseph (2), second son of Lewis 
and Henrietta W. (Cooper) Van Cleft, was 
born June 17, 1836, in New Windsor, and 
attended the district schools of the neigh- 
borhood until 1852. At the age of sixteen 
years he was employed as a clerk in a hard- 
ware store at Middlctown, New York, and 
was subsequently engaged in the same ca- 
pacity in New York City, and still later in 
Kansas City, Missouri, where he remained 
two years. In 1863 he settled at New- 
burgh. New York, and established a hard- 
ware and agricultural implement business, 
having a partner. Three years later he pur- 
chased the interest of his partner and con- 
ducted the business alone until 1887. when 
he was joined by his brother, Lewis A. Van 
Cl'^t't, under the style of Joseph Van Cleft 
& Company. In 1909 he purchased the in- 
terest of his brother and soon after closed 
out the business. Upon the organization 
ot the Columbus Trust Company of New- 
burgh in 1893, Mr. Van Cleft was chosen 
vice- president, and since 1897 has been pres- 
ident of the institution. This is one of the 
institutions for jjromoting the business ad- 
vancement of Newburgh in whose organiza- 
tion Mr. Van Cleft was active. He has been 
ar. extensive dealer in real estate in the city 
and is now the owner of the Van Cleft 
block, one of the most prominent structures 
in the city. He was interested in the build- 
ing of the Palatine Hotel in 1892-93 and a 
director of the company when it was organ- 
ized. Many of the financial interests of the 
place owe something to Mr. Van Cleft's aid 
and good business judgment. He is a mem- 
ber of the American Reformed church and 
of the Newburgh Bay and Highlands His- 
torical Society, in whose work he takes a 
deep interest. A man of genial nature, can- 
did mind and most courteous demeanor, Mr. 
\'an Cleft wins and holds friendship \vith 
many of his contemporaries. 

He married. May 5. i86(), Edwina Storey 
Smith, youngest daughter of O. M. Smith, 
a school teacher of pnmiinence in the Hud- 
son River Valley, and a granddaughter of 
Jonas Storey, a well known lawyer of early 



days, in Newburgh. She died April 24, 
1S91, leaving five children: Josephine, Ed- 
win L., Augusta ^L, Alberta, Barclay. 



This name is said to have been 
REEVE of Welsh origin. It appears on 
Long Island as early as 1660, 
w hen Thomas and James Reeves settled at 
Mattituck in the present town of Southold, 
New York. Many descendants from a very 
early date have used the name without the 
final "s" and some in Orange county, New- 
York, use the form Reeve. Certain it is 
that those bearing the name have been peo- 
ple of high respectability, much endeavor 
and general worth in the communities 
where they have resided. The family seems 
to have been very patriotic in the war for 
independence. In 1776 a company drafted 
out of Colonel Perry's regiment was under 
the command of Captain Paul Reeves and 
had among its privates: Ishmael, James, 
Luther, Jonathan and William Reeves. 
Captain Paul Reeves held that rank in the 
minutemen of Mattituck. He died in 1822 
at the age of ninety years. 

(I) Thomas Reeve arrived in Snuihuld. 
New- York, about 1660, and in 1667 removed 
to Southampton on the south side of the 
i.->land, where he died, August 28, 1685. He 
married Rebecca Davis of Southampton, 
probably a daughter of Faulk Davis (a pio- 
neer of that town) by his first marriage. 
Children: John; Rebecca, born March i, 
1676; Thomas, October 3, 1679; Hannah, 
February 9, 1681 ; Abigail, September 22, 
1684. 

(II) James Reeve was undoubtedly a son 
of Thomas Reeve by a former marriage, 
which is not recorded in this country. He 
resided in Mattituck in the town of South- 
old, where he died in 1692-3, leaving sons: 
James (2). mentioned below; Isaac, Thom- 
as and Daniel; and daughters: Hannah and 
Deborah. 

(III) James (2), eldest son of Jatnes (i) 
Reeve, resided in Mattituck, where he died 
at the age of sixty years. Sons : James, 
Selah, mentioned below ; Nathaniel and Ebe- 
nczer. 

(IV) Selah, second son of James (2) 
Reeve, was born March 21. 1741, and died 
at Newburg, New York, February 21, 1796. 





e 




^' 




^'rfyr///,r- 9/, ,/r/: , r ■ // . '//,rrr 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



He was commissioned second lieutenant of 
the Third Long Island Regiment, June 27, 
1776, and after the occupation of the island 
by the British forces he was obliged to flee 
with his family and such of his property as 
could be readily removed. These were 
transported on a scow across Long Island 
Sound, and he remained in Connecticut un- 
til 1784, when he settled in the town of New- 
burg, New York, about three miles north 
of the then village of that name. A plain, 
brown stone slab marks his resting place in 
the old town cemetery. Another slab re- 
cords that his wife, Katurah, born January 
23, 1745, died January 21, 1829, surviving 
him almost thirty-three years. His sons 
were: James, Selah (2), mentioned below, 
and Joseph. 

(V) Selah (2), second son of Selah (i) 
and Katurah Reeve, was born October 21, 
1767, in Southold. and died at Newburg, 
April II, 1837. He resided in early life in 
Newburg and served as trustee of the vil- 
lage. In 1797 he was a member of the fire 
company and resigned the next year on his 
removal to Hunting Grove on the Otterkill, 
where he engaged in the milling business. 
In 1802 he returned to Newburg and es- 
tablished a new industry, that of manufac- 
turing brown earthenware. At this time he 
had a partner in the person of Nathan Burl- 
ing, and soon after added crockery and glass 
to the wares in which they dealt. Follow- 
ing this Mr. Reeve was for many years en- 
gaged in the freighting business. In 1814 in 
association with Hiram Falls, he purchased 
a store, dock and freight business at the 
corner of Third and Water streets, New- 
burg, and operated the sloops "Patriot" and 
"Washington". In 1825 his sons, Christo- 
pher and George, purchased the interest of 
Mr. Falls and thereafter the business was 
conducted under the name of Reeve & Sons. 
In 1830 Selah Reeve retired from the busi- 
ness and in 1832 it passed into the hands of 
his son George. Selah Reeve was a mem- 
ber of the board of trustees of the village of 
Newburg in 1802, 1810, 1818-19-20-21 and 
1828-29. From 1818 to 1821 inclusive, he 
was president of the board. He married in 
1795, at Newburg, Elizabeth Tusten Van 
Duser, born 1776-7, died May 4, 1854. There 
were eleven children; Millicent, Christo- 
pher, Chas. F. v., Julia Ann, George, men- 



tioned below ; Eliza, Jane, Nathan, Harriet 
M., Mary E., and Selah. 

(VI) George, son of Selah (2) and Eliza- 
beth T. (Van Duser) Reeve, was born in 
1800, at Newburg, and died October 31, 
1854. For many years he was associated 
with his father in business and with his 
brothers succeeded to the business. For 
some time before his death he lived a quiet 
and retired life. In 1840 he built a mansion 
on Grand street, Newburg, which is still oc- 
cupied by his eldest daughter, Mrs. Mead. 
The family were members of St. George's 
Episcopal Church of which Mr. Reeve was 
a vestryman. He married Caroline, daugh- 
ter of Stephen Ingersoll, of Dutchess coun- 
ty. Mr. and Mrs. Reeve were the parents 
of three children : Maria W., mentioned be- 
low ; Arianna Somerville and George Henry. 
The last named died at the age of twenty 
vears. 

(VII) Maria AV., eldest daughter of 
George and Caroline (Ingersoll) Reeve, is 
the widow of Obediah Mead of New York 
City. Mr. Mead was a member of the firm 
of Ralph Mead & Company, importers of 
sugar and tea, of New York City. 



The Olcotts of Albany, New 
OLCOTT York, descend in direct un- 
broken male succession from 
Thomas Olcott, the immigrant ancestor of 
the Connecticut branch of the family, who 
was among the first settlers of the town of 
Hartford, and one of the founders of the 
trade and commerce of the colony of Con- 
necticut. He came from England with the 
Winthrop Company in 1630. There is rea- 
son to believe that he was one of the "good- 
ly company" of men, women and children, 
who in June, 1635, left Newton and other 
settlements in Massachusetts to plant a new 
colony in the- Connecticut valley. They 
came through the wilderness until they 
reached the mouth of the Chicopee river, 
near what is now Springfield, and followed 
down the banks of the Connecticut to the 
s])ot, where in the autumn before the settle- 
ment was begun, which is now Hartford, 
but then called Suckiange. Mr. Olcott had 
been educated in England, was a merchant, 
and brought with him the experience and 
fruits of successful enterprise. In common 
with Edward Hopkins, Richard Lord, \\'i\- 



114 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



liam Whiting and others he engaged in 
trade, for which the Connecticut was sup- 
posed to afford great facilities, especially in 
the traffic of furs. Mr. Olcott first located 
himself on a lot on the east side of the pub- 
lic, now State House, square. He subse- 
quently became the purchaser of one of the 
lots assigned to Edward Hopkins in the 
original distribution of the town among the 
first settlers. This lot comprised the whole 
square, fronting on Main street and bounded 
by Pearl, Trumbull and Asylum streets. On 
the southeast corner he erected a dwelling 
for his own occupation, which continued in 
the family for several generations. Thomas 
Olcott died in 1654, aged about forty-five 
years. His wife, Abigail, died May 26, 1693, 
aged seventy-eight years. Children : Thom- 
as (2), of wiiom further ; Samuel ; John, bap- 
tized Eel)ruary 3, 1639; I'^lizal^elh, Decem- 
ber 7, 1643; Hannah. 

(H) Thomas (2), son of Thomas (i) and 
.Abigail Olcott, was born about 1635. There 
seems to be no record of his death. It ap- 
pears by the land records of Hartford that 
lie lived to advanced age, and until the year 
1719. A deed of land from him to his son, 
Thomas Olcott (3), is dated February 14, 
1719. His wife, Mary, died May 3, 1721, at 
\\indsor, Connecticut. Children: i. Abi- 
gail, died March 14, 1688, at Springfield, 
Mas.sachusetts. 2. Mary. 3. Thomas (3), 
of whom further. 4. Samuel, died May 10, 
'693- 5- John, drowned May 25, 1685. 6. 
Timothy, born 1677. died April 3, 1754: mar- 
ried (first) ; married (second) Mary, 

widow of F.bcnezer Field, daughter of Ebe- 
nezer Dudley, of East Guilford, Connecti- 
cut, who died April 20, 1740; married 

(third) Elizabeth , died August 29. 

1764. 

inn Thomas (3), son of Thomas (2) and 
Mary Olcott, of Hartford, has no record of 
birth or death. He married, 1691, Sarah 
Footc. of Wethcrsfield, Connecticut, who 
died July 24. 1756, in the cighlv-sixth year 
«)f her age. Children: i. Abigail, died at 
the age of eighteen years. 2. Sarah, born 
December 12, iftc)^; married a Mr. Dean of 
Plainfielil, Connecticut. 3. Mary. November 
21. 1^^/): married a Mr. Stough'ton. 4 Cul- 
hck, .April iS, i69(;, died 1732. :;. Nathaniel, 
September 11, 1701 ; married Hannah 
daughter of Nathaniel Pitkin, of East Hart- 



ford. 6. Josiah, March 2, 1703, died Febru- 
ary 8, 1785; married, May 15, 1740, Penel- 
ope, daughter of Rev. Jonah Beckwith, of 
Lyme, Connecticut. 7. Margaret, April 12, 
1705; married Richard Ely, of Lyme, Con- 
necticut. 8. Hannah, August 4, 1707. 9. 
Elizabeth, November 17, 1709; married Col- 
onel John Pitkin, of East Hartford, Con- 
necticut, brother of Governor William Pit- 
kin, and great-grandson of William Pitkin, 
one of the first settlers of Hartford. 10. A 
child, born 1712, died in infancy. 11. Thom- 
as (4), of whom further. 

(IV) Thomas (4), son of Thomas (3) and 
Sarah (Foote) Olcott, of Hartford, was 
born in 1713, died May 3, 1795. He was a 
resident of Stratford, Connecticut. He mar- 
ried (first) 1736, Sarah, daughter of John 
Easton. of Hartford, who died March 30, 

1756. He married (second) November 10, 

1757, Sarah, widow of Hezekiah Thompson, 
of Stratford, Connecticut, and daughter of 
Zachariah Tomlinson. She died May 11, 
181 1, in the eighty-ninth year of her age. 
Children by first wife: i. Josiah, born July 
17, 1737, died at age of ten years. 2. Sarah, 
August 17, 1742; married Thomas Hawley, 
of Stepney. 3. John Easton. July 24. 1749; 
married Hannah Sands, of Long Island, 
New- York. Children by second wife : 4. 
Thomas, born October 3. 1738: married 
(first) Mary, daughter of Andrew Thomj)- 
son, of New Haven, Connecticut; (second). 
March, 1821, Lucy Mitchell. 5. Josiah, of 
whom further. 6. Hannah, January 25, 
1762; married, about 1780, Beach Judson, 
of Stratford, Connecticut. 7. Mary. April 
?>• 17'^.V married. March 18, 1784, Captain 
Nchemiah Gorham. who served in the revo- 
lutionary war. 8. Anna, 1763; married, Au- 
gust 30, 1769, Isaac Bronson. of Bridgeport, 
Connecticut. 

(V) Josiah, son of Thomas (4) and Sarah 
(Tomlinson-Thompson) Olcott, was born at 
Stratford. Connecticut. July 19. 1760. died in 
Hudson. New York, January 24. i860, in the 
one hundredth year of his age. He was edu- 
cated in New England, but settled in Hudson. 
Columbia county. New York, then a thriving 
city with a large fleet of sea-going vessels, 
largely engaged in the whaling industry, 
that annually brought to the city many tons 
of whalebone and many thousand barrels of 
whale oil. In 1785 he engaged in the manu- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



115 



facture of cordage with Thomas Jenkins, 
built a rope-walk six hundred feet in length, 
and did an extensive business in the making 
and wholesaling of rope of all kinds and 
sizes. After the death of his partner he con- 
tinued the business alone. He was a shrewd 
and capable business man of energy and di- 
rect purpose. The qualities that made his 
own life a success were transmitted to his 
posterity, as will be seen in the following 
generations. His long and useful life ended 
in Hudson, and covered a century which 
saw the colonies emerge from dependencies 
into a great united independent nation. The 
second war with Great Britain and the war 
with Mexico had terminated and he died 
just as the nation was plunging into the 
great civil war. 

He married Deborah, daughter of Thom- 
as and Deborah Worth, of Nantucket, 
Massachusetts, June 7, 1794. Children: i. 
Thomas Worth, of whom further. 2. Fred- 
erick, born January 16, 1797, died March 29, 
1816. 3. Ann Maria, November 11, 1798; 
married, September 27, 1819, Richard L 
Wells, of Coxsackie, New York. 4. Alfred, 
died in infancy. 5. Ophelia, February 18, 
1803, died October 10, 1839; married, De- 
cember 28, 1836, William Henry Folger, of 
Hudson, New York. 6. Theodore, May 28, 
1805; married (first) May 5, 1834, Eliza 
Yates; (second) October i, 1840, Mary 
Jenkins. 7. Jane Matilda, March 28, 1906, died 
April 9, 1837. 8. Orrin, died in infancy. 9. 
Horatio Josiah, January 4, 1810; married, 
September 6, 1831, Harriet M. Leonard. 10. 
Egbert, October 18, 1812, died May 22, 1873; 
married, September 5, 1837, Mary E. L. 
White. II. Mary, died in infancy. 12. Car- 
oline, twin, December 4, 1818, died March 
26, 1885. 13. Cornelia, twin, December 4, 
1818, died November 13, 1899. 

(VI) Thomas Worth, son of Josiah and 
Deborah (W^orth) Olcott, was born in Hud- 
son, New York, May 22, 1795, died March 
23, 1880, in Albany. He was educated in 
the Hvidson schools, and began his long and 
successful career in finance as a clerk in the 
Columbia Bank of Hudson, where he re- 
mained two years. He rapidly grasped the 
fundamental principles governing mone- 
tary laws. His active mind and cjuick, de- 
cisive character made him an unusually 
valuable employee, and when the Mechan- 



ics' and Farmers' Bank opened its doors for 
business, July 29, 181 1, he was one of the 
clerical force. On that date began his 
remarkable connection with that institution, 
a connection lasting nearly seventy years, 
the last forty-four years of which were spent 
in the president's chair. His rise was rapid. 
Six years after the bank opened its doors 
for business, he became cashier. Nineteen 
years later, in June, 1836, he was elected 
president. The Mechanics' and Farmers' 
Bank, whose success in a large degree must 
be, and is by general consent, credited to 
the genius of Thomas Worth Olcott, was 
the third bank incorporated in Albany, and 
was chartered ostensibly for the benefit of 
the mechanics and farmers of Albany coun- 
ty. Its charter provided that none but me- 
chanics and farmers should be elected as 
bank officers, but some years later was 
amended so as to authorize the president 
and directors without reference to their oc- 
cupation or business. It is a noted fact and 
one that created considerable discussion and 
comment that the entire first board of di- 
rectors were Democrats. It had been un- 
derstood that two Federalists would have a 
place on the board, and they were later sub- 
stituted. Thomas W. Olcott was the fifth 
president, and at his death he was succeeded 
by his son Dudley, who is the present in- 
cumbent (1910). 

The first period of the bank's history end- 
ed by the expiration of charter in 1833. At 
the expiration of the second charter in 1853 
the bank closed up its affairs, when the 
stockholders received one hundred and fif- 
teen per cent., besides their stock in the 
new bank, which renewed the charter for 
twenty years and went into operation again 
with the same officers. During the civil 
war the hank closed up its affairs and re- 
organized in 18^5 under the national bank- 
ing laws, having previously operated as a 
state bank. In 1868 they again chartered 
under state bankingr laws, abandoning tlie 
national system. The career of the bank 
has been one of unvarying prosperity, ex- 
cept only a short period in 1817 when the 
capital became impaired, owing to the finan- 
cial trouble growing out of depression fol- 
lowing the war with Great Britain in 1812- 
14. In 1855 the Mechanics' and Farmers' 
Savings Bank was incorporated with Thorn- 



n6 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



as W. Olcott as the first president, succeed- 
ed in 1880 by his son Dudley. 

While Mr. Olcott was eminently the man 
of affairs and held a position in the financial 
world second to none and was recognized 
as a great banker, his obligation to his city 
as a citizen did not rest lightly upon him. 
He was an active, as well as a leading mem- 
ber of the boards of several of the public 
charitable and educational associations that 
have made Albany famous. His private 
benevolences were many and cannot be re- 
corded ; his public service can. He was vice- 
president of the first board of directors of 
.Mbany Law School, organized in 1851, the 
fourth' school of its kind in the United 
States. In 1833 he was elected president of 
the board, continuing until his death in 1880. 
He was president of the first board of di- 
rectors of Dudley Observatory, a scientific 
institution founded through the munificence 
of Mrs. Blandina Dudley, widow of Charles 
E. Dudley, with the co-operation of leading 
citizens of Albany. The observatory prof- 
ited greatly through the generosity of Mr. 
Olcott and his sons, the latter furnishing the 
funds for refitting Olcott Meridian Circle 
(named for its donor), housing it in a suit- 
able building and remounting it on the new 
site. He was president of the Albany Agri- 
cultural and Arts Association ; president of 
Albany Hospital, in which he took a deep 
and lasting interest; trustee and president 
of Albany Girls' Academy ; trustee of the 
Boys' .Vcademy ; president of Albany Ceme- 
tary .Association. In addition to these in- 
stitutions, all of which he served faithfully, 
giving largely of his rare executive ability 
and unerring judgment, his purse was ever 
open for all good causes, earning him the 
title of the "most charitable man in Albany." 
Returning to liis business life he was 
president of the Albany & West Stock- 
bridge Railroad Company, afterwards merged 
into the Boston & Albany system, and later 
trustee of the sinking fund commission, ap- 
pointed to retire the bonds issued by the 
city of Albany to aid in the construction of 
the road. The retirement of these bonds 
was successfully accomplished under the 
guidance of Mr. Olcott, and is still referred 
to as the "greatest piece of financiering ever 
accomplished in Albany." When Secretary 
Chase wH'; perfecting plans for a national 



bank system he held frequent interviews 
with Mr. Olcott and was largely guided by 
his wise counsel. In 1863 he declined a 
flattering offer from President Lincoln of 
the position of first comptroller of the cur- 
rency, and declined all public ofifice except 
such as related to the promotion of educa- 
tion or other local interest. During his 
business life he developed a wonderful qual- 
ity of quick, decisive action. Strong in his 
opinions, yet he was always open to convic- 
tion and ready to accept the views of oth- 
ers. His ability to judge human nature and 
read men was another marked quality. His 
courage was another attribute that rendered 
him conspicuous; nothing daunted him. and 
failure was a word with which he was un- 
acquainted. He was identified with the 
Christian life of Albany as member and 
trustee of the Second Presbyterian Church. 
His political life was inconspicuous. In 
early life and up to i860 he was a Democrat ; 
then for the remainder of his life a Repub- 
lican. He W'as strongly Union in his senti- 
ments, and served on the committee having 
in charge the recruiting and equipping of 
the One Hundred and Thirteenth New 
York Regiment (Seventh Regiment, New 
York \'olunteer Artillery). His only other 
public ofifices that can be construed as politi- 
cal were his position as bridge commissioner 
to select the site of the lower bridge across 
the Hudson at South Ferry street, and his 
appointment to the state board of regents. 
His home in Albany was in the midst of a 
plot of about three acres of ground and 
there he gratified his love for flowers and 
plants to the fullest extent and spent his 
hours of leisure in their cultivation. He was 
quiet, unostentatious and domestic in his 
tastes and habits, giving little evidence of 
being the wealthy and distinguished finan- 
cier. He died at his home in Albany in his 
eighty-fifth year, continuing his active busi- 
ness life until his last illness. 

He married Caroline, daughter of Daniel 
Pepoon, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, .Xu- 
gust 17, 1818. She died March 12, 1867. 
Children: i. Frederick Worth, born Au- 
•gust 10, 1820, died November 2, 1822. 2. 
Thomas, December 31, 182 1, died August 
27, 1873: married (first) April 3. 1844. Lucia 
Marvin Fowler, who died .August 25. 1S30; 
(second) October 5, 1853. Harriet M. Leon- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



117 



ard, who died January 13, 1861 ; (third) Feb- 
ruary 19, 1863, Emma McCHve. 3. John 
Josiah, March 11, 1823, died April 10, 1899. 

4. Robert, July 26, 1824, died May 10, 1859. 

5. Mary Marvin, April 11, 1826, died April 
25, 1892. 6. Theodore, May i, 1828, died 
February 27, 1907; married October 2, 1856, 
Ann Hazleton Maynard. 7. Alexander, Au- 
gust 10, 1829, died April 21, 1887; married, 
May 21, 1856, Catherine Amanda Mallory. 

8. Grace, April 5, 1834, died August 7, 1834. 

9. Dudley, died in infancy. 10. Dudley, of 
whom further. 11. Frederick Pepoon, of 
whom further. 

(VII) Dudley, son of Thomas Worth and 
Caroline (Pepoon) Olcott, was born in Al- 
bany, New York, September 21, 1838. He 
was educated in the Albany Boys' Acad- 
emy, and afterwards attended the Rensse- 
laer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, where 
he took a course in civil engineering. In 
1858 he became connected with the Mechan- 
ics' and Farmers' Savings Bank of Alljany, 
as accountant. This position he held for 
seven years, when he became assistant cash- 
iei' of the Mechanics' and Farmers' Bank, 
and later cashier. For thirteen years he 
was cashier of this bank, until December 
31, 1878, when he was chosen vice-president 
dent. In March, 1880, he was elected presi- 
dent, succeeding his father. Under his wise 
and able management the bank has contin- 
ued its successful life, and is one of the 
strong, conservative financial institutions of 
the state. He is thoroughly versed in the 
laws governing finance, is devoted to the 
institution over which he presides, and is 
recognized everywhere as one of the clear- 
est-headed and ablest financiers of the state. 
He was at one time president of the Albany 
Bankers' Association, and represented the 
Mechanics' and Farmers' Bank in the lead- 
ing bank associations of the country. In 
1861 he toured Europe, since which time his 
service has been continuous, saving only his 
annual summer vacation, which is spent in 
Canada. The connection of the Olcotts, fa- 
ther and son, now covers the period of a 
full century, 1811-1911. Seventy-five of 
these years have seen them occupying the 
president's chair. This is both a wonderful 
and unusual record, and probably un- 
equalled in point of continuous ser\'ice. 

Mr. Olcott has no outside business in- 



terests, although he is devoted to the wel- 
fare of many of the leading public institu- 
tions of Albany. He is a member of the 
board of governors of the Albany Hospital, 
president of the Albany Cemetery Associa- 
tion, trustee of the Home for Aged Men, 
trustee of the Albany Orphan Asylum, trus- 
tee of the Albany Academy for Girls, and 
aids other good causes by his influence and 
liberality. He served his state one term as 
paymaster-general, appointed by Governor 
Fenton in 1867. He served the city of Al- 
bany as park commissioner, was treasurer 
and later president of the commission dur- 
ing its entire existence. Politically he is a 
Republican, but his devotion to business pre- 
cludes all idea of public atTairs. He is a 
member of the Fort Orange and Country 
clubs, Albany, and of the Metropolitan Un- 
ion League and Down Town clubs, of New 
York City. He is fond of the solitude of 
the great woods, and for the past thirty-one 
years has spent each summer vacation at 
Restigouche river, Canada, where his favor- 
ite sport, salmon fishing, is his daily occu- 
pation. Mr. Olcott's home is the old fam- 
ily mansion in Albany, in the midst of the 
beauties created and loved by his father, 
which he perpetuates and continues in lov- 
ing remembrance. He is unmarried. 

(\TI) Frederick Pepoon, son of Thomas 
Worth and Caroline (Pepoon) Olcott, was 
Ijorn in Albany, New York, February 23, 
1841, and died at his home, "Round Top," 
near Bernardsville, New Jersey, April 15, 
1909. Upon graduation from the Albany 
Academy he entered the bank of which his 
father was president and there secured the 
training and knowledge in financial matters 
which characterized his business career, and 
placed him in the highest rank of modern 
conservative financial men. For a time he 
was engaged in the lumber business, also a 
partner with Blake Brothers & Company, 
liankers and brokers. In 1882 he accepted 
the nomination and was elected comptroller 
of the state of New York, which position 
he occupied for a term of two years. In 
1884 he declined the Democratic nomination 
for governor, and accepted the presidency 
of the Central Trust Company, of New 
York City, where he remained until 1905 ; 
retiring in that year on account of ill-health 
to his favorite residence and farm, "Round 



ii8 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



'lop," Bernardsville, New Jersey. In addi- 
tion to his connection with the Central 
Trust Company Mr. Olcott was president 
oi the Galveston, Houston & Henderson 
railroad, a director of the Delaware, Lacka- 
wanna & Western railroad and other rail- 
roads, of the Bank of America, and of the 
iMorristown Trust Company of New Jer- 
sey. 

Personally Mr. Olcott was known as a 
man of broad, philanthropic tendencies, tak- 
ing personal interest in the political and 
social welfare of the community, and ever 
ready to assist those less successful in the 
battle of life. A few years before his death 
he provided an endowment of fifty thou- 
sand dollars for the Albany Academy. He 
was greatly interested in horticulture, and 
his gardens were famous for the production 
of choice plants and rare flowers. He was 
also a breeder of trottinsj horses. Mr. Ol- 
cott was a member of the Union League, 
New York Yacht, Metropolitan, Manhattan 
and Down Town clubs, of New York, and 
of the Morristown Club. 

Mr. Olcott married Mary Esmay, by 
whom he is survived, together with chil- 
dren: Diftlley, of whom further; and one 
daughter. 

(VHI) Dudley (2), son of Frederick P. 
and Mary (Esmay) Olcott, was born in 
New York City, May 14, 1874. He was edu- 
cated in his place of birth, and his business 
career has been conducted in connection 
witii the Central Trust Company. He now 
resides in Morristown, New Jersey. Mr. 
Olcott has taken membership in the follow- 
ing clubs : Metropolitan, Tuxedo, Morris 
County Golf, New York Athletic, Morris- 
tnwn, Whippany River, Automobile of 
America, and Grolier. 

He married, at Bernardsville, New Jer- 
sey, August 18, 1903, Sarah Crozer L. Le- 
vick, born at Philadelphia. March 10, 1875, 
daughter of Thomas Bowin and Elizabeth 
Shippen Buckley (Grubb) Levick. Chil- 
dren of Dudley (2) Olcott: Gladys Grubb, 
horn at New York City, December 29, 1905 ; 
Jeanette Grubb. Morristown, New Jersey. 
May 7,0, 1907. 



This old Dutch name 
\'AN DEUSEN is derived from a ham- 
let of about five hun- 



dred people in Noord Brabant or North Bra- 
bant, Holland, called Deursen. The immi- 
grant ancestor of the family came from 
Deurse, the "Van" being used in the ordi- 
nary sense of "from," indicating that the 
immigrant ancestor or the original ancestor 
who first bore the surname that became 
hereditary to his descendants came from 
that place. It was thus that the surname 
arose, as is the case in a great number of 
Dutch surnames in this country. Previous 
to arrival in America the Dutchman was 
usually designated by the baptismal name 
of his father with the affi.x "sen"' attached, 
and it was a universal custom for one hun- 
dred and fifty years to use the father's name 
as a middle name among the Dutch fami- 
lies. This usage has made it possible to 
trace many lines that would otherwise be 
undiscoverable. 

(I) Matthew or Teuwis Abrahamse Van 
Deusen, immigrant ancestor of the Van 
Deusen family, was born in Holland, and 
was one of five brothers, sons of Abraham 
\'an Deusen, who came to America about 
the middle of the seventeenth century. The 
names of the five sons of Abraham Van 
Deusen were : Lsaac, Melchert, Matthew, 
Jacob, Peter. Matthew resided in the vil- 
lage of Beverwyck (Albany) in 1659, and 
he was the owner of a lot there from 1656 
to 1667. This lot had a frontage of thirty- 
five feet on Broadway, extending back to 
James street. December, 1677, I^aulus .Mar- 
tense Van Benthuysen conveyed by deed 
to Harme Janse Lyndrayer the same prop- 
erty in Rensselaerwyck formerly conveyed 
to him by Mattheus Abrahamse Van Deu- 
sen. by deed declared June 26. 1677. This 
property was situated in the city of Albany 
on the west side of and fronting on Broad- 
way, north of Maiden Lane, extending back 
to that street and lying between Maiden 
Lane and Steuben street. At a sale in 
Albany, July 5. 1664, he purchased a cow 
for one hundred and eighteen florins. For 
the payment of this sum Cornells Teunisse 
Bos went his surety and principal, and Mat- 
thew on his part pledged himself as surety 
for Cornelius Bos on the same day for the 
payment of one hundred and twelve florins 
for the purchase of the running works of a 
horse mill. Matthew was still living in Al- 
bany in 1700, and no record of his death 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



iiy 



appears. His wife bore the name of Helena. 
Children: i. Lysbet (Elizabeth), married 
Johannes Benson, February 2, 16S0; died in 
1746. 2. Robert, mentioned below. 3. 
Tryntje (Catherine), married Samson Ben- 
son about 1673. 4. Jan, married Maritje 
Martense Van Buren, March 14, 1695. 5. 
Isaac, married Bata Van Ysselsteyn, Octo- 
ber 9, 1706. 6. Helena, married Harpert 
Van Deusen, November 7, 1707. 

(H) Robert, eldest son of Matthew or 
Teuwis Abrahamse and Helena \'an Deu- 
sen, was a resident of Claverack, Columbia 
county. New York, in 1720, and probably 
spent most of his life in that town. He 
married (first) about 1689, Cornelia Mar- 
tense, daughter of Martin Cornelis and 
Maritje \'an Buren, who probably died be- 
fore 1718. His brother, Jan, married Mar- 
itje Alartense, the sister of Cornelia Martense 
Van Buren. He married (second) August 
21. 1718, Gertruyd Van Benthuysen. In the 
will of Martin Cornelis \'an Buren, of Rens- 
selaerwyck Colony, registered April 10, 
1710. he devised his property to his daugh- 
ter, Cornelia Martense, wife of Robert Van 
Deusen. Children of Robert and Cornelia 
Martense (Van Buren) Van Deusen: i. 
Johannes, born July 13, 1690; married 
Styntje (Christina) Van Alen, August 16, 
1712. 2. Mattheus, born November i, 1691, 
died before 1756. 3. Martin, born February 
21, 1694; married (first) Elbertje Vander 
Poel, December 23, 1719; (second) Febru- 
ary 19, 1744, Zara Gardenier, at Kinderhook 
(banns) in the presence of the Elder, John 
Goes. 4. Tobias, baptized August 16, 1696; 
married, at Johnstown, in the township of 
Livingstone, Columbia county, New York, 
March 31, 1723. Ariaantie Muller, of Clav- 
erack. 5. Robert, mentioned below. 

(Ill) Robert (2), youngest son of Robert 
(i) and Cornelia Martense (\'an Buren) 
Van Deusen, was born in August, 1700, bap- 
tized SejJtember i, 1700. He married Chris- 
tina Roorbach, November 22, 1724, at Kings- 
ton, Dominie Georg Wilhelm Mancius offi- 
ciating. Children: i. Robert, baptized Feb- 
ruary 7, 1727. at Claverack, by the Rev. 
Pietrus Van Duissen at the dedication of 
the church; married Catherine Van Ham, 
January, 1750. 2. Cornelia, baptized No- 
vember 19. 1727, at Claverack, died young. 
3. Johannes, baptized April 14, 1729, at Kin- 



derhook, Columbia county, New York ; mar- 
ried Fytie Roorbach. 4. James, mentioned 
below. 5. Cornelia, baptized June 15, 1735, 
at Johnstown, Columbia county. New York; 
married Tobias Van Deusen, May 15, 1758. 

6. Martin, baptized January 29, 1737, at 
Kinderhook ; married Elizabeth Oostrnder, 
November i, 1764. 7. Barent, baptized Au- 
gust 17, 1740, at Johnstown, Columbia coun- 
ty. New York ; married Jenneke Schut. 8. 
Christina, baptized October 17, 1743, at 
Claverack, Columbia county. New York ; 
married Isaac Spoor. 9. Tobias, baptized 
May 31, 1748, at Johnstown, Columbia coun- 
ty, New York, died October 27, 1802; mar- 
ried (first) Hannah Spoor, (second) Tryntje 
Van Deusen, February 15, 1789. 

(IV) James, son of Robert (2) and Chris- 
tina (Roorbach) Van Deusen, was baptized 
September 30, 1733, at Germantown, Colum- 
bia county. New York. He owned a farm 
about a mile north of Johnstown, Columbia 
county, New York, on the road leading to 
Hudson, and another farm at West Tagh- 
kanie. The latter farm he gave to his son 
Nicholas. The Johnstown farm he gave to 
his son, Robert, which farm was afterwards 
owned by Henry du Bois (in 1894 by Aus- 
tin Hodskins). James Van Deusen and his 
wife are buried on this farm, near the old 
hay barn. A Bible record owned by Mrs. 
Mary E. Briggs-Kells, of Sheffield, Massa- 
chusetts, gives the date of his death as June 

7, 1820. James Van Deusen was a man of 
unusual strength and vigor and exceeding- 
ly tall. On account of his height he was 
called "Foyer" by the members of his fam- 
ily. He died very suddenly at the home of 
his son, Nicholas Van Deusen, on the farm 
at West Taghkanie, Columbia county. New 
York, his dead body being found in his bed 
by the family slave, named Dunn. His wife, 
Elizabeth, daughter of Jonas Smith, origi- 
nally Smidt, who came from Germany, and 
settled at Johnstown, became blind in the 
latter years of her life ; she died at the home 
of her son, Robert, near Johnstown. Chil- 
dren of James and Elizabeth (Smith) Van 
Deusen: i. Matthew, born February 22, 
1761, at Johnstown. 2. Margreta. born De- 
cember 25, 1764, at Johnstown. 3. Nicholas, 
mentioned below. 4. Christyntje, born Oc- 
tober, 1767. 5. Robert, born December 15, 
1772, at Claverack, New York. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



(V) Nicholas, son of James and Elizabeth 
(Smith) Van Deusen, was born May 31, 
1766, died January 4, 1829, at the home ot 
James Nicholas Van Deusen, at West Tagh- 
kanic, which is now in possession of the 
two unmarried daughters of James Nicho- 
las, who also died there. Thus three gen- 
erations of heads of families of Van Deusen 
have died at this homestead. He married 
Anna Fonda. Children: i. James Nicho- 
las, born October 13, 1789. 2. Peter, born 
July 29, 1791. 3. Christina, born December 
II. 1793- 4- Matthew, born September 6, 
1796. 5. Elizabeth, born June 8, 1798. 6. 
Margaret, born July 28, 1801. 7. Robert 
Nicholas, mentioned below. 

(VI) Robert Nicholas, youngest son of 
Nicholas and Anna (Fonda) Van Deusen, 
was born October 4, 1804, died October 28, 
1867. As a young man looking about to se- 
cure a position to better himself, he fur- 
nished a man to assist his father in his store 
and undertook the teaching of a school in 
the neighborhood where he was born. He 
afterwards served as a clerk in the store of 
Forrest & \'an Deusen at Johnstown. He 
entered into the flour mill and general mer- 
chandise business with Abram F. Miller as 
partner in the town of Ancram. When Mr. 
Miller retired from business Mr. Van Deu- 
sen secured the store and mill on Punch 
brook, built by Livingstone in 1775, which 
was situated at Scotchtown. Afterwards as 
a result of exposure his health failed to 
.such a degree as to incapacitate him for 
business. He married Catherine Best. Chil- 
dren: I. Edwin Holmes, mentioned below. 
2. Margaret Ann, born July 27, 1830. 3. 
Ellen, born September 20, 1832, married 
William Pierson Ilazleton, of Tarrytown, 
New York. 

(VH) Dr. Edwin Holmes Van Deusen, 
son of Robert Nicholas and Catherine 
(Best) Van Deusen, was born August 29, 
1828, in Columbia county. New York, died 
in 1910. at Livingston, New York. He was 
educated at Williams College, graduating in 
the class of 1848. He attended the College 
of Physicians and Surgeons in New York 
City, and graduated in the class of 1850. In 
1853 he was appointed first assistant physi- 
cian at the State Lunatic Asylum, Utica. 
New York. In 1855 he was appointed su- 
pcrmtendent of the Michigan State Asylum 



at Kalamazoo, where he remained as super- 
intendent for the next twenty years. He 
retired owing to failing health and lived in 
Kalamazoo until a short time before his 
death, which occurred at Goshen, New 
York. He was an active churchman and 
vestryman of the Presbyterian church, and 
he was also a member of the State Board of 
Charities and Corrections, Michigan. Dr. 
\'an Deusen belonged to the Free Mason 
Society, being a member of the Lodge at 
Utica, New York. He married Cynthia, 
daughter of John T. and Cynthia ( \'an 
Slyck) Wendover, of Stuyvesant Landing, 
New York, in 1858. They had two chil- 
dren, a daughter who died in infancy, and 
Robert Thompson, mentioned below. 

(VllI) Robert Thompson, only son of 
Dr. Edwin Holmes and Cynthia (\\'end- 
over) \*an Deusen, was born at Kalamazoo, 
Michigan, April 26, 1859. He was educated 
in Kalamazoo, and spent his life there until 
tlie age of twenty. At that age he began 
to travel and has kept on doing so up to the 
present time. He has been a member of the 
Holland Society and of the Society of the 
Sons of the American Revolution, but re- 
signed some time ago. He married, June 
6, 1899, at Hartford, Connecticut, Harriet 
Louise Mosher, of Albany county. New 
York, daughter of Leonard Mosher. Chil- 
dren : Harriet Huj'ck, born in 1900, and 
Robert ^\'., born in 1903. 



Of this surname in its English 
ROE forms of Row and Rowe is said by 

Lower to be possibly derived from 
the word "row", applied to a street or rather 
a detached row of houses. In some cases, 
he thinks, it may be derived from a parish 
of the same name in Dumbartonshire, Scot- 
land. Or again he thinks it may be taken 
from the Gaelic word "rhu", signifying a 
low, detached, narrow peninsula. Rowe 
without any prefix is found in the Hundred 
Rolls of England. The name has also been 
fancifully derived from Roo or Rollo, the 
famous leader of the Danes in the ninth 
century. Whatever may be said about the 
English name of Rowe. however, there is 
no question concerning the derivation of the 
patronymic of the Roe families of Ireland 
who have in many cases preserved their 
pedigrees n\cr a period of two thousand 



I 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



years. The Roes of Ireland are a branch 
of the O'Neills of Tyrone, who were mon- 
archs of Ireland for over five hundred years, 
Princes of Tyrone, and Kings of Ulster. 
The name itself is taken from Niall Ruadh 
("ruadh" in Irish or Gaelic means "red", 
applied to a warrior with red flowing locks), 
who is one hundred and eleven on the pedi- 
gree of the O'Neills of Ulster, and the chief 
ancestor of the Roe family. The old form 
of the name in Gaelic was O'Ruaiadh, and 
has been anglicised into Rowe and Roe, "d" 
when followed by an aspirate in Gaelic re- 
maining silent. This Niall Ruadh was a 
Prince of Ulster, and was married to Nuala, 
who died in 1226. the daughter of Roderic 
O'Cnncubhair or O'Conor. the hundred and 
eighty-third monarch of Ireland. The son 
of Niall Ruadh was Brian Catha Dun, in the 
direct line of the Roes, who is reckoned as 
the one hundred and eighty-fourth monarch 
of Ireland. Under the date A. D. 1258 the 
"Annals of the Four Masters" says of this 
Brian : "Hugh, the son of Felim O'Conor 
and Teige O'Brian, marched with a great 
force to Caol Uisge (near the present New- 
ry) to hold a conference with Brian O'Neill, 
to whom the foregoing chiefs granted the 
sovereignty over the Irish, and they agreed 
that the hostages of Hugh O'Conor should 
be given to him as sureties for the fulfiH- 
ment of tliis compact, and the hostages of 
the O'Reilly's people and also those of the 
Hy-Bruin, from Kells to DrumclifT, should 
be likewise given to Hugh, the son of Felim 
O'Conor." After tliis Brian's death on the 
battlefield of Drom Deirg at Dunleathglas 
(now Downpatrick), commanding the Irish 
forces against the English, he was succeed- 
ed in the Principality of Ulster by the cele- 
brated Hugh Buidhe, son of Donal Oge, son 
of Hugh Dubh, the ancestor of the O'Neills 
of Clanaboy. There are several branches of 
this interesting Roe family that have pre- 
served all the links in their remarkable pedi- 
gree down to the present generation, nota- 
ble among them being that of Henry Roe, 
Esq., of Dublin. The arms of the family 
are described heraldically : Ar. two lions 
rampant, combatant gu. armed and langued 
az. supporting a sinister red hand couped at 
the wrist erect, palm outward. Crest: A 
right arm couped below the elbow cased 
grasping a naked sword. Motto: Lamh dearg 



Abu. (The Red Hand Uppermost), this 
motto has been in remote times the battle- 
cry of the clan of which the family was the 
head. 

(I) Matthew Roe, the first ancestor of 
the Roe family in America here dealt with, 
was born in Ireland, probably in Ulster, and 
died in New Haven, Connecticut. He came 
from Ireland about 1640 and settled in 
course of time in East Haven, Connecticut. 
He married and had children, among them : 
Elizabeth, born January, 1650: Daniel, Jan- 
uary, 1651 ; John, mentioned below; Han- 
nah, August, 1656; Joseph, November, 1658; 
Stephen, August 28, 1660. 

(II) John, second son of Matthew Roe, 
was born in East Haven, Connecticut, April 
30, 1634. He married Abigail Alsop, July 
14, 1680. Children: John, born October 
23, 1681 ; Matthew, February 14, 1683; Ste- 
phen, mentioned below; Abigail, August 13, 
1689, married James Morris, in 1715; Han- 
nah, February 11, 1691, married John Leak 
in 1720; Sarah, October, 1700, married Elea- 
zar Brown in 1725. 

(III) Stephen, son of John and Abigail 
(Alsop) Roe, was born in New Haven, Con- 
necticut, July I, 1687, and lived there all 
his life. He married Mary Peck. Children: 
Stephen, born September, 1716; Joseph, 
mentioned below; Daniel, November 7, 
1720; Mary, December 21, 1722; Ebenezer, 
February 18, 1725. 

(IV) Joseph, son of Stephen and Mary 
(Peck) Roe, was born at New Haven, Con- 
necticut, October 7, 1718. He married. De- 
cember 21, 1743, Abigail Beecher. Chil- 
dren: Joseph, born September 27, 1744; 
Ebenezer, September 2, 1748; Rebekah, June 
29, 1750; Mary, January 28, 1753; Eunice, 
June 29, 1755; Stephen, mentioned below. 

(V) Stephen (2), youngest son of Joseph 
and Abigail (Beecher) Roe, was born at 
New Haven, Connecticut, January 31, 1758, 
died in 1835. He served in Job Wright's 
company. Colonel G. Vandscaick's regiment, 
during the revolutionary war and was at the 
battle of Fort Montgomery, and later drew 
a pension from the government. "Rebecca 
Roe drew a pension for services and food 
given the soldiers" runs a statement in one 
of the papers in the pension bureau at 
\\'ashington, D. C. Stephen Roe and his 
wife were both recognized by the continen- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



tal congress for services rendered the gov- 
ernment during the war of the revolution. 
Alter the war Stephen Roe taught school 
and was called ".Mr." Roe as a mark of dis- 
tinction, such a title being a distinction in 
those days. He married Rebecca Lewis. 
She was presumably the daughter of Leon- 
ard and Hannah (Perkins) Lewis. Leonard 
Lewis served in King Phillip's war in Cort- 
land's regiment as private in 1778, and died 
in 1817, about seventy-five years old. His 
father was Johannes Lewis, who married, 
in 1737, Sarah, daughter of Roger Ailing, 
who was treasurer of the colony of Connec- 
ticut from 1661 to 1664. His father, Leon- 
ard Lewis, married Elizabeth Hardenburgh, 
of Ulster county, New York, in 1688. He 
was captain of the Foot Company, 1700, 
and was later called colonel. He was a 
member of the assembly from 1699 to 1706, 
from New York and Dutchess county. The 
father of Elizabeth Hardenburgh was Ger- 
rit Ganse Hardenburgh, who was commis- 
sioned July 8, 1690, by Governor Leisler as 
commander of the sloop "Royal" to fight 
against the French. Among the children 
of Stephen and Rebecca (Lewis) Roe was 
Bentley. mentioned below. 

(VI) Bentley, son of Stephen (2) and Re- 
becca (Lewis) Roe, was born January 17, 
1785, in Ulster county. New York, and was 
killed by the bursting of a cannon at a cele- 
bration in September, 1S32. He lived quiet- 
ly with his wife on their farm at Milton, 
New York. He married Elizabeth Romer. 
Amnng his children was Stephen Romer, 
mentioned below. 

(VH) Stephen Romer, son of Bentley and 
Elizabeth (Romer) Roe. was born in Eso- 
pus. New York, .August 15. 180R. died in 
New York. December 22. 1885. He was for 
many years captain of the Hudson river 
steamboats. "Dc Witt Clinton." "Iron 
Witch," "Daniel Drew." and others, and 
was the first man to organize and adopt 
staterooms on boats. He was a friend of 
men like Thurlow Weed and William A. 
Seward, on whose staff he served when 
VVilliam A. Seward was governor of New 
York. In 1854, being threatened with blind- 
ness from cataracts, he gave up the position 
of captain and leased the hotel at West 
point. There he lived until 1864. when he 
retired to spend his summers at Highland 



Falls and his winters in New York City. 
Captain Roe was a most delightful and lov- 
able man, upright and just, and was ad- 
mired and respected by all who knew him. 
He married, in Athens, New York, October 
25, 1845, Josephine A. (Foster) Tolley, 
widow of Frederick Tolley ; she was born 
October 21, 1821, died November 4. 1894. 

(VIII) General Charles Francis Roe, son 
of Stephen Romer and Josephine A. (Fos- 
ter-Tolley) Roe, was born May i, 1848, in 
New York City. He graduated at West 
Point in 1868 and served in the Second 
United States Cavalry for twent)' years. 
He was in command of Troop F, Second 
Cavalry in 1876, when the command went 
to the rescue of the remnant of the United 
States Cavalry. ])art of which had been mas- 
sacred under General George A. Custer. He 
served in Montana. Dakota and W'ashing- 
ton until 18S8. When he resigned and came 
to New York to live, he organized Troop A, 
later Squadron A, and was made major- 
general. National Guard, New York. In 
1898 he was made brigadier-general of vol- 
unteers of the United States army. He 
served as a major-general until 1912, when 
he was retired for age. General Roe is a 
member of the societies of Colonial Wars, 
Sons of the Revolution by right of inheri- 
tance, Society of Indian wars, Military Or- 
der of Foreign Wars, by personal services 
rendered the United States, and Grand 
Army of the Republic by reason of the ser- 
vice as cadet of the United States Military 
Academy during the war of the rebellion. 
He married, July 29, 1874, Katherine Bissell, 
born in Brooklyn, September 16, 1852. 
daughter of John Banta and Elizabeth Car- 
oline (Bissell) Bogert, who were married 
at New Rochelle. New York. June 12. 1851. 
Children: Stephen Bogert. born 1875, •J'*-''! 
April 26. 1896; Charles, died at birth: Jose- 
phine Bissell. married, in 1902, Prescott 
Slade, children : Charles Francis Roe and 
Katherine. 



The Hanford family is of an- 
I-LVNFORD cient English origin. Wollas 

Hall, the seat of the family 
since 1536, stands on the north side of Bredoii 
Hill about one-third of its ascent from the 
Vale of Eversham. and the whole estate, with 
part of Bredon Hill upon which it is situated. 



SOUTHERN XEW YORK 



123 



is called W'ooler's Hill, a name given to it 
about the time of the Conquest from the great 
number of wolves that infested the country 
at that time. Sir John Hanford, Knight, pur- 
chased it from the great Lord Burleigh in the 
early part of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, 
and since then it has descended in the family 
in an unbroken line to the present time. The 
porch has the family motto : Memorare novis- 
siiiia cut in the stone just over the entrance 
door, with the date 161 1, btit the greater part 
of the building is much older. The mansion 
is built of excellent hard stone, and is de- 
scribed at some length in Breton's "Beauties 
of England and Wales," published in London 
in 181 1. The arms of the family are de- 
scribed as borne by Charles Edward Hanford, 
Esquire, of W'ollas Hall, county Worces- 
ter, son of Charles Hanford, Esquire, of 
Redmarley, O'Abitat, county Worcester, by 
Esther, daughter of John Lockley, Esquire, of 
Derby, and great-grandson of Walter Han- 
ford, Esquire, of Wollas Hall, and Frances, 
his wife, daughter of Sir Henry Compton, of 
Hartbury Court, county Gloucester, Kent, and 
the arms are described as follows : On a field, 
stable, a star of eight rays, argent. Crest : 
On a chapen, gules, a turned-up arm, a morion 
of the first. Motto: Memorare novissima. 

(I) Eglin (Hatherly) Hanford, widow, 
came from Sudbury, England, in the ship 
"Planter", sailing April 10. 1635, stating her 
age as forty-six in the passenger list, accom- 
panied by two daughters, Margaret, aged six- 
teen, and Elizabeth, aged fourteen. She was 
a sister of Rev. Timothy Hatherly, who also 
came to America. She married (second) Fri- 
day, December 15, 163", Richard Scillis, or 
Sealis, of Scituate, Massachusetts. Her 
daughter Margaret married Isaac, son of Rev. 
John Robinson, the Pilgrim Father; Elizabeth 
married Edward Foster, of Scituate. Thomas, 
the son, is referred to below. 

(H) Rev. Thomas Hanford, son of Eglin 
(Hatherly) Hanford, was born in England, 
July 22, 1621, died in Norwalk, Connecticut, 
in 1693. He remained in England to study 
for the ministry, but in 1642 he also came to 
America, and completed his education under 
the tutorship of Rev. Charles Chauncy. after- 
ward president of Harvard College. He was 
admitted a freeman in 1650. In 1632. soon 
after the town was settled, he removed to 
Norwalk and gathered a congregation there 



and preached in that parish until 1693. He 
was the first minister in Norwalk, and one of 
the prominent Puritan divines of the first gen- 
eration in New England. He married (first) 
in 1652, Hannah, third daughter of Thomas 
and Jane Newberry, of Windsor. Thomas 
Newberry died in 1635-36, and his widow 
married Rev. John Warham, the first minister 
of Windsor, and she died while on a visit to 
her daughter in Norwalk, April 23, 1655. 
Mester Newberry, sister to Mrs. Hanford, 
was the grandmother of the famous Rev. Jon- 
athan Edwards. Rev. Thomas Hanford mar- 
ried (second) October 22, 1661, Mary, daugh- 
ter of Hon. Richard Miles, of New Haven, 
and widow of Jonathan Ince, of that town. 
Her mother, before she married Judge Miles, 
was a rich English widow with several chil- 
dren, and her half-sisters and brothers 
inherited a large estate in England. 
Mary Miles married (first) December 12, 
1654, Jonathan Ince, one of the orig- 
inal proprietors of Hartford, by whom she 
had one son, Jonathan Ince (II). She died 
about 1722, and is probably buried under an 
oblong stone, from which the inscription has 
been obliterated by time, in the East Norwalk 
cemetery. Her mother's headstone is still leg- 
ible at Wallingford where she died in 1683, 
aged ninety-five years. Children of Rev. 
Thomas Hanford (all by second marriage, and 
all born in Norwalk) : Theophilus, born July 
2, 1662; Mary, November 30, 1663; Hannah, 
June 28, 1665 ; Elizabeth, June 9, 1666; Thom- 
as, July 18, 1668; Eleazer, referred to below; 
Elnathan. October 11, 1672; Samuel, April 15, 
1674; Eunice, May, 1675; Sarah, May, 1677. 

(III) Eleazer, son of Rev. Thomas and 
Mary (Miles-Ince) Hanford, was born in 
Norwalk, Connecticut, September 15, 1670. 
He married Hannah Frisbey. Among his 
children was Phineas, referred to below. 

(IV) Phineas, son of Eleazer and Hannah 
(Frisbey) Hanford, was born in 1713. died in 
1787. He married Hannah, daughter of 
Moses and Abigail (Brinsmaid) Comstock. 
Her grandfather was Christopher Comstock, 
who died December 28, 1702, and who mar- 
ried October 6, 1663, Hannah, daughter of 
Richard Piatt, of Milford : her father, Moses 
Comstock, was born in 1684, died February 
18, 1766, and married, February 23, 1709, 
.'\bigail, daughter of Daniel Brinsmaid, of 
Hartford, born in 1691, died November 16, 



124 



SOUTIIKRN NEW YORK 



1766. Among the children of Phineas and 
Hannah (Comstock) Hanford was Stephen, 
referred to below. 

(V) Stephen, son of Phineas and Hannah 
(Comstockj Hanford, was born in 1747, died 
in 1838. He married, in 1771, Phoebe, born 
September 3. 1753, daughter of Elijah and 
Phoebe (Smith) Fitch. Her father was a son 
of James and Mary (Haynes) Fitch, and her 
mother was born December 30, 1734, and was 
a daughter of Robert and Judith (Fountain) 
Smith, the latter a daughter of James 
Fountain, of Greenwich. Her parents 
were married October 25, 1752, and their 
children were: Phoebe, married Stephen 
Hanford, referred to above; Hannah, born 
September 20, 1755; Stephen, October 25, 
1757; Molly, March 14, 1759; Elizabeth, 
March 25, 1762; William, April 23, 1764; 
Lyda, July 23, 1766; Buckingham, August 23, 
1768; Lydia, August 2, 1771 ; Elijah, Septem- 
ber 3. 1773. Children of Stephen and Phoebe 
(Fitch) Hanford: Hannah, born May 26, 
1772; Abijah. August 27, 1774; Enoch, Janu- 
ary 10, 1777: Fitch, April 8, 1779; Polly, June 
20, 17S1 ; Sally, May 12, 1784; David, referred 
to below; Phoebe, December 17, 1788; Zal- 
mon. May 26, 1791; Eliza, September 21. 

(VI) Dr. David Hanford, son of Stephen 
and Phoebe (Fitch) Hanford. was born July 
16, 1786, died in Middletown, New York, 
Octol)cr 13. 1844. He was graduated from 
Yale College in New Haven, Connecticut, and 
became a physician, and in 1810 settled in 
Middletown, where he practiced his profes- 
sion until his death. He married, June 11, 
1812. Margaret, born January 30. 1792, died 
November 18. 1879. daughter of Daniel and 
Mary (Tuthill) Bailey. She was a grand- 
daughter of Daniel Bailey, born August 6. 
1726. died C)ctober i, i8ot. and her father, 
Daniel Bailey, was born September 5, 1757. 
died May \(\ 1841. He served in the conti- 
nental army during the revolutionary war 
with the rank nf captain ; married. December 
.S. 1782. Mary Tuthill, born Fcbruarv 4. 1764, 
died May 8. 1820, and his children were: 
John H., born October 2.S. 1783. died Febru- 
ary 5. 1810: Daniel, .'\prii 7. 1786, died Janu- 
ary 3. 181 1 : Oliver, December 18, 1788.' died 
December 20. 1867; Margaret, married Dr. 
David Hanford. referred to above; Nathaniel, 
November 20. itd;. di.d M.-mh u. 1862; 



Ferdinand, September 9, 1798, died September 
9, 1834. Children of Dr. David and Margaret 
(Bailey) Hanford: Caroline, born 1814; 
John Bailey, referred to below. 

(VH) John Bailey, son of Dr. David and 
Margaret (Bailey) Hanford, was born in Mid- 
dletown, New York, August 11, 1821, died 
there February 13, 1892. He received his 
early education in the schools of his native 
town, and at the age of twenty-one years en- 
tered mercantile life and established the first 
drygoods store in Middletown, which he con- 
ducted for two years in partnersliip with Her- 
man Young, at the end of which time the firm 
was dissolved, and he formed a i)artnership 
with B. \\'. Shaw under the firm name of 
Shaw & Hanford, in which he continued until 
1861, when he disposed of his interest in the 
business and engaged in the development of 
real estate until his death. He owned a tract 
of forty-five acres of land, on which a part of 
Middletown is now built, and for him was 
named the jjresent "Hanford street". He was 
a prominent and progressive citizen, and 
served for two terms as a member of the 
board of trustees of Middletown. He was a 
Presbyterian in religion. He married (first) 
October 13, 1846, Ellen W., daughter of Rev. 
Thomas Robinson, and (second) March 7, 
i860, Anna Decker, born October 29, 1832, 
died August 6. 1898, daughter of Rev. James 
and Vashti (Decker) Beveridge. Her father 
was born in the town of Kirkcaldy. Fife, 
Scotland, and emi.grated to America ; her moth- 
er was a daughter of Johannes Decker, who 
was born April 16, 1741, died August 27. 1829, 
and whose father, Johannes Decker, emigrated 
in 1710 from Holland and settled at New 
Paltz, Ulster county. New York, and who, 
with his entire family excepting Johannes, was 
drowned while crossing the i^udson river on 
the ice, January 23, 1742. Johannes Decker 
married, October 30, 1768, Anna Hasbrouck, 
bOrn December 29, 1747, died January 30, 
1848. Children of Rev. James and Vashti 
(Decker) Beveridge: Frank; Anna Decker, 
married John Bailey Hanford, referred to 
above; John; James; Katherine. Children of 
Jf)lin Bailey Hanford (two by first marriage) : 
David, deceased ; John, deceased ; Frank Bev- 
eridge, referred to below ; Charles Hunter, re- 
ferred to below ; Ellen Grace, born October 
23, 1867, now living in Middletown, New 
York, married, August 8, 1898, George Han- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



125 



(Vni) Frank Beveridge, son of John 
Bailey and Anna Decker (Beveridge) Han- 
ford, was born in Middletown, New York, 
January 4, 1862, and is now living in Brook- 
lyn, New York City. He received his early 
education in the public schools in Middletown 
and also in Flushing, Long Island, and later 
graduated from Eastman's Business College 
in Poughkeepsie, New York, and then be- 
came a clerk in the First Middletown National 
Bank, remaining in that position until 1884, 
when he spent a short time on a ranch in the 
west, after which he returned to Middletown, 
and later removed to Jersey City, New Jer- 
sey, where he conducted a livery and boarding 
stable for ten years, and then removed to 
Brooklyn, where he is now living. He mar- 
ried, September 7, 1892, May Constance, born 
October 30, 1867, daughter of Rienzi Alex- 
ander and Elizabeth Harriet (Kirk) Secor. 
Her father was born May 17, 1835, and was 
a son of Zeno and Mary (Little) Secor, and 
a grandson of Francis Secor, who was asso- 
ciated with Robert Fulton in ship building, 
and who was a member of the French Hu- 
guenot family of Secor, which settled at New 
Rochelle, New York. Her mother was born 
October 31, 1841, died July 23, 1898. and was 
a daughter of Joseph Kirk, born 1787, died 
October 25, 1850. He was a soldier in H. B. 
M. Fifty-third Regiment and received a silver 
medal for bravery in the battle of Java ; he 
married in Colombo, Ceylon, March 28, 1819, 
Isabel, daughter of John and Jean (Nichol) 
Lyon, the latter a granddaughter of Lady 
Flora MacDonald, "Macdonald of the Isles." 
•Child of Frank Beveridge and May Constance 
(Secor) Hanford: Elizabeth Anna, born 
February 13, 1903. 

(VIII) Charles Hunter, son of John Bailey 
and Anna Decker (Beveridge) Hanford, was 
born in Middletown, New York, March 15, 
1864, and is now living in Newburg, New 
York. He received his early education in the 
public schools of Middletown, and also in 
Flushing, Long Island, and then entered the 
First National Bank of Middletown as a clerk 
and was steadily promoted until he became 
assistant cashier of that institution, in which 
position he remained until 1893. when he re- 
signed ancl purchased an interest in the firm 
of Staples, Post & Company in Newburg, New 
York, and a little over one year later pur- 
chased also the interest of Mr. Post in the 



business, and the firm became Staples & Han- 
ford, and continued as such until 1902, when 
the business was incorporated and he was 
elected first vice-president of the company, and 
continued as such until 1909 when he was 
elected the president of the company, and 
which ofifice he still holds. He is one of the 
directors of the Highland National Bank of 
Newburg. He is one of the trustees of the 
First Presbyterian Church in Newburg. He 
is a Republican in politics. He married, June 
•5i ^^97 > Frances Louise, daughter of Hon. 
Edward P. Babcock, of Canandaigua, New 
York. Her grandfather was Stanton Babcock, 
who was one of the pioneer settlers of Pratts- 
burg, Steuben county. New York, and her 
father was judge of Ontario county, and 
served also at one time as a member of the 
assembly of the state of New York. Child of 
Charles Hunter and Frances Louise (Bab- 
cock ) Hanford : John Babcock, born October 
TO. 1903. 



The surname Turnurc was 
TURNURE originally Tourneur and is of 
Picard or French origin. 
Some etymologists hold that the name was 
originally Tournoire, meaning "black tower," 
a connection by which perhaps some well 
known landmark endowed the ancestral fam- 
ily with its name. Another possible origin is 
the term "tourneour", Norman French for one 
who took part in a tournament. In a mediae- 
val controversy respecting the right of bearing 
arms. Azure a bend or, it was testified that 
Monsire le Scrope was in his time le plus fort 
tourneour de tout notrc pays, translated, "the 
bravest tourneyer of all our country." One 
witness testified moreover that he always wore 
the blue with the golden bend, as did his kins- 
man, Goefifrey le Scrope, when he tourneyed 
at the various tournaments. The Tourneurs 
or Turnures of New York were one of some 
thirty French families, about a third of whom 
were from Picardy, who made their home in 
Harlem in the seventeenth century. Of Pic- 
ard descent were the Tourneurs or Turnures, 
Cressons, Demarests, Casiers and Disosways, 
members of all of which except the last served 
as magistrates. The Turnure family has al- 
ways played an influential part in the history 
of state and nation. Some of its members 
have been men of the highest repute in public, 
professional and commercial life. 



126 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



(1) Deacon Daniel Tourneur or de Tour- 
neur, immigrant ancestor of most of those in 
America bearing the name or its variations, 
was born at Amiens in Picardy, France, about 
1025, died at Harlem, New York, in 1673. 
Being charged with the death of Tilic Alaire, 
whom he had killed in self-defence during a 
brawl occasioned by the religious quarrels of 
the period, he left France, going through Bel- 
gium to Holland. He finally halted at Ley- 
den, and settling down pursued for a time the 
business of draper, eventually marrying. Al- 
most two years later Tourneur sailed with his 
wife and infant son for New Netherland in 
America, probably in the ship with Dr. Samuel 
Drisius, of Leyden, which left Holland April 
4, 165Z. Jean le Roy, a kinsman of Tourneur, 
appears to have accompanied him with his 
wife, Louise de Lancaster. On coming here 
he first lived at I'^lathush where a daughter 
was born, who died in infancy. Here Tour- 
neur, with some military prestige it would 
seem, was made corporal of a company formed 
April 7, 1654, for protection against maraud- 
ers. Soon after he was granted a lot in New 
Amsterdam, with a view to putting up a house, 
but a year or more passing before the timber 
was ready he renewed his request, April 11, 
1657, for leave to build. He afterwards built 
a house on the Prince's draft, where he bought 
a lot, May 31, 1660, and on August 16 of the 
same year was appointed a magistrate for 
Harlem. He probably continued in business 
at New Amsterdam, as on October 15 ensuing 
he was made one of the "sworn butchers". 
The next winter he put up a barn on his vil- 
lage plot at Harlem, where he had already 
built a house, and whither he soon removed, 
serving in the magistracy at various periods 
ajid serving also for several years as deputy 
sheriff. He was repeatedly chosen deacon, be- 
si<lcs which he was a delegate to the general 
assembly of 1664. and also one of the Nicholls 
patentees. He left a goodly estate. He mar- 
ried. September 5, 1650, at Leyden. Holland. 
Jacqueline I'arisis, of a Walloon refugee fam- 
ily from Hesdin in Artois, and a sister to the 
Rev. Eustacius Parisis, then of .Xmsterdam. 
The widow survived her husband twentv- 
sevcn years, and died in 170a Her personals, 
as per inveiUory taken .'\ugust 22 of that year, 
were divided November 16 ensuing, each child 
(Daniels' heirs in his stead) getting in cash 
167 gl. with a fifth part of the goods. Chil- 



dren: I. Daniel, born in Holland, died 1690. 
2. Jacques, of whom further. 3. Thomas,^ 
born in Harlem, died 1710; married April 5, 
1692. 4. Madeleine, born in Harlem; married 
John Dyckman. 5. Esther, born in Harlem;, 
married Frederick de Vaux. 

(11) Deacon Jacques Tourneur, son of 
Deacon Daniel and Jacqueline (Parisis) Tour- 
neur, was born at Harlem about 1655, died 
about 1720. He served as deacon and also as 
constable and overseer of the town, succeed- 
ing in 1 691 to that part of his father's lands 
on Van Keulen's Hook known as lots 17 and 
1 8,' but in quantity three lots, and since the 
Bussing or Storm farm. He bought August 
7. 1 69 1, from Peter van Obliensis, for six 
hundred gl.. the old Jacques Cresson residence, 
which became his home. On May 27, 1698, 
he sold his lot No. 17 of the draft of 169 1 to 
Joiiannes Myer. His farm and lots in the sev- 
eral divisions, in all sixty acres, were sold to 
Peter Bussing in 1726 after his death. He 
married (first) in Harlem, June 17, 1683, 
Aefie, daughter of Michael Kortright ; (sec- 
ond) May 29, 1 714, Engeltie Thomas, widow 
of (iregorius Storm, of Philips Manor. Chil- 
dren: I. Amia, born 1686. 2. Adriana. i68q, 
married Jacob (jarritsen, of Flatbush. 3. 
Maria, born 1691. 4. Michael, of whom fur- 
ther. 5. Jacobus, 1695, died at Haverstraw ; 
married. May 26. 1720, Jacomima Oblenis. 6. 
Abraham, born i(X)8. 7. Isaac, born 1701, liv- 
ing at Fordham in 1733. 

(HI) Michael, son of Jacques and Aefie 
(Kortright) Tourneur, was born in 1693, died 
at I-Iaverstraw in 1775, aged about eighty-two 
years. In 1743 he Ijou.ght the old residence of 
his family and twelve acres of land, being lot 
2. third division, and nine acres of lot 14. sec- 
ond division. He got from Bussing in 1750 
the remaining six acres of the last-named lot ; 
but selling out within ten years he removed 
to Haverstraw. He married, February i, 17 17, 
Maria, daughter of Hendrick Oblenis. (Chil- 
dren ; Jacobus, of whom further; Hendrick, 
succeeded to the homestead part of the pater- 
nal farm, and married Margeret Blauvelt ; 
Jannche, married John Tourneur; .*\efie. mar- 
ried Derick de Clerck ; Sarah, married Ed- 
ward Salver ; Mary, married William Dyck- 
man ; Jemima, married William Chappell, of 
New York. 

(IV) Jacobus, son of Michael and Maria 
(Oblenis) Tourneur, was born at Harlem^ 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



127 



about 1720, died about 1780. He owned some 
lots at Harlem and built a house on one of 
them. He aided his father in negotiations for 
the purchase of the old residence of the fam- 
ily, and did much to cultivate the acres sur- 
rounding it. He took a share in the public 
life of the village and filled one or two offices. 
He was about fifty-six years old when the rev- 
olutionary war broke out, but he did his share 
in the events that occurred around New York. 
He married Dinah, daughter of Laurence 
Low, of Harlem. Children : Michael ; Law- 
rence, of whom further; Jacobus; John; Hen- 
drick ; Jane ; Mary ; Maria ; and Sarah. 

(V) Lawrence Turnure, son of Jacobus 
and Dinah ( Low ) Tourneur, was born about 
1746, died at Harlem. He resided in Harlem 
where he owned land, though he also spent 
several years near his grandfather, who left 
Harlem and moved to Haverstraw. He mar- 
ried and had a son, Lawrence (2f), of whom 
further. 

(\'l) Lawrence (2'), son of Lawrence (i) 
Turnure, was born about 1789 at Harlem. He 
resided in Harlem and New York City, where 
he was well known as a successful business 
man. He married and had children: i. Law- 
rence (3), of whom further. 2. David M., a 
New York banker and merchant ; married 
^Liry E., daughter of Hon. Harvey Baldwin ; 
children: Arthur B., married Elizabeth Har- 
rison ; and Alary S. 

(VH) Lawrence (3), son of Lawrence (2) 
Turnure, was born in New York about 1820, 
died in the same city. After leaving school 
Mr. Turnure engaged in mercantile and finan- 
cial afifairs showing great initiative and energy. 
He was for several years connected with bank- 
ing companies, occupying responsible posi- 
tions. For a long time he was associated with 
Moses Taylor, a well known merchant and 
banker of New York, and much of Mr. Tay- 
lor's success, in the various undertakings in 
which he engaged, was due to the great ability 
of his partner. Subsequently Mr. Turnure 
founded the great banking firm of Lawrence 
Turnure & Company, of which he was many 
years the head. Mr. Turnure was a member 
of the Tuxedo, ALinhattan and Democratic 
clubs, the Downtown Association, the Ameri- 
can Geographical Society, and many of the 
leading artistic and benevolent organizations 
of the city. 

He married, in 18^6, at New York 



City, Jane, daughter of Heman Judd Red- 
field, a master in chancery and collector 
of customs at New York. Mrs. Turnure was 
descended from William Hyde, of Norwich, 
Connecticut, one of the first settlers of that 
place. Elizabeth Hyde, granddaughter of 
William Hyde, married, in 1682, Lieutenant 
Richard Lord, of Saybrook, grandson of 
Thomas Lord, who came to Newtown, ALassa- 
chusetts, in 1635, and to Hartford, Connecti- 
cut, in 1636, being among the first settlers of 
Saybrook. In the next generation Phebe Lord, 
born about 1686, in Lyme, Connecticut, mar- 
ried Joseph Sill, son of Captain Joseph Sill, 
born in England about 1636, came to Cam- 
bridge with his father, John Sill, previous to 
1638, and in 1676 removed to Lyme. Connecti- 
cut. Jabez, son of Captain Joseph Sill, moved 
from Lyme, Connecticut, to Wilkesbarre, 
Pennsylvania, and died there in 1790. His 
wife was Elizabeth Noyes, daughter of Moses 
Noyes and Mary (Ely) Noyes of Lyme, and 
granddaughter of Rev. Moses Noyes. Mary, 
daughter of Jabez and Elizabeth (Noyes) Sill,. 
married James Gould, of Wilkesbarre, Penn- 
sylvania. The mother of Mrs. Turnure, Abi- 
gail Noyes Gould, was born at Lyme in I793r 
and married, in 1817, Heman Judd Redfield. 
born in 1788 in Suffield, Connecticut, son of 
Peleg and Mary (Judd) Redfield, and in the 
seventh generation from William Redfield, 
who settled in New London. Children: i. 
Lawrence (4), entered the banking business 
with his father, is a member of the Union, 
Rockaway Hunt and Country clubs ; married 
Romaine Stone. 2. Jennie, married Major 
John C. Mallery, U. S. A. 3. Redfield. 4. 
George Evans, of whom further. 5. Mary, 
deceased. 6. Percy R., deceased, graduated 
from Harvard in 1894. 

(Vni) George Evans, son of Lawrence (3) 
and Jane (Redfield) Turnure, was born in 1861 
He went to Harvard after going through the 
ordinary courses in New York City, and grad- 
uated in 1889. He has been most of his busi- 
ness life in the banking line, having entered 
with his father, though he has other consid- 
erable interests. He belongs to a number of 
societies, and to the Calumet, Racquet and 
other clubs. 

He married, in 1891, Elizabeth Gardner 
Lanier, daughter of Charles Lanier. Chil- 
dren : Elizabeth, born 1892; Mary, 1894; 
George ; Irene ; and Lawrence. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Dcstfiulants of Henry Mel- 
CA.M.MANN cliior Muhlenberg, the Penn- 
sylvania minister, are numer- 
ous, and among them are members of the 
Cammann family. Genealogical and heraldic 
works in (k-rmany state that the von Muhlen- 
bcrgs were recognized before the Thirty 
Years' War, 1618-48, as among the baronial 
families of the empire, and that they derive 
their origin from Ziracka, a prince of the 
Wendish and Sorbic tribes, who about the 
year 950 A. D. was converted to Christianity, 
and iiad his residence near the present Muhl- 
enberg, on the right bank of the Ell)e river, in 
the Merseburg district of Prussian Saxony. 
In the neighborhood of this town Muhlenberg 
the electoral prince, John Fride, after an un- 
fortunate battle fell, April 24, 1547, into the 
hands of the Emperor Charles V. Mills 
Oiiuhlen in German) erected in that locality 
gave name to the town and subsequently to 
the family residing there, which increased and 
in course of time acquired large possessions 
in Saxony, Austrian Silesia and other parts. 
In the escutcheon of the family were two 
wheels, and the members of the family signed 
themselves "of the Muhlenberg". Various 
members of the family made themselves emi- 
nent in war and peace, and in the beginning 
of the sixteenth century the family was still 
counted among the prominent and wealthy. 
During the wars of the sixteenth century and 
especially the Thirty Years' War some of its 
branches died out, and others were reduced in 
circumstances. After the middle of the sev- 
enteenth century the name is no longer found 
on rolls of nobles of the empire, and the fam- 
ily never made any attempt to have their title 
acknowledged and entered by the imperial 
court of heraldry in Vienna. 

(I) Rev. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, im- 
migrant ancestor of the family of that name, 
as well as of the branch of the Cammann fam- 
ily here dealt with, was born at Eimbeck, in 
tlie kingdom of Hanover, Germany, Septem- 
ber 6, 171 1, (lied at Trappe, Pennsylvania, Oc- 
tober 7, 1787, aged seventy-six years. His 
father died while he was quite young, and at 
an early period he had to rely on his own 
exertions as a teacher for support. He en- 
tered the University of GiJttingen March 19, 
1735, and made rapid progress in his studies. 
In 17.^7 he was received into the theological 
seminary, and after graduating thence entered 



the University of Halle for the purpose of 
fitting himself more worthily for the ministry. 
About 1740 the early Lutheran settlers of 
Pennsylvania having become tired of those 
who officiated among them as clergymen, and 
whom they described as impostors, wrote to 
the professors of the University of Halle for 
a regularly ordained and commissioned min- 
ister to take charge of the feeble flocks. For 
this purpose Mr. Muhlenberg was selected. 
Accordingly in the spring of 1742 he left Halle 
for London. From there he embarked, and 
after a perilous voyage landed, September 22, 
at Charleston, South Carolina, whence he 
journeyed to Philadelphia, arriving November 
25. Three days later he preached his first 
sermon at the swamp in New Hanover town- 
ship. He found but three organized Lutheran 
congregations ; one at Philadelphia, one at 
Trap])e and one at New Hanover. The last 
congregation had a log church and one hun- 
dred and twenty members. At Trajjpe there 
were about fifty members, who worshipped in 
a barn. Churches were soon built and during 
his labors they prospered abundantly. His 
services were divided between the three con- 
gregations and, as may be supposed, were 
very arduous, requiring him to travel in regu- 
lar journeys many miles through the wilder- 
ness on horseback. In 1745 he received the 
assistance of several other brethren, who ar- 
rived as pastors and teachers from Germany. 
After his marriage in 1745 he settled immedi- 
ately at Trap]ie, where he continued to reside 
till October, 1761, when he moved to Philadel- 
phia to take charge of the church there. In 
1776 he returned again to Trappe to take 
charge of the congregation, and there con- 
tinued to reside for the remainder of his life. 
He was buried in the Trappe graveyard, where 
also repose the remains of several members of 
his family. He has been styled by several 
writers the father of the Lutheran church in 
America, and also the first regularly ordained 
minister sent here. However, long before he 
was born, the Swedes had built Lutheran 
churches and had regularly ordained minis- 
ters, not only in Pennsylvania, but in several 
of the adjoining states. Mr. Muhlenberg 
knew Latin, German, Dutch and English well, 
besides having a knowledge of several other 
languages. He married. April 30, 1745. Anna 
Maria, daughter of Colonel Conrad Weiscr, 
the celebrated Indian interpreter. Children : 




lAliXIK WKKCKSTKIN. KlXGSToX. 
Krnm raintiiii; Executed in Itllifi. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



I_HJ 



I. Peter, born at Trappe October i, 1746, died 
October i, 1807, was a major-general in the 
revolutionary army. 2. Eve Elizabeth, born 
January 29, 174S, died 1808; married, Sep- 
tember 23, 1766, Rev. Christopher Emmanuel 
Schulze. 3. Frederick Augustus, born at 
Trappe June 2, 1750, died 1802, was a speaker 
of congress. 4. Margaretta Henrietta, of 
whom further. 5. Henry, born November 17, 
1753, died May 23, 1815, was a distinguished 
botanist. 6. John Andrew, born July 19, 1755. 

(H) Margaretta Henrietta, daughter of the 
Rev. Henry Melchior and Anna Maria (Wei- 
ser) Muhlenberg, was born September 17, 
1751, died October 23, 1831. She married, 
July 2;^, 1771, John Christopher Kunze, D.D., 
born at Arlem, near Mansfield, Germany, Au- 
gust 5, 1744, died July 24, 1807. He took a 
preparatory course at Halle and the 
high schools of Rosleben and Merse- 
burg. He then devoted three years to 
the study of theology at Leipsic, and 
spent three more as teacher in the celebrated 
school at Klosterbergen, near Magdeburg. He 
also spent one year at Greitz, as inspector of 
the orphan house. With Frederick Augustus 
and Gotthilf Ernst Muhlenberg he left Halle 
for America on May 5, 1770. In 1784 he 
accepted a call to Christ Church, New York 
City, where he labored faithfully until his 
death. He was a very learned man. His wife 
was the last of her family, and is buried be- 
side her husband in St. Mark's Episcopal 
graveyard. New York City. Children: i. 
Maria, born August 17, 1773. 2. Maria Cath- 
erine, October 22, 1774. 3. Catharine Eliza, 
October 4, 1776. died January 29, 1863; mar- 
ried, May 21, 1 801, Casper Meier. 4. Anna 
Maria, August 20, 1778. 5. Hannah Chris- 
tina, August 29, 1779. 6. Charles Henry, June 
24, 1 78 1, died 1808. 7. Maria Magdalena, Oc- 
tober 8, '1785. died July 11, 1838. 8. Catha- 
rine Frederica, March 26, 1789, died March 
22, i8o<;: married Daniel Oakley. 9. Anna 
Margaretta, of whom further. 

(Ill) Anna Margaretta Kunze. daughter of 
John Christopher and Margaretta Henrietta 
(Muhlenberg) Kunze, was born August 14, 
1791, died November 23, 1846. She married 
Jacob Lorillard, born May 22. 1774, died Sep- 
tember 21, 1836, of the New York family of 
that name. He was a well known leather 
merchant and prominent in various ways. He 
was president of the Mechanics Bank and ves- 



tryman of Trinity Church. Children: i. 
Anna Catherine, of whom further. 2. Mar- 
garetta Henrietta, born January 13, 181 1, died 
in 1898; married Thomas Ward. 3. Jacob, 
1813, died 1855; married Eliza Ann Bayard. 
4. Eliza Meier, September, 1815, died April 
23, 1900; married Nathaniel Piatt Bailey. 5. 
Emily, November 13, 1817, died April 25, 
1850; married Lewis (joverneur Morris. 6. 
Julia, June 17, 1821, died November 27, 1907, 
married Daniel M. Edgar. 

(IVj Anna Catherine Lorillard, daughter of 
Jacob and Anna Margaretta (Kunze) Loril- 
lard, was born October 23, 1809, died in 1897. 
She married, April 18, 1833, George Philip 
Cammann, M.D., born September 7, 1804, died 
February 14, 1863. Dr. Cammann was a very 
eminent physician of New York City. Chil- 
dren: I. Maria Margaretta, born June 4, 

1834, died March 7, 1889; married Charles S. 
Weyman. 2. Anna Margaretta, August 6, 

1835, died 1903. 3. George Philip, November 
23, 1839, died January 14, 1872; married 
Frances N. Schenck. 4. Jacob Lorillard, June 
21, 1840, died 1868; married Isabella Appoline 
Mali. 5. Anna Catherine, 1842. 6. Hermann 
Henry, of whom further. 7. Donald M., born 
1852 

(V) Hermann Henry Cammann, son of Dr. 
George Philip and Aima Catherine ( Loril- 
lard) Cammann, was born in 1845 '" New 
York City. He was educated in private 
schools and started his business career in a 
downtown brokerage office and later in the 
Bank of America. After a couple of years he 
entered the real estate business on his own 
account and has continued ever since. He be- 
came a vestryman of Trinity Church in 1882, 
and controller of the corporation in 1898. He 
is a governor of the New York Hospital, trus- 
tee of Columbia College, and trustee and vice- 
president of the Fulton Trust Company. He 
is connected with a great many charitable and 
other associations. He is a member of the 
Museum of Natural History, Metropolitan 
Museum of Art, New York Botanical Gar- 
dens, New York Genealogical and Biographi- 
cal Society, New York Zoological Society. 
.'\merican Ethnological Society, Chamber of 
Commerce, Horticultural Society of New 
York, New York State Agricultural Society, 
Nassau County Agricultural Society, St. 
Nicholas Society, American Association for 
the Advancement of Science, American For- 



130 

e.t Association, and American Scenic and His- 
toric Preservation Society; and .s also trustee 
of the House of Mercy, and the General The- 
olog.cal Seminary. He .s a member of he 
Dotvnlown Association. City Club, Churc 
Club. C;rolier Club, and other societies and 
associations. 

He married, in 1873. Ella Cornelia Crary. 
granddaughter of Robert Fulton. Uiddren . 
, Edward Crary, born 1874- "I'^rried Helena 
Van Cortlandt Clarkson. 2. Robert Fulton, 
born 1879, died 1896. 3- Hermann Muhlen- 
berg born 1882, died 1883. 4- Herbert Schuy- 
ler, born 1884, married Kathenne Van Rens- 
selaer Fairfax. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



This surname, if English in ori- 
BIRCH gin, may be derived in some cases 
from the tree bearing the name. 
In other cases it is said to be derived from 
the name of parishes and chapelries in the 
counties of Essex, Hereford and Lancaster 
in England. According to the work of Burke 
dealing with heraldry, there are at least six 
fami'ies of the name in the British Isles who 
have the right to bear arms. The description 
of the arms borne by the present Wyrley Birch 
family of Wrotham, county Norfolk, England, 
is- Azure, three fleur-de-lis as canton ar. 
Crest : A fleur-tle-lis arg. entwined by a ser- 
pent ppr. Motto: Pnidciitia simplicitatc. 

( I ) lohn Birch, ancestor of the family, lived 
in Dut'chess countv. New York, for the most 
part in the town of Pawling. He owned large 
tracts of land which he purchased from the 
government, and which he gradually cleared 
an.l improved. He married Patty Ralph 
Among his children was Samuel R., mentioned 
below. 

( H ) Dr. Samuel R. Birch, son of John and 
Patty (Ralph) Birch, was born in the town 
of Pawling, New York, and when a young 
man removed to New York City. He \vas a 
distinguished medical writer, and surgeon of 
the war of 1812. whose century old diploma 
from ihc College of Physicians and Surgeons 
may still be seen in his son's office. He mar- 
ried Sarah Chase, member of the famous Eng- 
lish Chase family whose fortune of seventy- 
five million dollars is tied up in chancery. 
Children: I. Samuel R.. who served in the 
civil war and wlio is now deceased. 2. George 
W.ivliiiii'inii a i;radualc of Yale, was a phy- 



sician, and practiced in Connecticut for fifty 
years.' 3. Henry Lafayette, who died at Pawl- 
ing, Dutchess county. New York. 4. Edward 
Fowler, a graduate of Yale, was a physician, 
and practiced at Norwalk, Connecticut. 5. 
Sarah B., married Augustus Stevens, of Fair- 
field, Connecticut. 6. James G., mentioned 
below. 

( HI ) Dr. lames G. Birch, son of Dr. Sam- 
uel R. and Sarah (Chase) Birch, was born in 
New York City. His parents removing to 
Dutchess county. New York, Dr. Birch at- 
tended and was graduated from the Patterson 
Academy, and in 1858. after having been ex- 
amined by the Rev. John Brown, D.D.. the 
Rev. lohn Forsythe, D.D.. and Judge Jones, 
he was named as professor in the Clinton 
street school, Newburg, and there taught five 
years. Turning to the study of medicine, he 
qualified with honor in Yale. 1865. and Har- 
vard. 1866, receiving the degree of M.D. from 
both in successive years. Then going abroad 
he studied under eminent physicians m Edm- 
burgh. Dublin. London. Paris, during which 
time he received a commission as surgeon from 
the English government under Ouccn X'lctoria, 
iiaving^been previously an assistant surgeon 
during the civil war. Returning to the United 
States Dr. Birch served as the head of the 
Connecticut State Hospital and later as phy- 
Mcian for the Newburg Almshouse. He was 
the consulting friend and associate of the late 
Dr Ely in many cases, and among his most 
cherished possessions are the friendly corre- 
spondence he carried on for years with Oliver 
Wendell Holmes, Dr. Bowditch. Dr. Jackson 
and other men of eminence in Boston. Out of 
his suggestion grew the Old Ladies' Home and 
Hospital of which St. Luke's Hospital is the 
successor, and he was the first physician in 
the same. In his office and at his invitation 
were held the first and second meetings out 
of which finally resulted the organization of 
the Columbus Trust Company. In his pro- 
fe<;sion he has been very successful, singularly 
so in obstetrics, in which out of many cases 
he has never lost one. 

He married Mrs. Jane Denslow, who is now 
deceased. During the summer Dr. Birch, ac- 
cording to his year long custom, seeks rest m 
his ancestral home in Pawling. Dutchess coun- 
ty. New York, residing at 86 Broadway, New- 
burg, during the other months of the year. 




■Ciy??2£/i ^ oS^t/seA' c/' . 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



131 



Cornelius Board, the founder of 
BOAIiD tlie family in this country, emi- 
grated from England in 1730 un- 
der the patronage of Lord Sterling to examine 
as a mining expert the property at Rocky Hill, 
Hunterdon county, New Jersey, for copper. 
He prospected through the Ramapo Valley, 
and although unsuccessful in his quest after 
copper he discovered iron-ore at what is now 
Sterling, Orange county, New York, and there 
between 1730 and 1740 he established the first 
furnace and forge for the manufacture of iron 
in New York state. It was there was 
forged the chain that was stretched across the 
Hudson river at West Point during the revo- 
lutionary war. Two sons of Cornelius Board 
emigrated to America with him : James and 
David. Joseph, referred to below, was born 
in America. 

(II) Captain Joseph Board, son of Cor- 
nelius Board, was born in Bloomfield, New 
Jersey, December 12, 1737, died in Boardville, 
New Jersey, December 12, 1831. He served 
in the revolutionary war from March, 1776, 
to November, 1783, with the rank of captain 
in Colonel Dey's regiment of the Bergen coun- 
ty, New Jersey, militia, and took part in the 
battle at New Bridge, Hackensack, New Jer- 
sey, in the spring of 1778, and also in the 
battle at .\ccjuackanack Bridge in September, 
1778, and that at English Highlands, New 
Jersey, on October 17, 1778. He married, 
August 15, 1762, Phoebe, born 1737, died No- 
vember 20, 181 6, daughter of Josiah and Anna 
(Day) Beach, of New Haven, Connecticut. 
Children: Annas, born October 18, 1763; 
Martha, February, 1765; Elizabeth, October 
12, 1766; Mary, August 5, 1768; Charles, re- 
ferred to below; Phoebe, December 4, 1773, 
died in Chester, New York, May 3, 1856; 
Sarah E., January 3, 1777, died in Chester, 
April 12, 1826; Joseph, November 21, 1779, 
died 1857; Susannah, April 5, 1782, died Au- 
gust 28, 1866. 

(III) General Charles Board, son of Cap- 
tain Joseph and Phoebe (Beach) Board, was 
born .August 27, 1772, died December 22, 1858. 
He held the rank of general in the New Jer- 
sey state militia, and was for thirteen years a 
member of the New Jersey state legislature. 
He was judge of the court of common pleas 
from 1822 to 1832. He married, December 
15, 1804, Joanna, daughter of Thaddeus See- 
ley, who died October 16, 1841. Children: 



Peter S., referred to below; Thaddeus, born, 
July 31, 1807, died 1855; Mary, October 11, 
1809, died November ib, 1856; Joseph, Feb- 
ruary 27, 1813, died 1820; Sarah, January 7, 
1815; Joanna, June 17, 1817; Elizabeth, April 
10, 1822. 

(IV) Peter S., son of General Charles and 
Joanna (Seeley) Board, was born in Board- 
ville, N. J., 1805; died near Chester, Orange 
county. New York, in 1853. He received his 
early education in the school of his native 
county, and later removed to Orange county, 
New :>iork, and settled on a farm near Ches- 
ter, which he afterwards inherited from his 
uncle and which he cultivated until his death. 
He married (first) Susan Mapes, and (sec- 
ond) December 25, 1841, Madeline C, born 
in 1816, died in 1884, daughter of Peter and 
Lucretia (Halsey) Conklmg, of Warwick, 
New York. Children, two by first marriage: 
Charles, born 1830, died 1866; Gabriel, died 
in infancy; Joseph, referred to below; James 
C, born 1846, died 1864; Helen 1853, died 
1872. 

(\') Joseph (2), son of Peter S. and Made- 
line C. ( Conkling) Board, was born on his 
father's farm in Sugar Loaf Valley, Chester 
township, later town of Warwick, Orange 
county. New York, November 9, 1842, and is 
now li\ing in Chester, New York. He re- 
ceived his early education in the public schools 
and graduated from the Chester Academy in 
1862, and then entered Amherst College, from 
which he graduated with the degree of Bache- 
lor of Arts in the class of 1867, member of 
I-^hi Beta Kappa Society. He then settled in 
Chester and in 1868 established himself in the 
mercantile business, in which he remained con- 
tinuously until July i, 191 1, when he retired 
from active business pursuits. In 1889 he was 
elected one of the directors of the Chester 
National Bank, and still holds that office. He 
was a member of the board of supervisors of 
Chester in 1877-78-79, and in 1883-84. He 
was a candidate for the state assembly in 1884, 
but was defeated of election. For over twen- 
ty years he was a member of the board of 
education of Chester, and for five years was 
the president of that body, and from 1892 to 
1894 was clerk of the village. He has also 
served as one of the trustees of the village of 
Chester, and as one of the trustees of the 
Free Library. He is a member of the .Amherst 
College Chapter of the Delta Kappa Epsilon 



J 3-' 

fraternity, and is a member of the Delta Kap- 
*pa Epsilon Club in New York City. He is a 
Rci)ublican in politics, and an Episcopalian in 
religion. 

He married (first) June 3, 1868, Josephine 
Bradbury Curry, of Tilton, i\e\v Hampshire, 
born June 27, 1841, died April 6, i86y. He 
married (second) November ^, 1870, Hannah 
Augusta Curry, born July 15, 1848, sister of 
first wife, now living in Chester. Children, 
one by first marriage: Charles, born March 
4, 1S69, died in infancy; Joseph Orton, born 
September 4, 1872; Helen, October 6, 1874, 
died March i, 1877; Anna Tebbctts, December 
30. 1880. married. May 8, 1909, Edwin Dur- 
iand Chamberlain, child, Joseph B. Chamber- 
lain, born April 9, 1910, and a .son, unnamed. 

The family bearing this sur- 
\'.\XAMEE name is Holland Dutch in 
origin and the name was orig- 
inally spelled with an additional "a". and with- 
mit the final "e" \'an Naame. The fam- 
ily was of early settlement on Staten 
Island, New York. It was one of the 
oldest of the Dutch families of that coun- 
ty, though not the oldest. The earliest men 
lion of the name occurring in a church record 
is as follows : "Evert and Wyntie ( Wilhel- 
mina) Benham had a son Joseph, baptized 
A])ril 22, 1709, and a daughter August 3, 
1718". There is another record in the public 
archives at Kingston, Ulster county. New 
York, to the effect that Jochem \'an Namee 
was a trustee of the freeholders and common- 
alty of the town of Kingston in 1695. Accord- 
ing to such tradition as comes down to us it 
would seem that this Jochem was the immi- 
grant ancestor. The available evidence points 
in the same direction, for it is clear, among 
other things, that Jochem must have been a 
man well on in judgment and years to have 
been made the holder of a position in the pub- 
lic affairs of the town usually filled by men of 
responsible station and of mature years. 

( I) Jochem Englebert Van Naame, the pro- 
genitor of the well known family of New 
York bearing the name, was born probably in 
Holland, and died at Kingston, Ulster county. 
New York, after the year 1695. He was a 
trustee of the freeholders and commonalty of 
the town of Kingston in 1695. He probably 
engaged in farming chiefly as an occupation, 
the work at that early date in that region be- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



ing almost exclusively of the pioneer kind, 
clearing and cultivating the ground and build- 
ing up an ordered community. Nevertheless 
he seems to have been a man of education and 
character, possessing a certain recognized po- 
sition among the members of the municipality 
in which he lived. He married Lysbeth Pels. 
Children : Evert, who married \V'yntie Ben- 
ham, having a son Joseph, baptized April 2:, 
1709, and a daughter, who was baptized Au- 
gust 3, 1718 ; Simon, mentioned below. 

(II) Simon, son of Jochem Englebert and 
Lysbeth (Pels) Van Naame, was born about 
the year 1685. He was a farmer, though fol- 
lowing in his father's footsteps in so far as 
his interest in general public affairs extended. 
He married Sarah Prall. Children : Aaron, 
mentioned below ; Moses. 

(III) Aaron \'an Namee (the name changed 
to its modern form about this time), son of 
Simon and Sarah ( Prall) Van Naame, was 
born August 17, 1718. There is no record giv- 
ing his occupation or any details concerning 
his life. He ijrobably followed the occupation 
of both his father and grandfather, devoting 
most of his time to the cultivation of the land 
and to the construction of houses and their 
appurtenances. In those days a man had to 
be a master of many trades, involving both the 
development of properties and the transactions 
or barter connected with their passage from 
one hand to another. Aaron \"an Namee mar- 
ried Mary McLean, thus signalizing the grad- 
ual mixture of the old Dutch with the other 
and somewhat later elements in that region, 
coming from the British Isles. Their children 
were : Aaron, Simon, mentioned below ; Wil- 
liam, Ann. Moses, Charles. 

(IV) Simon (2), second son of Aaron and 
Mary (McLean) Van Namee, was born some- 
where between 1740 and 1750, died after 1790. 
He was engaged for the most part in agricul- 
tural pursuits and settled in Norway, Herki- 
mer county. New York. He married, but the 
name of his wife does not appear in any rec- 
ord. He was numbered in the census of 1790, 
and there he is stated to have five sons and 
two daughters, the names of three of the sons 
being .Aaron. Stephen. John, mentioned below. 

(V) John, son of Simon (2) Van Namee, 
was born in Norway, Herkimer county. New 
York, about the year 1785, died in Ogdens- 
burg. New York. The name of his wife is 
not known. 



SOUTHERN NEW Y(3RK 



133 



(VI) Simon (3), son of John Van Namee, 
was born at Ogdensburg, New York, in 1814, 
died at Kingston, New York. He was a phy- 
sician by profession and practiced for a num- 
ber of years in Albany and Kingston, in both 
of which places he was well known. He mar- 
ried Anna, daughter of a Mr. Graham, who 
belonged to a family that had come originally 
from Scotland. 

(VH) William Vanamee, son of Simon (3) 
and Anna (Graham) Van Namee, was born in 
Albany, Albany county. New York, January 
9, 1847. While he was yet a child his parents 
removed from Albany to Kingston, Ulster 
county, New York, where he received an edu- 
cation at the Kingston Academy. In 1886 
Hamilton College conferred on him the degree 
of Master of Arts. When he was nineteen he 
went to Middletown, Orange county, New 
York, for the purpose of studying law with 
Judge Groo. Two years after he was admitted 
to practice at the general term of the supreme 
court, held at Poughkeepsie, Dutchess county. 
New York, in May, 1868. He began the prac- 
tice of the law in Middletown, Orange county, 
and he remained there until 1895, when he re- 
moved to Newburg. He was in active prac- 
tice and associated in the trial of many im- 
portant cases during his entire professional life 
until 1906 when trouble with his eyes caused 
his retirement from trial work. Mr. Vanamee 
during this period was frequently called to 
other counties as counsel in the trial of im- 
portant cases. Some idea of the scope and 
character of his work may be gathered from 
the report of a trial which appeared in the 
Nezvhurg Journal on the 12th day of Novem- 
ber, 1903, in which it is said: "The jury was 
addressed for the plaintiff by Mr. Vanamee, 
who made one of those impressive, pathetic, 
eloquent and verdict-getting addresses for 
which he has become so famous on the Hudson 
River.'' In 1902 Mr. Vanamee was appointed 
the general counsel of the state excise depart- 
ment at Albany, a position which he held until 
he was compelled to resign on account of the 
demands of his general practice. He has never 
been a candidate for public office except upon 
one occasion when in 1888 he was the candi- 
date of his party for county judge of Orange 
county. 

The place occupied by Mr. \'anamee in his 
profession has been described in the Neiv- 
burg Journal which, upon the conclusion of a 



series of articles upon the Bench and Bar con- 
tributed to it by Mr. Vanamee, said of him : 

"Mr. Vanamee, in discussing so generously the 
leaders of the bar of Orange County, forgot to men- 
tion one who has long been in the forefront of the 
profession — ^himself. In justice to him, then, it falls 
on a layman to add him to that constellation of 
legal luminaries of which he wrote so well. From 
1868, Mr. Vanamee's voice has been heard in the 
courts in this and other states in important litiga- 
tions. Aside from his admitted knowledge of the 
law, Mr. Vanamee has the advantage of unusual 
gifts as an orator and public speaker. A natural 
fluency of speech he developed by close and constant 
study of language, of the best literature, of the 
masterpieces of the masters of all ages. Hence it 
is that when Mr. Vanamee approaches a subject, be 
it a legal argument, a lecture on Burns, a political 
address or an after dinner speech, he puts into it 
the thought and the finish of the scholar. It is this 
habit of the student that has given Mr. Vanamee 
that elegance of diction, that grace of rhetoric and 
that command of ornate and correct English which 
lovers of English pure and undefiled so much admire 
in his public addresses and in his writings. 

"Mr. Vanamee's articles have been widely read 
and extensively reprinted in the press of the county. 
They have formed a valuable series of intimate and 
personal sketches which have been a delight to 
read, and which have added to the reputation of Mr. 
Vanamee as a graceful writer and accurate observer 
of men. 

"When about fifteen years ago Mr. Vanamee re- 
moved from Middletown to Newburg, he at once 
took a position at the head of the Bar and when 
it is know'n that Mr. Vanamee is to sum up a case 
for the jury, the Court room is invariably filled with 
attorneys, who in this manner pay a tribute to his 
eloquence that is sincere and voluntary. In a case 
some years ago, in which the reputation of a Mid- 
dletown lawyer was at stake, Mr. Vanamee was 
brought into the case to present it to the jury and 
his address on that occasion is still referred to as 
one of the most masterly addresses ever made at 
the Newburg Court House. With an eloquent and 
keen analysis of the testimony he laid bare the weak 
points of the opposition and secured a verdict of 
acquittal for his client." 

Mr. Vanamee is frequently called upon for 
lectures and addresses. He was the orator of 
the day upon the occasion of the Fiftieth An- 
niversary of the mustering in of the One Hun- 
dred and Twenty-fourth Regiment — the fa- 
mous "Orange Blossoms", held at Goshen on 
the fifth of September, 1912, the Middletown 
Argus saying of it : "It was a gem and sur- 
passed all of Mr. Vanamee's previous oratori- 
cal efforts." In referring to the address of 
Mr. Vanamee delivered on the first of De- 
cember, 1912', at the Memorial Service of the 
Middletown Lodge of Elks the Middletoivn 
Times-Press said : "It was a masterpiece, not 



'34 

only ill its delivery, but in construction and 
composition." 

Mr. \anamee married (first) in 1871, his 
cliildrcn being Dr. Talcott O. Vanamee, now 
practicing in Newburg : Rev. Parker Vanamee, 
rector o{ the Episcopal church at Burnt Hills, 
Saratoga county, and Theodora, wife of Percy 
V. D. Gott. Esq., a prominent lawyer of 
Goshen. Mr. X'anamee's second marriage oc- 
curred in 1009. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Baylies appears to he allied 
B.WLH'^S to the surname Bailey or 
Baily, which is usually re- 
garded as being Norman in origin. In Bar- 
ber's "British Family Names" the name 
Baylies is said to be derived from tlie Flem- 
ish Bellis, a personal name. 

(I) Thomas Baylies, the first American 
ancestor of the family, was the son of Nich- 
olas Baylies, of Worcester, England. He 
was born, it is thought, in Worcester, Eng- 
land, 1687, died at Uxbridge, Massachusetts, 
March 5, 1756. He arrived in Boston, Mas- 
sachusetts, in June, 1737, accompanied by 
his son Nicholas and daughter Esther, but 
soon returned to England for his wife and 
two other daughters, returning to this coun- 
try in 1738. He did considerable work as a 
pioneer, for in those days the colonists were 
versatile men, able to turn their hands to 
almost any trade, and there were few of 
them who did not assist in cultivating the 
land as well as engage in commercial and 
industrial pursuits. He finally settled at 
Uxbridge, where he owned land and en- 
gaged in farming and other occupations. 
His training seems to have been largely 
commercial and manufacturing, and he es- 
tablished iron works, at Uxbridge, which 
developed to a considerable size. He mar- 
ried, June 5, 1706, Esther. dauglUcr of 
Thomas Sargent, of Fullfonl 1 loath, War- 
wickshire, England. 

(H) Nicholas, son of Thomas and Esther 
(Sargent) Baylies, was born in England 
May 10. 1710. diefl at Taunton. Massachu- 
setts, July 26. 1807. He resided for a num- 
ber of years in Uxt)ridgc, Massachusetts, 
from whence he removed to Taunton about 
(he year 1757, and became interested in iron 
works there. He was a noted patriot at the 
time of the revolutionary war, during which 
he took part in several stirring incidents. 



He married, in 1738, Elizabeth Parks, and 
had a son Hodijah, of whom further. 

(HI) Judge Hodijah Baylies, son of 
Nicholas and Elizabeth (Parks) Baylies, 
was born at Taunton, Massachusetts, Sep- 
tember 17, 1756, died at Dighton April 26, 
1843. He was graduated from Harvard Col- 
lege with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 
1777, and in the same year enlisted in a 
company. Then he was appointed aide-de- 
camp to General Benjamin Lincoln, one of 
the most famous soldiers of the revolution- 
ary war, and served with him at the siege 
of Charleston and the capture of Yorktown. 
He was ajjpointed aide-de-camp to General 
George Washington, May 3, 1782. He set- 
tled at Dighton about the year 1785. He 
occupied various civil positions of ])rnmi- 
nence, including that of collector of the port 
of Dighton, to which he was appointed Au- 
gust 4, 1789, and from February 20, 1810, 
to December 20, 1834, was judge of prol)ate 
in Bristol county. He was a member of 
the Society of the Cincinnati and of sexeral 
other patriotic societies. 

Judge Baylies married, in 1784, Elizabeth, 
daughter of General Benjamin Lincoln, of 
Hingham, who was delegated to receive the 
sW'Ord of Cornwallis at the battle of York- 
town. General Lincoln's family were 
among the earliest settlers of New England. 
From one branch President Abraham Lincoln 
descended, while another produced Levi 
Lincoln, a leading revolutionary patriot and 
prominent lawyer of Massachusetts in the 
years following the war. His equally fa- 
mous son, General Levi Lincoln, born in 1782, 
died in 1868, was foremost among statesmen 
of the earlier j)eriod of the nineteenth cen- 
tury. General Benjamin Lincoln, born at 
Hingham, Massachusetts, 1733, was a mem- 
ber of the colonial assembly, and as colonel 
of the militia was active in organizing troops 
at the outbreak of the revolution and at the 
siege of Boston. He became major-general 
in 1776 and served throughout the war. He 
was wounded at Bemis Heights in the Sara- 
toga c;inii)aign, while acting as second in 
command under General Gates. He was in 
command of the southern department, and 
became secretary of war under the confed- 
eration from 1781 to 1784. He suppressed 
the famous Shay's rebellion in Massachu- 
setts. He was lieutenant-governor of the 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



135 



state in 1787, and held many offices of promi- 
nence, including that of commissioner to 
various Indian tribes. Among the children 
of Hodijah Baylies was Edmund, of whom 
further. 

(IV) Edmund, son of Judge Hodijah and 
Elizabeth (Lincoln) Baylies, was born at 
Hingham, Massachusetts, September 22, 
1787. died at Taunton, Massachusetts, May 
10, 1878. He was a merchant at Boston for 
a number of years, achieving success along 
that line. In 1838 he removed to Taunton 
and established a country home, which is 
still occupied by members of the Baylies 
family. He was a member of the Massa- 
chusetts Society of the Cincinnati. He mar- 
ried, in 1819, Elizabeth, daughter of Philip 
and Ruth Payson, of Charlestown, Massachu- 
setts, and had a son Edmund Lincoln, of 
whom further. 

(V) Edmund Lincoln, son of Edmund 
and Elizabeth (Payson) Baylies, was born 
at Boston, Massachusetts, May 18, 1829, 
died at Geneva, Switzerland, November 28, 
1869. He was graduated from Harvard 
University with the degree of Bachelor of 
Arts in 1850. He lived during his early life 
in Boston and Taunton, Massachusetts, and 
after his marriage made his home in New 
York City. He married, November 27, 
1856, Nathalie, daughter of Robert Ray, of 
the New York family of that name, which 
has given a number of distinguished men in 
public and commercial life to the city and 
state. 

(VI) Edmund Lincoln (2), son of Ed- 
mund Lincoln (i) and Nathalie (Ray) Bay- 
lies, was born in New York City December 
2, 1857. He was graduated from Philip's 
Exeter Academy in 1875, and from Harvard 
University in 1879 with the degree of Bach- 
elor of Arts, and in 1882 with the degree of 
Bachelor of Laws. This was supplemented 
by a course at the Columbia Law School, 
from which he also received the degree of 
Bachelor of Laws. He was admitted to the 
bar in 1882, and on his return from a trip 
around the world he began the practice of 
law. He is now a memloer of the law firm 
of Carter, Ledyard & Milburn. In 1902 he 
was appointed secretary to the special embassv 
of the LTnited States to the coronation of King 
Edward VII. of England. He is vice-presi- 
dent of the Mexican Telegraph Company, 



trustee of the New York Life Insurance 
and Trust Company, and of Greenwood 
Cemetery. He is a member of the Associa- 
tion of the Bar of the City of New York, 
the Society of the Cincinnati, the Century, 
Knickerbocker, University, Down Town, 
City and New York Yacht clubs. 

Mr. Baylies married, January 18, 1887, 
Louisa, daughter of the late Alexander \'an 
Rensselaer, and granddaughter of Stephen 
A'an Rensselaer, of Albany, New York, pa- 
troon, thus becoming connected with one 
of the very foremost old families of New 
York, if not of the country. 



The family of this name is not 
SHOVE very numerously represented 
in New England, but has fur- 
nished many e.xcellent citizens, and has or- 
namented the work of the clergy in several 
localities, especially in Taunton and Dan- 
bury, Connecticut. The earliest records 
show that there was a widow. Margery 
Shove, at Rowley, Massachusetts, in 1643. 
She was possibly the mother of Rev. George 
Shove, whose birthplace has not been lo- 
cated after much research by genealogists. 
(I) Rev. George Shove was the third min- 
ister at Taunton, Massachusetts, where he 
was ordained pastor, November 17, 1665, 
and died April 21, 1687. It is probable that 
the minister was not substantially support- 
ed as we find that he was an extensive dealer 
in real estate which was due perhaps to the 
necessity of his finding other means of sup- 
port than that afforded him as a minister. 
He was one of the original proprietors of 
the Taunton North Purchase which includ- 
ed what is now the towns of Norton, Easton 
and Mansfield. He married (first) July 12, 
1664, Hopestill, daughter of Rev. Samuel 
Newman of Rehoboth. Massachusetts. She 
died March 7, 1673, and he married (sec- 
ond) February 18, 1675, Hannah, daughter 
of Rev. Thomas Waller. She died Decem- 
ber 22, i68q, and he married (third) De- 
cember 8, i(S86, Sarah, daughter of Thomas 
Farwcll. Children of the first marriage: 
Edward, died young; Elizabeth, born Au- 
gust 10, 1666; Seth, mentioned below; Na- 
thaniel. January 29, 1669; Samuel, June 16, 
1670; Sarah, July 30, 1671. Of second mar- 
riage: Mary, born August ti, 1676; Jo- 
hanna, September 28, 1678; Edward, Octo- 



536 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



ber 3, 1680; Yetmercy, Noven-oer 7, 1682. 
The last is usually spoken of in the records 
as Mercy Shove. 

(IIj Rev. Seth Shove, second son of Rev. 
George and Hopestill (Newman) Shove, 
was born September 10, 1667. He gradu- 
ated at Harvard College in 1687, and taught 
school in Newbury, Massachusetts, and at 
Danbury, Connecticut. He was ordained 
clergyman at the latter place October 13, 
1697, was the first minister of the church 
in Danbury and spent the remainder of his 
life engaged in the ministry there ; he died 
October 3, 1735. His house was occupied 
as a garrison during the Indian troubles in 
early days. When the British burned Dan- 
bury in 1777, all its records were destroyed, 
and consequently no record of his marriage 
or children appears, but tradition states that 
for several generations the line of descent 
was continued through sons named Seth. 

(V) Herman K. Shove, a descendant of 
Rev. Seth Siiove, was born 1794 and died 
1866. He married Olive Blakely and had 
issue. Levi Shove, a brother of Herman 
K. Shove was born in Danbury, married 
Abigail Weed of that town and was among 
the early settlers of Warren, Connecticut, 
where he lived and died. 

(VI) Henry Shove, born about 1830, son 
of Herman K. and Olive (Blakely) Shove, 
resided in Warren, where he was a farmer, 
an active member of the Methodist church, 
and a \\hig in politics. He married Fanny 
Lane and their children were: John W., 
Frank D., Edward II., Garwood, Jennie and 
Levi A. The daughter became the wife of 
Harlcy Beeman. 

(V'll) Levi A., youngest son of Henry 
and Fanny (Lane) Shove, was born May 
4. 1855, in Warren, and died at Brewster, 
New York. November 22, 1906. In 1875 
he settled in Brewster where for many years 
he conducted a successful livery business. 
He was an ardent Republican in political 
principle, and served as a trustee of the vil- 
lage of Brewster, being also a member of 
the fire company of that place. He married, 
October 18. 1876. Flora Eliza, born October 
8, 1856, in Kent, Connecticut, daughter of 
Ralj.h and Harriet M. (Benedict) Howland, 
of that town. Ralph Howland was born 
May 31, 1S17, in Kent, and died there, Jan- 
uary 2. i8r.o. Ilarri, t \I I'..nedict was born 



December 2},, 1816, and died April 20, 1897. 
They were among the active and useful 
members of the Methodist church. Their 
children were: Justina Maria, born October 
13, 1843, married Lehman T. Peet ; Sherman 
William, August 11, 1844; Mark Benedict, 
October 29, 1846; Mary Frances, December 
18, 1853, became the wife of Charles T. 
Chase; Flora Eliza, of previous mention; 
Eveline Amanda, October 11, 1857, died 
September 10, 1875. The only child of Levi 
A. Shove is Florence Howland Shove, born 
January 8, 1880, in Brewster; she was edu- 
cated in the Brewster public schools and 
Lyndon Hall, Poughkeepsie. She is one of 
the active members of the Brewster Metho- 
dist Church, and is connected with the Ce- 
cilian Society, and the Women's Christian 
Temperance Union. 



The surname Van Du- 
VAN DUZER zer is Dutch in origin, 

and in its original form 
is said to be derived from a word or appel- 
lation meaning "a place of many waters". 
Its probable derivation is from the name of 
a hamlet of about five hundred inhabitants 
in Noord Braband, in the Netherlands, 
called Deursen. This was according to one 
method adopted by the Dutch emigrants 
who came to these shores in the establish- 
ment of surnames, such a name indicating 
that the emigrant to whom the name w'as 
later applied, was originally from ("van") 
Deursen in the Netherlands. This method, 
as well as that of deriving the family name 
from the name of the father or grandfather 
with some prefix or suffix indicating de- 
scent attached, prevailed in New Amster- 
dam or New York during the Dutch occu- 
pation and for some time after. This par- 
ticular name, \'an Deursen or \'an Duzer, 
was in early days spelled in a variety of 
ways that have continued to this day. This 
was nearly the case with every type of sur- 
name, Dutch as well as English, German 
and the like in origin, in the early days of 
colonial settlement. The name was written 
down phonetically, that is it was written 
down as it struck the hearer's ear and as 
the writer at the moment chose to render 
its orthography, and this confusion of sound 
and orthography resulted in an absolute ab- 
sence of rule, the same writer or copyist 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



137 



often rendering the same name with differ- 
ent orthography, a number of times in the 
same document. The result of this may be 
seen in the name here dealt with, perhaps 
as well as in any other. Thus it has been 
rendered and is found to-day as Van Deusen, 
Yandeusen, Van Duzen, Van Dense, Van 
Deussen, Van Dorsen, Van Dozer, Van 
Duce, Van Duesen, Van Dueser, Van Due- 
son, Vanduens, Van Dusan, Vanduse, Van 
Duersen, \'an Deuzer, Van Duzer, Van Deur- 
sen and Van Deurse. 

(I) Abraham Pietersen Van Deursen, the 
immigrant ancestor in America of the Van 
Duzer family here dealt with, was born at 
Haarlem, Holland, baptized there November 
II, 1607, and died in New Amsterdam or 
New York in some year following 1644, 
when his youngest child was born. He 
married in 1629 and a few years later came 
to America. He is recorded as being in New 
Amsterdam in 1636 and lived in the Heere- 
wegh Straat or Broadway, carrying on the 
occupation of miller and innkeeper, trading 
also in land and cattle. He married, in 
Haarlem, Holland, December 7, 1629, 
Tryntje Melchiors. Children: Teunis, born 
in 1631 at Haarlem, Holland; Marytje, born 
in 1632 at Haarlem, Holland; Isaac, men- 
tioned below ; Jacob, born in 1638 in New 
Amsterdam; Pieter, born in 1642 in New 
Amsterdam ; Melchior, born in 1644 in New 
Amsterdam. 

(H) Isaac, second son of Abraham Pieter- 
sen and Tryntje (Melchiors) Van Deursen, 
consequently bearing the sobriquet after the 
Dutch fashion of Abrahamszen, was born in 
New Amsterdam in the year 1637, died in 
New Amsterdam some time after 1677. He 
was a resident of New Amsterdam the 
greater part of his life. He married, April 5, 
1659, Jannetje Jans. Children: Abraham, 
born in New Amsterdam in 1659; Jacobus, 
born in New Amsterdam in 1662; Geer- 
truyd, born in New Amsterdam in 1665, 
died young; Geertruyd (2), born in 1666; 
Isaac, mentioned below; Sarah, born in 
1677. 

(HI) Isaac (2), youngest son of Isaac (i) 
and Jannetje (Jans) Van Deursen, and con- 
sequently bearing the Dutch sobriquet of 
Isaacsz, was baptized May i. 1670, died in 
New York some time after 1727, the year in 
which his youngest child was born. He 



was made a freeman, August 30, 1698. He 
married, April 24, 1697, Metje Christaens. 
Children : Isaac, mentioned below ; Chris- 
tian, baptized in 1700; Catryna, born in 
1702; Jenneke, born in 1705; Lea, born in 
1715; Shadrach, born in 1727. 

(IV) Isaac (3), eldest son of Isaac (2) 
and Metje (Christaens) Van Deursen, and 
consequently bearing the sobriquet of 
Isaacsz, was born in New York, baptized 
in New York, February 6, 1698, died in 
Cornwall, Orange county, New York, March 
30, 1792. On the military roll of Orange 
county. New York, in 1715 his name appears 
as Ysack Van Dures, and in his will, dated 
June 14, 1783, as Van Duzer, which spelling 
has since been followed by his descendants. 
He resided at Tappan, New York, in 1718. 
From there he appears to have gone to 
Ramapo, where he lived from the year 1724 
to the year 1748. Later he settled in Corn- 
wall, Orange county. New York. At Corn- 
wall he figured as a large landowner, pos- 
sessing one thousand acres. He married 
(first) in 1718, Argenetie Laroe. (second) in 
1723, Elizabeth Rosenboom, of New York. 
Children by first marriage : Wiberech, bap- 
tized in 1720; Isack, baptized in 1721, both 
this child and the first being baptized at 
Hackensack, New Jersey. Children by sec- 
ond marriage: Augneitje, born in 1724; 
Tjerck, born in 1726: Martha, born in 1728; 
Marrytje, born in 1730; Elizabeth, born in 
1732; Catherine, born in 1734; Leah, born 
in 1736; Antie, born in 1738; Jannetje, born 
in 1741 ; Christopher, mentioned below; Ma- 
ria, born in 1749. 

(V) Christopher Van Duzer, youngest son 
of Isaac (3) and Elizabeth (Rosenboom) Van 
Deursen, was born in 1743. He passed his 
youth and a great part of his adult life at 
Cornwall, Orange county, New York. He was 
a captain in the Cornwall regiment of foot 
during the revolutionary war, and his rec- 
ord was a very creditable one. He served 
at Haverstraw, Ramapo, Fort Montgomery, 
Minisink, New Windsor and Fishkill. His 
widow was a revolutionary pensioner. He 
married (first) Juliana Strong, born in 1750, 
died in 1770; (second) Juliana Tusten, sis- 
ter of Lieutenant-Colonel Benjamin Tusten. 
who was killed by Indians at the battle of 
Minisink, New York, July 23. 1779. Child 
by first marriage : Juliana, born in 1770. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Children by second marriage: Isaac, born 
in 1773, married. June 29, 1794, Keturah, 
daughter of Selah and Keturah (Strong) 
Reeve; Abigail, born in 1775; Elizabeth 
Tusten, born in 1777, married, in 1797, Selah 
Reeve Jr.; Ann, born in 1779; Mary, born 
in 1781; Benjamin T., born in 1784; John, 
born in 1786; William, born in 1788; Abi- 
gail, born in 1790; Susan, born in 1792; 
Selah, mentioned below. 

(VI) Selah. youngest son of Christopher 
and Juliana (Tusten) Van Duzer, was born 
at Cornwall, Orange county. New York, 
October 28, 1796, died September 20. 1874. 
He was president of the New York National 
Exchange Bank, New York City, and re- 
sided in Lake Mahopac. He resided for a 
considerable part of his life at Cornwall and 
at Warwick. He married (first) in 1818, 
Margaret Van Alstyne. born in 1800, died in 
1830. daughter of Abraham and Margaret 
(Hill) \'an Alstyne. He married (second) 
January 9, 1833, Arianna Somcrville, born 
ill 1807', died in 1886, daughter of Archibald 
and Mary (Bingham) Somerville. Children 
by first marriage: Edward, born in 1819; 
\Villiam .Vustin Seeley, born in 1820, died 
in 1905; Selah Reeve, mentioned below; 
Margaret Jose])hinc, burn in 1827, died in 
1856, married, in 1853, James Dewey, born 
in 1815, died in 1884. Children by second 
marriage: Arcliibald Somerville, born in 
1834, died in 1870, married, in 1864, Sarah 
l-'airchild : Charles Francis, born in 1836, 
died in 1862, was lieutenant of the United 
States Infantry; George, born February 22, 
1839, died January 15, 1904; John Bingham, 
born in 1840, died in 1865; Mary Sonter- 
villc, born in 1844, married, in 1886, John 
Sayrc Martin. 

(A'H) Selah Reeve, son of Selah and Mar- 
garet (\an Alstyne) \'an Duzer, was l)orn in 
New York City, December 9, T823, died at 
"Rozcnhof", his home at Newburg, Orange 
county, New York, December 27, 1903. He 
was one of the most prominent wholesale 
druggists in the United States. He retired 
from active business in 1893. In 1S54 he 
made his Immc in Newburg and purchased 
the premises .south of the Ramsdell home- 
stead, adding greatly to tiie conveniences 
and beauty of the place. At his conserva- 
tories were always to be found in great 
abundance the choicest of flowering and 



foliage plants, particularly chrysanthemums. 
He also owned one of the Thousand Islands, 
where he erected a beautiful house, and 
owned a winter house in Thomasville, 
Georgia. Mr. Van Duzer was of a charita- 
ble disposition and appeals to him for help 
were always heeded, and what he gave was 
freely given and utterly without ostentation. 
He married, May 15, 1850, Catharine 
Mathews Sayre, born in 1828, died April 

25, 1904, at Thomasville, Georgia, daughter 
of Jonas and Rachel (Mathews) Sayre. 
Children: i. Selah, born April 19, 1851, died 
July 6, 1892. 2. Henry Sayre, born Febru- 
ary 26, 1853; a lawyer; at one time was 
major and judge advocate of the First Brig- 
ade National Guard of New York. 3. Fred- 
erick Conkling, born February 15, 1856; 
married, September 12, 1878, Lois Marion 
Miller; resides in London, England. 4. 
Katharine Sayre, born .'\ugust 5, 1858; mar- 
ried, January 20, 1887, Frank Vincent Bur- 
ton, son of Josiah H. and Lucia (Clark) 
Burton; resides in Newburg; children: 
Lucia Clark, born November 21, 1887, mar- 
ried, May 28, 1910. Morgan, son of John 
Morgan and J(jsephine G. (Ireland) \Ving, 
and has one child, Morgan Jr., born March 
1, 1912; Katharine Sayre, born February i, 
1889; Frank Vincent Jr., born September 

26, 1891 ; Van Duzer, born October 26, 1895; 
Margaret, born January 31, 1899. 



The original ancestors 
GANSEVOORT of the Gansevoort fami- 
lies of the Hudson and 
Mohawk Valleys in New York state lived 
in a town called Ganzfort, which was situ- 
ated on the borders of Germany and Hol- 
land. Wesselius Gansefortius. otherwise 
known in his own day as Wessel Ganse- 
voort and also as John Wessel Gansevoort, 
was born at Groningcn. Holland, in the year 
1419, in a house standing in the Heerestraat, 
near the Caroliweg, and which can be rec- 
ognized by the family arms which re- 
main to this day in the front stone. The 
arms themselves appear to present an em- 
blem of agriculture and commerce, from 
which it may be assumed that the Ganse- 
voorts of early times were engaged in those 
avocations. And besides the family name 
of Gansevoort (doubtless derived from the 
village of Ganzfort, in Westfalen), he bore 



i 




1 




l/yy^My; 



//ZA^yAJ/yiy^ ^^^ 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



139 



in later times among men of eminent learn- 
ing the name of Basilius, and the title of 
Lux Mundi {light of the world), and also 
the name of Magistcr Contradictionis (Mas- 
ter of Contradictions or Debates). For this 
• latter title he is probably indebted to his 
continued attacks against tlie errors and 
abuses of the church. He also has been re- 
ferred to and mentioned as the forerunner 
of Luther, and he favored the school of 
absolute nominalism in philosophy. He was 
a leader in the pre-Reformation movement 
in Hollaiul, and ranked among the most 
learned men of his time; was an intimate 
friend in early life of Thomas a Kempis, 
studied at several of the great schools of 
Europe, and was offered and declined a pro- 
fessorshij) at Heidelberg. At Paris he was 
the instructor of two men who afterward 
achieved wide fame, Reuchlin and Agricola, 
and subsequently he visited in Rome when 
Sixtus IV. was Pope. He had been on 
terms of intimacy with Sixtus when the lat- 
ter was superior-general of the Franciscans. 
It is related that he was asked by Sixtus 
what favor he could do for him, and in an- 
swer Wessel asked for a Greek and Hebrew 
Bible from the Vatican library. "You shall 
have it,"' said the Pope, "but what a sim- 
pleton you are ; why did you not ask for a 
bishopric or something of that kind?" "Be- 
cause I do not want it," replied Wessel, a 
reply truly characteristic of his high tone 
and independent spirit. On religious sub- 
jects his views were broad and deep, and he 
promulgated with boldness the doctrines of 
the Reformation forty years in advance of 
Luther, who held his character and attain- 
ments in high esteem and who published an 
edition of part of his works. His name, still 
retained by the family in this country, is 
reverenced in Groningen, his native city, 
where in 1862 an ancient tablet to his mem- 
ory was restored by the authorities of the 
city and placed in the large church with 
demonstrations of public regard. 

The Hon. Harmanus Bleecker, when min- 
ister to The Hague, stated that there was 
no doubt of the descent of the family from 
this philosopher, and papers in possession 
of the family of the late Judge Peter Ganse- 
voort, of AUiany, show the fact more clear- 
ly. In i860 his tomb at Groningen was vis- 
ited by Judge Gansevoort and his son, and 



a few days previous to their arrival the re- 
mains had been disinterred and were lying 
in the cloister of the Holy Virgins, to which 
place they had been removed from the 
chapel of the University to make room for 
modern improvements. His tomli also had 
been removed and was lying in pieces ready 
to be reerected. It was of the medieval 
style and surmounted by a bust of Wessel, 
such as was usually placed over tombs of 
that description. The bust was of marble, 
but, like that of Shakespeare at Stratford, 
it had been painted in different colors. It 
showed him to be a man of intellect and 
benevolence, and the inscription on the tomb 
was elaborate and magniloquent. The 
bones of the body were in perfect preserva- 
tion and were regarded by those in charge 
with great reverence, and they were rein- 
terred with ceremony. It is a somewhat 
singular fact that at the time of the arrival 
there of Judge Gansevoort and his son, the 
house of their ancestor Wessel Gansevoort 
was being demolished to make room for a 
more modern building. It contained above 
the front door a marble slab on which was 
carved the same coat-of-arms as that borne 
by the family in America, viz. : 4 quarters, 
a ship and wagon. 

Wesselius Gansefortius died October 9, 
1489. It is said that during his last sickness 
he complained that through various consid- 
erations and reflections he felt his belief in 
the great truths of the Christian religion 
shaken, but not long before his death he 
was heard to exclaim with great thankful- 
ness, "I thank God, all these vain thoughts 
have gone, and I know nothing but Christ 
and Him crucified." Such then are some- 
thing of the qualities and characteristics of 
the great scholar and philosopher, who, 
without doubt, is the remote ancestor of the 
family of the Gansevoort surname purposed 
to be treated in these annals. It is not 
known in what year the first Gansevoort 
emigrated to the Low Country of Holland, 
but it is known that the first of the surname 
on this side of the Atlantic Ocean appeared 
in New Netherlands in the year 1660. 

fl) Harme Van Ganzvort (he so wrote 
his name in all of his business and family 
transactions so long as he lived) came to 
America and settled at Catskill, on the Hud- 
son river, in 1660. There he had an ex- 



140 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



ttnsive manor, doubtless acquired from the 
Indians, but afterward his lands were grant- 
ed to others. It is related by one chronicler 
of the family history that Harme lived for 
some time at Catskill, on an estate more re- 
cently owned by the Van Vechten family, 
and that he was unjustly deprived of his 
property by one of the Dutch governors who 
went by water from New Amsterdam to 
Albany and on his passage up the river an- 
chored his vessel opposite Catskill creek. 
There the governor went ashore with his 
secretary or aide, walked up to the Ganz- 
vort dwelling, and was hospitably enter- 
tained by the proprietor. The secretary ex- 
pressed his admiration of the estate, solic- 
ited a grant of it from the governor, and 
secured it. In consequence of this, Harme 
\'an Ganzvort, who had no other title to the 
land than that of possession and the consent 
of the Indian owners, was compelled to 
leave and locate elsewhere. From Catskill 
he removed with his family to Albany, 
v.here, having been brought up to the trade 
of a brewer, he set up in that business and 
continued it so long as he lived. His home 
and brew house were at the corner of Mar- 
ket street and Maiden lane. This property 
has been kept in the family and on the site 
now stands Stanwix Hall. 

Harme Van Gansevoort (or Van Ganz- 
vort) died July 23, 1710. He was a man of 
character and ability, a member of the Lu- 
theran church. Of his means he gave to 
the society of that church a lot of land on 
which to erect a house of worship, and be- 
neath the puli)it in the church his remains 
were buried. The lot is on South Pearl 
street, where the market house was built in 
later years. His wife was Marritje Lien- 
darts, who died in 1742. Children: i. El- 
sie, married, 1689, Francis Winne. 2. Maria. 

3. Auguitie, married, i(So8. Tennis Williams. 

4. Anna, married, 1692, Jacobus De \\'arrien. 

5. Lysbeth, married, 1701. Johannes De Wan- 
dclaer. 6. Hillitie, married, 1706, Albert 
Van Dcrzee. 7. Catarine, married, 1714, 
Asent Pruvn. 8. Leonard, born. 1681 (see 
post). 9. Rachel, born 16S6, married Teunis 
Hamcrin. 10. Lydia, born 1690. 11. Re- 
becca, ifio.V 12. Hcndrick, i6ofi. 

(II) Leonard Gansevoort (Liendart Van 
Ganzvort), son of Harme and Marritje 
(Liendarts) Van Ganzvort, was born in Al- 



b'any, in 1681, and died there November 30, 
1763. He succeeded his father in the own- 
ership of the brewery and its business, and 
continued it as his principal occupation. He 
is remembered as a man of small stature, of 
placid and serene countenance, and of up- 
light character. He married, in 1712. Cath- 
erine De Wandelaer, who survived him, 
and it was in a large measure through her 
strong character and superior business abil- 
ities that her husband was enabled to ac- 
cumulate a comfortable fort .ne. One of 
her descendants writing of her said that 
"her activity of mind made her quite a busi- 
ness woman and rendered her a great bless- 
ing to her husband, who was a quiet, mod- 
erate man." Children: Harme, born 1712, 
(see post) ; Henry, born 1716, died 1746; 
John, died young; Sarah, born 1718, died 
1731 ; Johannes, born 1719, died 1781, mar- 
ried (first) 1750. Marritje Douw (born 1725, 
died 1750), married (second) Elsie Beek- 
man, daughter of Jacob; Maria, born 1723, 
died 1739; Peter, born 1725, died 1809, mar- 
ried, 1751, Garritje Ten Eycke; Elsie, born 
1728, died 1753; Aguitie, born 1730, died 
1731 ; Elsie, died 1761. 

(Ill) Harme, son of Leonard and Cather- 
ine (De Wandelaer) Gansevoort, was born 
in Albany, and baptized there April 20, 
1712, and died there May 7, 1801. He was a 
merchant in Albany and carried on an ex- 
tensive business, importing his goods from 
Europe. He inherited from his father the 
brewery property and continued it in con- 
I'.ection with his other business interests. 
He also appears to have been somewhat en- 
gaged in public affairs, and it is evident that 
he was a man of excellent understanding 
and business capacity. From September 25, 
1750, to 1760, he was clerk of the county 
court and of the court of common pleas, 
clerk of the peace and of the sessions. In 
1763 he purchased and caused to be brought 
over from England what probably was the 
second hand fire engine ever used in Al- 
bany, paying therefor the sum of $397.50. 
He married. May 29, 1740. Magdalena 
Douw, born August i, 1718, died October 
12, 1796, daughter of Petrus and Anna (\'an 
Rensselaer) Douw. Petrus (sometimes 
written Pieter) Douw, was born March 24, 
1692. died August 21, 1775. son of Jonas 
Volkertse Douw of Manor Rensselaerwvck, 



I 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



141 



who married (first) November 14, 1683, 
Magdalena Pieterse Quackenboss, and mar- 
ried (second) April 24, 1696, Catrina Van 
Witbeck, widow of Jacob Sanderse Glen. 
Jonas Volkertse Douw was the eldest son 
from Frederickstadt and was in Beverwyck 
as early as 1638. He died in 1686. He had 
his house on the west corner of State street 
of Captain Volkert Janse Douw, who came 
and Broadway, which property is now 
owned by his descendants. He was a trader 
and brewer, and in connection with Jan 
Thomase he dealt quite largely in real es- 
tate. Their brewery was located on the east 
half of the Exchange block lot and extended 
to the river. This they sold in 1675 to Hai"- 
men Rutgers, son of Rutger Jacobsen. In 
1663 they bought of the Indians, Schotack 
or Apjen's (Little Monkey's) island and the 
main land lying east of it. Captain Douw 
also owned Constapel's island, lying oppo- 
site Bethlehem, half of which he sold in 
1677 to Pieter \Vinne. In 1672 he owned 
Schutter's island, below Beeren island, 
which he sold to Barent Pieterse Coeymans. 
He married, April 19, 1650, Dorotee Janse, 
from Breestede, Holland. She was a sister 
of Rutger Jacobsen's wife, and died Novem- 
ber 2, 1681. He died in 1686. Anna Van 
Rensselaer, wife of Petrus Douw, was born 
January 4, 1719, daughter of Killian and 
Maria (Van Cortlandt) Van Rensselaer, 
granddaughter of Jeremias and Maria (Van 
Cortlandt) \^an Rensselaer, and great- 
granddaughter of Killian Van Rensselaer, 
merchant of Amsterdam, Holland, who mar- 
ried (first) Hillegonda Van Bylet and (sec- 
ond) Anna Wely. Killian Van Rensselaer, 
son of Jeremias, was the first lord of the 
Manor of Rensselaerwyck. Children of 
Karme and Magdalena (Douw) Gansevoort: 
I. Sarah, born 1741, married John Ten 
Broeck. 2. Peter, born 1742, died 1743. 3. 
Anna, born 1744, died 1794; married, 1778, 
Cornelius Wyncoop. 4. Catherine, born 
1747, died 1749. 5. Peter, born 1749 (see 
post). 6. Leonard, born 1751, died 1810, 
married, 1770, Hester Cuyler, born 1749, 
died 1826. 7. Henry, born 1753, died 1755. 
8. Hendrick, born 1757. 9. Catrina, died 
1 761. 

(IV) General Peter Gansevoort Jr., son 
of Harme and Magdalena (Douw) Ganse- 
voort, was born in Albany, in 1749, where 



Stanwix Hall now stands, and died in his 
native city, July 2, 181 2, at the age of sixty- 
three years. On July 2, 1775, he was ap- 
pointed by congress a major in the Second 
New York Regiment. In August of that 
year he joined the army which invaded Can- 
ada under Montgomery. In March, 1776, 
he was made lieutenant-colonel, and on No- 
vember 21 following became colonel of the 
regiment. In July, 1776, he was colonel com- 
manding at Fort George, on Lake George. 
In April, 1777, he took command of Fort 
Stanwix (afterward called Fort Schuyler), 
on the present site of the city of Rome, and 
made a gallant defence of the post against 
the British under St. Leger, which was the 
first blow to their great scheme to sever 
New York from the residue of the confed- 
eracy, and by thus preventing the coopera- 
tion of that ofiicer with Burgoyne, contrib- 
uted most essentially to the great and de- 
cisive victory at Saratoga. For this gallant 
defence the thanks of congress were voted 
to Colonel Gansevoort. In the spring of 
1779 Colonel Gansevoort was ordered to join 
General Sullivan in an expedition against 
the Indians in the western part of New 
York. At the head of a chosen party from 
the army he distinguished himself by sur- 
prising, by the celerity of his movements, 
the lower Mohawk castle, and capturing all 
the Indian inhabitants of the vicinity. In 
1781 the state of New York appointed him 
brigadier-general, and afterwards he filled a 
number of important ofifices, among which 
was that of commissioner of Indian affairs 
and for fortifying the frontiers. He also 
was military agent and a brigadier-general 
in the United States army in 1809, sheriff of 
Albany county from 1790 to 1792, a regent 
of the University of the State of New York 
from 1808 until the time of his death, and 
one of the first board of directors of the 
New York State Bank in 1803. 

The foregoing account is hardly more 
than a very brief outline of the career of 
one of the bravest and most determined sol- 
diers and patriots of the revolution, an ofifi- 
cer whose courage never was doubted, 
whose achievements as a commanding offi- 
cer were fully appreciated, but whose splen- 
did service never was more than half re- 
warded. And it has remained for one of his 
descendants, a granddaughter, to cause to 



142 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



be erected an appropriate memorial of his 
noble record and unselfish patriotism; and 
all honor is due iMrs. Catherine Gansevoort 
Lansing for the gift which marks the place 
of old Fort Stanwix— "a fort which never 
surrendered," and tiie fort from which the 
first American flag was unfurled in the face 
of the enemy. The "General Peter Ganse- 
voort Statue," in bronze, stands in the circle 
in the East Park, Rome, New York, facing 
the west. The figure is in full uniform, 
heroic in size, seven feet two inches tall, 
standing at ease in military position, the 
left foot slightly forward. In the right hand 
is held the letter of St. Leger demanding 
the surrender of the fort, while the left hand 
rests on the hilt of the sword. The pedestal 
weighs nearly three tons and stands on a 
base weighing twenty tons, and the whole 
lests on a solid concrete foundation nearly 
four feet thick. On the outer edge of the 
Hag walk around the monument is a stone 
toping of Barre granite, rock finish, the 
same material on which the statue rests, the 
coping being a foot wide and a foot thick. 
On the front tablet of the monument ap- 
pears this inscription ; 

Brigaelicr-Gcncral Peter Gansevoort, Jr., Colonel 
in the Continental .Army. He served under Mont- 
gomcrj- in Canada in the campaign against Quebec 
in 1775, and in 1777 he successfully defended Fort 
Stanwi.x against the British forces and their Indian 
allies under St. Leger, thus preventing their junc- 
tion with Burgoyne at Saratoga. 1 le took part in 
the campaign of 1770 under General Sullivan. He 
was in active command at the outbreak of the War 
of 1812, and died on the second day of July of that 
year at the age of 63. 

On the rear tablet tiiis inscription ap- 
pears : 

Erected near the site of 

FORT ST.\NWIX 

at the request of Peter Gansevoort, 

Henry S. Gansevoort, U. S. A., 

and .'Xbraham Lansing, all of 

Albany, N. Y. 

Presented to the City of Rome by 

Catherine Gansevoort 

Lansing. 

A. D. 1906. 

General Gansevoort married, January 12, 
1778, Catherine (Catrina) Van Schaick, bap- 
tized August 16, 1752, died December 30, 
1830, daughter of Wessel Van Schaick, who 
was ha|)tizcd February 10, 1712, and mar- 
ried, November 3, 1743, Maria Gerritse, who 
died January 31, 1797. Wessel Van Schaick 



was son of Anthony (or Antony) Van 
Schaick, Sybrant, filius, glazier, born 1681, 
married, (J)ctober 19, 1707, Anna Catherine 
Ten Broeck, who died in December, 1756. 
In 1704 Anthony Van Schaick's house lot 
was at the south corner of State and Pearl 
streets, Albany. He was a son of Sybrant 
Van Schaick, born 1653, who married Eliza- 
beth Van Der Poel, and died about 1785. 
In 1678 his step-mother agreed to sell him 
her half of the brewery on the easterly half 
of the Exchange block for one hundred 
beavers. He was a son of Captain Goosen 
Gerritse Van Schaick, brewer of Albany. 
In 1664 he and Philip Pieterse Schuyler 
were granted permission to purchase Halve 
Maan of the Indians, to prevent "those of 
Connecticut" from purchasing it. In 1664 
also he bought of his stepfather, Ryner El- 
bertse, a lot on the north corner of Colum- 
bia street and Broadway, and in 1675 he and 
Pieter Lassingh bought Harmne (or 
Harme) Rutgers brewery on the Exchange 
block. "In 1657, being about to marry his 
second wife, he made a contract in which 
he reserved from his estate 6,000 guilders 
for his four eldest children by the first wife, 
that being her separate estate; and in 1668 
he and his second wife made a joint will, he 
being about to depart for Holland." Cap- 
tain Van Schaick married (first) in 1649, 
Cieertie Brantse Van Nieuwkerk, who died 
about 1656; married (second), 1657, An- 
natie Lievens, or Lievense. 

General Gansevoort's children: i. Her- 
man, born 1779, died 1862; married, in 1813, 
Catherine Quackenboss, born 1774, died 
1855. 2. Wessel, born 1781, died 1862. 3. 
Leonard, born 1783, died 1821 ; married, 
1809, Mary A. Chandonette, born 1789, died 
1851. 4. Peter, born 1786, died 1788. 5. 
Peter, born December 22, 1788, (see post). 
(. Maria, born 1791. married, 1814, Allan 
Melville, born 1782, died 1832. 

(V) Judge Peter Ciansevoort, son of Gen- 
eral Peter and Catherine (Van Schaick) 
Gansevoort, was born in Albany, December 
22, 1788, and died at his home in that city, 
January 4, 1876. His higher literary edu- 
cation was acquired at the College of New 
Jersey. Princeton, where he graduated, and 
afterward he attended the celebrated Litch- 
field Law School ; still later read law in the 
office of Harmanus Bleecker, and was ad- 



i 




<^^Z-^z:^-g^'2.<^ 




SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



143 



mitted to the bar about 181 1. His practice 
for many years was very considerable, and 
he ranked among the prominent members 
of the profession. For some time he acted 
as private secretary to Governor DeWitt 
Clinton, and then on his military staff as 
judge advocate general from 1819 to 1821. 
In 1830-31 he was a member of the assem- 
bly, and then a senator for four years, 1833 
to 183C inclusive. In all matters of public 
interest he took an active part, and was 
thoroughly attached to all that concerned 
his native city. He was a trustee of the 
Albany Academy for fifty years, and for 
twenty years was chairman of the board. 
In 1840 he was one of a committee, with 
Stephen Van Rensselaer, John A. Dix and 
others, to organize the Albany Cemetery 
Association, and to select grounds for the 
cemetery. He was a trustee of the ceine- 
tery until his death, and took a warm in- 
terest in arranging and beautifying the 
grounds. For many years he was a direc- 
tor of the New York State Bank, and occu- 
pied other positions of trust. Although his 
military service was short, he took a warm 
interest throughout life in military matters. 

Among the public positions held by Gen- 
eral Gansevoort was that of first judge of 
the county court of Albany county from 
1843 *^o 1847, the duties of which office he 
discharged with great fidelity and to the 
entire satisfaction of the legal profession 
and the public. He carried marked traits 
of his ancestry with him through life, and 
was a most thorough representative of the 
Dutch element of his native city. He was 
the very embodiment of high-souled honor 
and integrity, pure in private life, and de- 
votedly attached to his country and its in- 
stitutions. On more than one occasion he 
visited the countries of the Old World in 
search of health and instruction, but always 
returned home with his love for his own 
government strengthened by comparison 
with those abroad. He was a man of court- 
ly manners and commanding presence, and 
ill society was very genial and engaging. 
His kind heart and generous impulses made 
him a favorite with all classes of men, and 
he lived without enemies, and no one is left 
of all who knew him who does not mourn 
his death and honor his memory. The ill- 
ness of Judge Gansevoort was long and try- 



ing; but he retained his mental powers to 
the last and sank quietly and peacefully to 
his rest, just as his country had entered on 
the centennial year of its independence, in 
achieving which his father had rendered 
such important service. His funeral took 
place on Saturday, January 8, 1876, and was 
largely attended by public officers as well 
as by fainily friends and citizens. The offi- 
cers of the Albany Burgesses Corps, with 
the patriotic spirit which always marked 
that organization, attended in military un- 
dress as a guard of honor ; and the cadets 
of the Albany Academy, to the number of 
nearly one hundred, were also present in 
their drill uniform. Religious services were 
performed at the house by the Rev. Dr. 
Clark of the North Dutch (Reformed) 
Church, of which church Judge Gansevoort 
was a member in communion ; and his re- 
mains were conveyed to that cemetery for 
which he had done so much. 

In 1833 Judge Gansevoort married (first) 
Mary Sanford, born 1814, died 1841, daugh- 
ter of Hon. Nathan Sanford, chancellor of 
this state, and subsequently senator in Con- 
gress. He married (second) December 12, 
1843, Susan Lansing, who died in October, 
1874, daughter of Abraham G. Lansing, of 
Albany. Children: Henry Sanford (see 
post); Mary; Catherine, married Abraham 
Lansing, and survives him ; Herman. 

(VI) Colonel Henry Sanford Gansevoort, 
U. S. A., son of Judge Peter and Mary (San- 
ford) Gansevoort, was born in Albany, New 
York, December 15, 1835, and died April 12, 
1871, on board the steamer "Drew," in the 
Hudson river, opposite Rhinebeck, on the 
passage home from Nassau, New Provi- 
dence. His earlier education was received 
at the Albany Academy and Phillips An- 
dover Academy, where he fitted for college, 
then entered the sophomore class at Prince- 
ton College, where he soon became a mem- 
ber of the same literary society to which his 
father harl belonged many vears before, and 
was graduated in 1855, with distinguished 
honors; his collegiate course having been 
highly successful, not alone in mere schol- 
arship, but in having secured to him a fixed 
position among his associates as the pos- 
sessor of leading and brilliant qualities of 
mind. This general success as a student cul- 
minated well at the close of his college life. 



144 

when his display of oratorical ability at 
commencement was regarded as showing 
the possession of powers of a high order. 
Leaving college he entered Harvard Law 
School, and afterward became a student in 
the law office of Spragiie & Fillmore, Buf- 
falo, New York, and still later with Bow- 
doin, Barlow & Larocque, New York City; 
and while with the latter firm he accom- 
panied his father, mother and sister to Eu- 
rope, and remained abroad about fifteen 
months. On his return he became law part- 
ner with George H. Brewster, in New York, 
and as a member of that firm engaged in 
active practice at the beginning of the civil 
war. 

Many incidents of his life thoroughly 
prove that while emulous of civil distinction 
he nevertheless had a strong inclination for 
the military service; and with tastes and 
predilections of this character it is not 
strange that in the public incidents at this 
time occurring his active mind should at 
once seek employment in a new and con- 
genial career. He had joined the Seventh 
Regiment of New York militia, which was 
among the first to be sent to Washington 
at the outbreak of the war, and at a time 
when that city was cut off from all com- 
munication with the North. He served as 
private with the regiment until its return ; 
but what was to some of his comrades the 
termination of a dangerous service was to 
him but the beginning of an active public 
duty to which he became solely devoted, 
and to which he finally gave up his life. 
He accordingly applied himself to obtaining 
a commission in the regular service, for 
which purpose he went to Washington, and 
after many delays and disappointments he 
was rewarded by receiving a commission as 
second lieutenant in the Fifth Regiment of 
regular artillery, U. S. A. After receiving 
his commission and while General McClel- 
lan was moulding the material under his 
command into the Army of the Potomac, 
Colonel Gansevoort was under orders as sec- 
ond lieutenant in a camp of instruction at 
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, fitting himself 
for the duties of an artillery officer. He 
joined McClellan on the Peninsula, and was 
with the Potomac army throughout the 
I'cninsular campaign after it left Yorktown. 
He was in the second battle of Bull Run, 



SOL-TllERN NEW YORK 



and afterward at Antietam, where his bat- 
tery was placed in a position near the fa- 
mous cornfield, by Hooker's orders, and sus- 
tained heavy loss in men and horses. He 
was with his battery throughout the battle, 
and for a time was in command. 

Obtaining a leave of absence from the 
regular army to take a command in the vol- 
unteers, Colonel Gansevoort was appointed 
by Ciovernor Seymour, lieutenant-colonel of 
the Thirteenth Regiment New York Volun- 
teer Cavalry, took command of his regiment 
soon after his appointment, and was almost 
immediately ordered to take it to Washing- 
ton. This was about the time when Lee 
was advancing to the Potomac and just 
previous to the battle of Chancellorsville. 
His command, new, undisciplined, and never 
before in the field, was put on duty in the 
defenses of Washington. It is stated in 
Colonel Gansevoort's letters that after he 
had obeyed orders to report at Washington 
and had reported the strength of his com- 
mand, he received an immediate reply that 
there were an equal number of horses and 
saddles awaiting them, and orders to go for- 
ward to the defense of the capital. In these 
embarrassing circumstances, with a regi- 
ment secured in the advanced period of en- 
listing, with untried and to a great extent 
turbulent and insubordinate soldiers. Colo- 
nel Gansevoort's conduct was worthy of the 
highest commendation. After Lee's retreat 
the Thirteenth was stationed in \^irginia and 
at other posts with troops engaged in watch- 
ing the actions of Mosby, and in seeking to 
effect his capture, a feat at one time actually 
accomplished by a detachment acting under 
Colonel Gansevoort's immediate orders. 
The escape of Mosby after capture, by his 
feigning to be badly wounded and dying, 
was an incident of peculiar interest among 
the many adventures that attended his 
sphere of service. At another time, through 
a well-conceived and successfully executed 
plan, Colonel Gansevoort was rewarded for 
his patience and energy by the capture of 
Mosby's artillery, which crippled him and 
in a measure defeated his further raids on 
the troops stationed in that vicinity. The 
duties of this service demanded constant 
vigilance and activity, and he discharged 
them with zeal and fidelity, at the time fully 
acknowledged by the government. His reg- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



145 



iment was among the very last mustered 
out of service, and its condition at that time 
was not inferior to any other cavalry regi- 
ment in the volunteers. 

Colonel Gansevoort was brevetted briga- 
dier-general of volunteers and lieutenant- 
colonel in the regular service, and held at 
the time of his death the rank of captain of 
artillery in the regular line of promotion in 
the United States army. After the close of 
the war he was ordered to Fortress Monroe 
and thence to Barrancas, Florida, and from 
the latter place to Fort Independence, Bos- 
ton Harbor. During his long period of ser- 
\ ice he was several times prostrated with 
fever, the germs of which appeared to re- 
main in his system and to cause at intervals 
new attacks. He was thus prostrated anew 
in the fall of 1870, and when the fever had 
nearly abated he sought his home at Al- 
bany, where he arrived with a bad cough 
which constantly increased upon him. Not 
long after his return he insisted on going 
back to Boston, and although his strength 
seemed not to warrant it he had so de- 
terminedly made up his mind to go that 
remonstrance was without avail ;" and it is 
evident that his chief purpose was to ar- 
range such affairs as he had been unable to 
attend to during his illness. His visit to 
Nassau, New Providence, which failed to 
give him any hopes of a restoration to 
health ; his yearning for home and its com- 
forts and consolations: his homeward jour- 
ney in company with his sister who could 
not be kept from his side; his gradually 
wasting strength as he neared that home, 
the goal of his earthly hopes, on the bosom 
of his beloved river; his consciousness of 
the death soon to close over him ; and his 
readiness to meet his end, firm in his honor 
as a soldier and humble in his faith as a 
Christian — these scenes follow in sad but 
quick succession upon all that was earthly 
of the beloved object of this sketch. 

Colonel Gansevoort had taste in drawing 
and painting and was a devoted lover of 
history; and his inclination for oratory was 
very strong. He also had a taste for writ- 
ing, and from boyhood he was distinguished 
for his readiness in debate and the facility 
with which he could express his thoughts. 
When he left Albany Academy he delivered 
the salutatory oration, and his address at 



Princeton when he graduated is remem- 
bered as conspicuous among the exercises of 
the day. On one occasion at Allentown, 
Pennsylvania, he delivered an Independence 
Day address which was spoken of in terms 
of warm commendation. While in the army 
he was frequently called upon to act on 
courts-martial, where his powers were thor- 
oughly tested and his ability conspicuously 
exhibited, and he was undeviatingly honor- 
able, and the possession of this admirable 
trait was fully recognized by all who came 
in contact with him. Notwithstanding his 
decided political convictions, it was a part 
of his creed that the duties of a soldier were 
incompatible with any active participation 
in political strifes ; and as he never was 
troubled with misgivings when the path of 
duty lay clear before him, the adoption of 
this article of faith without hesitation was 
followed by a strict adherence to its injunc- 
tions from which he never departed. 



The Pruyn arms : Shield, a 
PRUYN field of gold or saffron, on 
which are placed three mart- 
lets of natural color, without beaks or feet, 
turned to the fore part (dexter side), one in 
the base of the shield and the remaining two 
in chief, at either side ; crest, a barred or 
tournament helmet adorned with a mantling 
of gold or saffron and black, on the top of 
which, on a twisted band (wreath) or dia- 
dem of the ancient kings, of the same col- 
ors, between two wings of yellow or gold, 
is placed a martlet like those on the shield, 
but having feet and beak, looking toward 
the dexter side, like all of these are seen de- 
picted. (The last phrase refers to a draw- 
ing given on a Dutch parchment of 1527). 

(I) Johannes (John) Pruyn, a Hollander, 
was the progenitor of the family in America. 
It is believed that his immediate family was 
confined to two sons, Francis, see forward, 
and Jacques, Jacus or Jacob. The latter 
was enrolled among the "Small Burghers" 
of New Amsterdam, April 18. 1657. He pur- 
chased a house and lot "outside of the Gate 
of this city," February 19, 1659, from Sy- 
bout Classen. 

Those of the first three generations in this 
country varied at times the spelling of the 
fpmily name, appearing as Pruyn. Pruyne, 
Pryne and Pruen. 



146 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



(II) Francis Pruyn (who frequently 
wrote his name Pruen) was called Frans 
Jansen, because the son of Johannes (John) 
Pruyn, and he was in Albany, New York, 
with his wife, Aeltje (or Alida), as early as 
1665, when he was a tailor. It is recorded 
that in 1668, representing Jacques Cornelise 
Van Slyck, he conveyed a piece of property 
in the colony of Renssclaerswyck (later Al- 
bany) to one Jan Labatie, and later in the 
same year bought for himself a lot at the 
northwest corner of Maiden Lane and James 
street, in that city. On February 19, 1686- 
87, he bought from Johannes Clute and wife, 
Bata, for which he paid the sum of two and 
twenty beavers, a lot on Broadway, Albany, 
about' the third south from Steuben street, 
running through to James street. His son, 
Johannes, afterwards occupied the same 
house built thereon. Being a Papist, in Jan- 
uary, 1699. he refused to take the oath of 
allegiance to King William, but expressed 
himself as willing to swear fidelity. How- 
ever, his son, Johannes Pruyn, subscribed. 
His wife, Alida, joined the Reformed Prot- 
estant Dutch church in 1683. She died Sep- 
tember 20, 1704, and he died May 6, 171 2. 
Children : Anna, married Warner van 
Yveren ; Johannes, born January 5, 1663, mar- 
ried, September, 1705, Emelia Sanders; Hen- 
drick, married Anna Hofmans; Maria, mar- 
ried Elbert Gerritse; Christine, married Jo- 
hannes Gcrritsen ; Madeleine, born January 
8, 1676; Samuel, see forward; Helena, mar- 
ried Jacob Lansing; Frans, born September 

28, T683, married Margarita ; Bernard- 

ine (Barentje), born April 11, 1686, married 
John Evertsen; Arnold (Arent), born May 
24, 1688, married, November 21, 1714, Cat- 
ryna Gansevoort. 

(Ill) Samuel, son of Frans Jansen 
(Francis) and Alida Pruyn, was born De- 
cember 2, 1677, buried January 27, 1752. In 
1703, he was one of those "who furnished 
labor or materials for the Dominie's house." 
In 1720 his name appears on the list of- 
freeholders in the old third ward of Albany. 
He lived, between 1703-27, at the northeast 
corner of Maiden Lane and James street. 
Albany. He married, January 15, 1704, 
Maria, born June 14, 1681, daughter of Jacob 
Cornelise and Jcanette (Quackenbush) 
Bogart. Children : Francis Samuelse, see 



forward; Alida, baptized November 17, 
1706, buried January 3, 1727; Jacob, bap- 
tized February 10, 1712, buried June 27, 
1752; Maria (or Maritje). baptized Septem- 
ber 20, 1713, buried September 5, 1746; 
Johannes S., born July 14. 1723, married 
Jannetje van Aalsteyn. 

(IV) Francis Samuelse, son of Samuel 
and Maria (Bogart) Pruyn. was baptized 
March 15, 1705 (Jacob Bogart and Anna 
van Yveren, sponsors), died August 27, 
1767. He was firemaster, 1731-32; assistant 
alderman, 1745-46; alderman from the sec- 
ond ward, Albany, 1761-62. He married 

(first) Anna ; (second) Alida, daughter 

of Warner and Anna (Pruvn) van Yveren, 
baptized August 6, 1704. Children : Francis, 
born January 16, 17 — ; Anna, born October 

1, 1726, died young; Samuel, born October 

2. 1727, died young; Samuel, born Septem- 
ber 15, 1728, married, February 7, 1756, 
Neeltje Ten Eyck ; Anna, born April 20, 
1732, died in New York City, December 21, 
7747: Casparus, see forward; Johannes 
Francis, born December 23. 1739, married 
Gertrude Ten Eyck. died March 23, 1815; 
Jacob Francis, born July 22, 1744, married 
Hendrickse Van Buren. 

(V) Casparus, son of Francis Samuelse 
and Alida (van Yveren) Pruyn, was born 
May 10, 1734, and Jacob and Maria Pruyn 
were sponsors. His name appears as lieu- 
tenant on the roll of the First Albany Coun- 
ty Regiment; in 1785 he was an assessor 
of the second ward in that city ; was for 
some years an elder of the Reformed Dutch 
church, and this memorandum refers to his 
government aid : "This is to certify that 
Casparus Pruyn has due to him from the 
United States the sum of Seventy-one 
pounds four shillings specie, for work done 
for the use of the Indians, bv the request 
of the Commissioners of Indian Affairs, in 
1779-1780. P. ^^^n Rensselaer." He died 
(Dctober 7, 1817. He married. December 19, 
1762, Catherine Groesbeck. born May 8, 
1737, died February 17, 178S. daughter of 
David and Maria (Van Poel) Groesbeck. 
Children : Maria, born April 17, 1764. died 
March 14, 1821 ; Alida, born January 12, 
1765, died .September 11. 1767; Franciscus, 
baptized .September 16, 1767, died Septem- 
ber 27. 1768; Francis Casparus. see for- 
ward; David, born August 24, 1771, married 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



147 



Huybertie Lansing, died January 20, 1843 ; 
Alida, born December 11, 1773; Willem, 
born March 11, 1776. 

(VI) Francis Casparus, son of Casparus 
and Catherine (Groesbeck) Pruyn, was born 
at Albany, New York, July 19, 1769, bap- 
tized by Dominie Eilardus Westerloe, with 
Samuel Pruyn and Neeltje Ten Eyck as 
sponsors, and died June 14, 1837. He mar- 
ried, August 30, 1791, Cornelia Dunbar, 
born January 11, 1770, died July 12, 1844, 
daughter of Levinus and Margaret (Han- 
sen) Dunbar, the latter being a niece of 
Mayor Hendrick Hansen. Children: Cas- 
parus Francis, see forward ; Catherine, born 
January 3, 1794. married Adrian Van Sant- 
voord ; Levinus, born October 4, 1796, mar- 
ried Brachie (Bridget) r)blenis ; David, born 
January 26, 1799, died young; Margaret 
(twin to David) married William L Pruyn; 
David, born November 20, 1801, lost 
at sea ; Gertrude, married Samuel Ran- 
dall ; Alida, married William Boardman ; 
Maria, married David Bensen ; Cornelia, 
married Owen Munson. 

(VH) Casparus Francis, son of Francis 
Casparus and Cornelia (Dunbar) Pruyn, was 
born May 26, 1792, baptized with Casparus 
Pruyn (grandfather) and Mary Pruyn (aunt) 
sponsors. W'hen thirteen years old he entered 
the office of the Van Rensselaer estate, his 
uncle. Robert Dunbar, being the agent to con- 
duct affairs of the extensive property. When 
Mr. Dunbar resigned, in 1835, he was ap- 
pointed agent for the Manor. It was a posi- 
tion requiring considerable executive ability, 
and he filled the post with satisfaction. When 
General Stephen Van Rensselaer, the Patroon, 
died January 26. 1839, the estate was divided, 
that portion on the east shore of the Hudson 
river going to William Paterson Van Rens- 
selaer, so Mr. Pruyn removed across the river 
to Bath. Rensselaer county, to be in the vi- 
cinity, and became the agent of what was 
called the "East Manor," continuing as such 
until the autumn of 1844, when he resigned. 
He died February 11, 1846. Mr. Pruyn was 
married by Rev. John Melancthon Bradford. 
April 19, 1814. to Ann Hewson, born January 
2-j, 1794, died Fehruarv 12. 1841. daughter of 
Robert and Elizabeth ('Fryer) Hewson, of Al- 
bany. Children: Robert Hewson. see for- 
ward; Francis, born November 2, 1816. mar- 
ried Isabella Kirk ; Elizabeth, born December 



16, 1S18, died February 6, 1842; Cornelia, 
born December 5, 1820, married Charles Van 
Zandt ; Mary, born January 27, 1823, died 
young; Alida, born March 9, 1825, married, 
January 16, 1845, James C. Bell, died No- 
vember 2, 1895 ; William Fryer, born Feb- 
ruary 28, 1827, married Gertrude Dunbar 
Visscher; Edward Roggen, born July 12, 
1829; Augustus, born October 23, 1831, mar- 
ried Catalina Ten Eyck ; Mary, born April 3. 
1834. married Montgomery Rochester. 

(\TII) Hon. Robert Hewson Pruyn, son of 
Casparus Francis and Ann (Hewson) Pruyn, 
was born in Albany, New York, February 14. 
181 5. and was baptized by the Rev. John 
Melancthon Bradford, pastor of the "North" 
Dutch Reformed Church. His home life in 
childhood trained him in reverence, patriot- 
ism and industry, attributes which gave him 
prominence in after years. In 1825 he en- 
tered the Albany Academy, where his classic- 
al education under Dr. Theodoric Romeyn 
Beck and his education in the sciences under 
Professor Joseph Henry, the eminent scientist- 
discoverer, was most thorough. He then en- 
tered Rutgers College, from which he was 
graduated in 1833. On leaving college he be- 
came a law student in the office of Hon. Abra- 
ham Van Vechten, a jurist of recognized abil- 
ity, city recorder, senator, assemblyman, at- 
torney-general and member of the constitu- 
tional convention of 1821. Mr. Priiyn was 
admitted to the bar in 1836, and shortly after 
was appointed attorney and counselor for the 
corporation of Albany, holding office for three 
years, and for a like period was a member of 
the city council, in which body he w^as one 
of the most active members in public affairs. 
He was judge-advocate from 1841 to 1846, on 
the staffs of Governors William H. Seward, 
W'illiam C. Bouck and Silas Wright Jr. ; mem- 
ber of assembly in 1848-49-50 from the third 
district of Albany county, a member of the 
WHiig party. In 1850 he was the Whig candi- 
date for speaker of assembly. The Demo- 
crats had a tie vote with the Whigs, but it 
having become apoarent to Mr. Pruyn that one 
of the Whig members could not properly hold 
his seat. Mr. Pruyn abstained from voting, 
and the Democratic candidate was chosen. 
The appreciation of this high-minded course 
was shown shortly afterward. The speaker 
was called home by family affliction, and 
the Democrats elected Mr. Pruyn speaker 



148 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



pro tempore. In 185 1 Mr. Pruyn was again 
appointed judge-advocate general, this time 
by Governor Washington Hunt. In 1854 
he was again an assemblyman and chosen 
speaker. In that office he displayed courage 
and such marked justice that never was there 
a single one of his rulings in the chair ap- 
pealed from. Governor Myron II. Clark, on 
March 5, 1855, appointed him adjutant-gen- 
eral, and in i860, when there was intense ex- 
citement in politics, he came within sixty-two 
votes of being elected to the assembly, al- 
though the Lincoln electoral ticket liad ten- 
fold that majority, in that district alone, 
against it. 

President Lincoln appointed Mr. Pruyn 
United States minister to Japan, as successor 
to the Hon. Townsend Harris, in September, 
1861, who was the first diplomatic rejjrcscnta- 
tive of any country to that isolated kingdom. 
It was at a time when it was most essential for 
this country to be represented by a man of 
firmness and possessing strong convictions of 
his own in order to maintain an equality among 
the great powers. There being no cable com- 
munication, nor even steamship intercourse at 
that time, the minister was largely left to exert 
his own resourcefulness and responsibility 
more largely rested on him than on the diplo- 
mats sent later by this country. It was com- 
mon occurrence that if an inquiry regarding 
the policy to be pursued on a certain feature 
were sent to Washington, the reason for it 
might have so changed by the time of receiving 
the reply that the minister found it necessary 
to act along a far difTerent course. He was 
thus forced to contest for influence among the 
trained diplomats of the world, and while the 
task was undoubtedly enormous, even so much 
higher in the public's estimation did he rise. 

In 1863 two naval expeditions were under- 
taken against the transgressing Daimio of 
Chosu. whose vessels had fired on the Ameri- 
can merchant steamer "Pembroke." The 
allied forces in the latter engagement demol- 
ished the fortifications of Chosu. and Mr. 
Pruyn demanded an indemnity of three mil- 
lion dollars or, in lieu, the onening of new 
ports. Later on the sum of $1,300,000 was 
turned over to the state department at Wash- 
ington, and the effect of the .American repre- 
sentative's insistence was so salutary that it 
exerted a lasting benefit, opening the eyes of 
Japan as a nation to white men's methods so 



as to be the true initiative of its desire for 
education and the modern methods of the 
powers. Minister Pruyn became an authority 
for all America on the arts and institutions 
of Japan, and in apprising the state depart- 
ment through his voluminous reports on his 
observations and reasons for his acts, fur- 
nished much beneficial information. On his 
return to the United States in 1867, Minister 
Pruyn was the candidate for lieutenant-gov- 
ernor but was not elected, and an attack of 
diphtheria at that time caused him to retire 
from public life for a few years. In 1872 
Governor John T. Hoffman appointed him on 
a non-partisan commission to frame amend- 
ments to the state constitution, and this im- 
portant body made him its presiding officer. 

Mr. Pruyn was chosen the president of the 
National Commercial Bank of Albany, an in- 
stitution noted for its soundness throughout 
the civil war, when it afforded great aid to 
the government, and for more than half a 
century it continued to be a depository for the 
general funds of the state of New York. He 
was vice-president of the Albany Savings 
Bank ; a trustee of the Metropolitan Trust 
Company, of New York City ; trustee of 
Rutgers' College ; president of the board of di- 
rectors of the Dudley Observatory; vice- 
president of the board of trustees of the Al- 
bany Medical College, and on the executive 
committee of the State Normal College ; mem- 
ber of The Albany Institute, and of the Young 
Men's Association, being its president in 
1838, and a governor of the Fort Orange 
Club. He was made a Mason in Master's 
Lodge. No. 5, before he left for Japan, and 
upon his return was connected with the An- 
cient and Accepted Scottish Rite, delivering 
the oration at the dedication of the Temple 
in September, 1875. 

Mr. Pruyn brought from Japan a great 
number of rare art treasures, and his collec- 
tion of carved ivories is regarded as one of 
the finest in the world. He received the de- 
gree of M. A. from Rutgers in 1865, and of 
LL.D from Williams. He was devoted to his 
church and advanced its work very materially, 
and all who knew him bear witness to his 
honor, charity and unusual qualities of intel- 
lect. He died Sunday, February 26, 1882, of 
embolism of the brain, and was buried in the 
Pruyn family lot in the Albany Rural ceme- 
tery on the 28th. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



149 



Robert Hewson Pruyn married, in Albany, 
New York, November 9, 1841, Jane Ann. born 
June 28, 181 1, daughter of Gerrit Yates and 
Helen (Ten Eyck) Lansing. Children: i. Ed- 
ward Lansing, born at Albany, August 2, 
1843, died in San Francisco, California, Feb- 
ruary 8, 1862. 2. Robert Clarence, see for- 
ward. 3. Helen Lansing, born in Albany, Sep- 
tember 13, 1849, died May 5. 1854. 4. Charles 
Lansing, born in Albany, December 2, 1852 ; 
married (first) October 11, 1877, Elizabeth 
Atwood, born October 31, 1853, daughter of 
William Trimble and Elizabeth Mary (At- 
wood) McClintock, of Chillicothe, Ohio, who 
died December 20, 1884; married (second) in 
Albany, October 20, 1886, Sarah Gibson, born 
December 25, 1851, daughter of Sebastian 
Visscher and Olivia Maria (Shearman) Tal- 
cott. Charles Lansing Pruyn died at his sum- 
mer home in Altamont, New York (outside of 
Albany), July 7, 1906, leaving five children: 
Elizabeth McClintock, born July 14, 1878: 
Jane Anne Lansing, December 15, 1880; Sarah 
McClintock, November 17, 1884: Caspar Lan- 
sing, September 29, 1887; Olivia Shearman 
Talcott, October 25, 1892. 

(IX) Robert Clarence, son of Hon. Robert 
Hewson and Jane Ann (Lansing) Pruyn, was 
born in Albany, New York, October 23, 1847. 
His early education was received at the Al- 
bany Boys' Academy, following which care- 
ful preparation he entered Rutgers College, 
graduating in the class of 1869. For a time 
he was an attache to the American legation at 
Tokio, while his father was the United States 
minister to Japan. Governor John A. Dix ap- 
pointed him upon his stafif. On February 13, 
1901, the legislature elected him a regent of 
the University of the State of New York, on 
which prominent board he served until its 
reorganization in 1903, along the lines of new 
legislative enactment. Mr. Pruyn was for a 
long time president of the board of commis- 
sioners of Washington Park of Albany, until 
the park system became a bureau in the de- 
partment of public works. He was one of the 
commissioners appointed te erect the new City 
Hall at Albany, the corner-stone of which was 
laid in 1 88 1. He is a member of St. Peter's 
Episcopal Church, and for many years has 
been a vestryman, participating most actively 
in all affairs concerning the good of that 
church, and has served a number of times as 



delegate to national conventions of the Epis- 
copal church in America. 

Mr. Pruyn was chosen president of the Na- 
tional Commercial Bank of Albany, May 23, 
1885, to succeed Hon. Daniel Manning, ap- 
pointed by President Cleveland that spring on 
his cabinet as secretary of the treasury, and 
who had in turn succeeded Mr. Pruyn's 
father as president of the bank. It was during 
the officiate of Mr. Pruyn that this bank 
erected its own building at Nos. 38-40 State 
street, on the line of plans executed by Archi- 
tect Robert W. Gibson, but the remarkable ex- 
pansion of its affairs soon necessitated the con- 
sideration of acquiring much larger quarters, 
and on May 2, 1904, this bank removed to its 
new, handsome granite and marble building at 
No. 60 State street. The exterior of this 
edifice is a chief adornment of Albany's prin- 
cipal business street, and the interior, com- 
modious and replete with all modern methods 
for convenience of customers and officials, is 
a subject of unstinted admiration because of 
its refined beauty combined with a certain 
amount of ornateness. Equally as good a 
barometer of its success and progressiveness 
under the executive guidance of Mr. Pruyn is 
the fact that the stock of this bank has en- 
hanced in value. 

For several years Mr. Pruyn was vice-presi- 
dent of the Municipal Gas Company, of Al- 
bany, and the president of the Albany Rail- 
way Company, the two largest corporations 
operated in the Capitol City. He is a director 
of the Union Trust Company, and was one of 
its leading organizers ; member of the board 
of governors of the Albany Hospital : director 
of the Albany Institute and Historical and Art 
Society; member of Philip Livingston Chap- 
ter, Sons of the Revolution ; of the Holland 
Society; the Albany Chamber of Commerce; 
Century Association ; of the University and 
Metropolitan clubs of New York City; the 
Fort Orange, the Albany, the University and 
the Country clubs of Albany, and also the 
Jekyl Island Club. 

Mr. Pruyn's residence is at No. 7 Engle- 
wood place, fronting on the most beautiful 
portion of Albany's famous Washington Park. 
The interior exhibits a peculiar charm of re- 
finement in its furnishings, and one of its 
most admired features is the collection of 
ivories brought to this country from Japan by 
his father, which is ranked as one of "the finest 



150 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



in this country. He spends his summers on 
his Adirondack preserve, known as Camp 
Santanoni, attractively located on Newcomb 
Lake, and reached by a drive of about thirty 
miles northward from North Creek station. 
It is here that Mr. and Mrs. Pruyn surround 
themselves with their family, and from ten to 
twenty or more guests at a time. They de- 
light in the pleasure of entertaining, and are 
true to the dictum of the old Dutch hospi- 
tality. In the winter it has been his custom 
to spend several weeks at Jekyl Island, as a 
member of that southern club. He is espe- 
cially concerned in everything pertaining to art 
in its best form; enjoys riding, books and 
travel. 

Robert C. Pruyn married, at Albany, Octo- 
ber 22, 1873. Anna Martha, born in Albany. 
May 7, 1853, daughter of Chauncey Pratt 
Williams, late president of the National Ex- 
change Bank of Albany, and Martha Andrews 
(Hough) Williams. All their children were 
born in Albany, New York. Children: 1. Ed- 
ward Lansing, born November 23, 1874. 2. 
Ruth Williams, born October 3, 1877; mar- 
ried, in Albany, June 3, 1903, David Marvin 
Goodrich; child, Anne, born at Boston, April 
II, 1904. 3. Robert Dunbar, see forward. 4. 
Frederic, born July 5, 1881 ; married, in New 
York City, February 5, 1907, Beatrice Mor 
gan ; children : Frederic, born in Short Hills, 
New Jersey, February 25, 1908, and Fellowes 
Morgan, born in Short Hills, New Jersey, De- 
cember 2, 1909. 

(X) Robert Dunbar, son of Robert Clar- 
ence and Anna Martha (Williams) Pruyn, 
was born in .Albany, New York, October 11, 
1879. He was educated at the Albany .\cad- 
emy, then at St. Paul's School of Concord, 
New Hampshire, 1894-98, after which he en- 
tered Harvard University and graduated in 
1902. He entered the employ of the Con- 
solidated Car-Heating Company at Albany, 
in 1902, of which his father was the presi- 
dent, but the family inclination for the bank- 
ing business determined a change, and since 
1004 he has been located in New York City 
with the banking firms of Redmond &• Com- 
pany, at first, and latterly with Kidder, Pea- 
body & Company, of Wall street. He is a 
Republican and Episcopalian ; has traveled, 
and is fond of the refined pleasures. He is 
a member of The Brook Club, Racquet & 
Tennis Club and the Harvard Club. His resi- 



dence, since removing from .\lbany, is at Mt. 
Kisco, New York. He married, in the Church 
of the Ascension of New York City, Decem- 
ber 15, 1903, Betty Metcalf, born at Erie, 
Pennsylvania, September 30, 1880, daughter 
of Frederic Wilder and Ruth (Moorhead) 
Metcalf. Children: Robert Lansing, born at 
New York City, November 5, 1904; Ruth, 
Ijorn at New York City, May 5, 1907. 



The name Calvert is an his- 
C.-\L\'ERT toric one in Yorkshire, Eng- 
land. It has been a well-known 
name in York since the eleventh century. 
Some authorities claim that Calvert was a 
name brought into England at the time of the 
Norman Conquest, and others that it ante- 
dated in York the date of that conquest. 
There are a number of families bearing the 
Calvert name now living in York, and moss- 
grown tombstones of their ancestors are to be 
found in the burying grounds. The Calverts 
of .'\rmagh, county of Armagh, province of 
Ulster, Ireland, are descendants of Rev. Hen- 
ry Calvert, a Presbyterian minister who mi- 
grated from Yorkshire, England, or from 
over the border in Scotland, in 1623, and set- 
tled in county Down. One chronicler says 
he migrated from Scotland. He was probably 
English with an infusion of Scottish blood. He 
married a Miss Blair, of Scotland, whose 
brother was a Presbyterian clergyman, at 
Bangor, coimty Down. He refused to con-, 
form to Episcopacy and was put out of his 
church in 1636. Under James I., and later 
under Charles II., because of a strong policy 
of religious repression, I'lster received large 
immigration of Scottish and English settlers, 
as America in more recent years received a 
large influx from Ireland. Lord Baltimore 
(Leonard Calvert), who with his brother 
Cecil came to America and founded the city 
of Baltimore, was born in Kepling. Yorkshire, 
in 158::. The Calverts who migrated from 
Yorksliire to .'\rma,gh and the Lord Baltimore 
Calverts were presumably of the same stock. 
There is a tradition handed down by the Cal- 
verts of Central New York that the families 
sustained friendly relationship and exchanged 
visits in the mother country. The Calverts 
now living in .Vrmagh and Dublin are children 
of John Calvert, who died in .Krmagh. No- 
vember 19. 1873, lineal descendant of the Cal- 
verts, of Yorkshire. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



151 



(I) John Calvert, the head of the Cortland, 
New York, branch of the Calvert family, 
came to America from Armagh in 1792. His 
wife having previously died he brought with 
him his seven children, six sons, John, Na- 
thaniel, \\'illiam, Robert, Alexander, Thomas, 
and one daughter, Margaret. After their ar- 
rival the family remained in New York City 
for a few years. The father was a Scotch 
Covenanter of extreme type and in order to 
be in close proximity to the Scotch Cove- 
nanter and Presbyterian colonies, in Galway, 
and other towns of Washington county, he 
sailed up the Hudson with his family and lo- 
cated on a farm in that county. \\'ith the 
opening of the new century, borne along by 
the tide of immigration that had been moving 
westward from New England since the close 
of the revolutionary struggles, John Calvert 
purchased in 1800 a Soldier's Land Claim, 
known as Lot 82, a plot of three hundred acres 
of thicklv wooded land inclufling the present 
site of Virgil, Cortland county, and moved on 
to it. He was among the earliest settlers of 
Cortland county. The hardships and priva- 
tions which the family had to endure were 
those incident to the life of all pioneers of a 
hundred or more years ago. 

After clearing away the forests, building a 
log house, and making other needed improve- 
ments, the farm was sold and a tract of land 
purchased, including what has been long 
known as the LeRoy Gillett farm, southwest 
■ of Cortland. Here again a house was built 
and improvements were made, after which the 
place was sold to advantage, and purchase was 
made in about 1806 of one hundred and fifty 
to two hundred acres situated a little south of 
South Cortland, forming a part of what is 
still known as the "Calvert Homestead." The 
remnants of an old orchard at the right of 
the road across the field shows where the old 
log house formerly stood. In this house, 
which he built, John Calvert lived only about 
two years, for his end came peacefully in 
1808. after a laborious, honorable and highly 
useful life. He was a man much esteemed 
for his good judgment, integritv, nobility and 
exalted standards of life. He sleeps in the 
little cemetery at South Cortland. 

Upon the death of his father, John Calvert 
Jr.. mentioned below, succeeded to the head- 
ship of the family. William and Nathaniel 
found homes in Crawford countv, in western 



Pennsylvania. Nathaniel had sons by the 
names of John and Joseph. Robert settled in 
Livingston county. New York. He had sons 
by the names of John, William and Joseph. 
Alexander lived and died in Cayuga county. 
Thomas with his son John and daughter Mar- 
garet went to Illinois some time about 1840. 
The only daughter, Margaret, married Thom- 
as McKee and lived in Cayuga county. John 
was a family name, and the eldest son was 
usually named John. 

(H) John (2), son of John (i) Calvert, was 
seventeen years of age when he landed with his 
father in New York and was consequently 
thirty-three when he succeeded to the head- 
ship of the family. He had married Isabella 
Story, a woman of rare good sense, great 
strength of character and earnest piety, and 
being equally yoked together, they looked out 
upon life with resolute courage and faith. 
Shortly after assuming his new responsibili- 
ties, he purchased an adjoining farm, making 
with what he already possessed a choice tract 
of from three hundred and fifty to four hun- 
dred acres. Subsequently other additions 
were made until he had about six hundred 
acres. Some of this land remains in the hands 
of his descendants until this day. In 183 1 he 
built the large frame house south of South 
Cortland which the- family occupied until all 
the children were married. He accumulated a 
large property for his day. After a brief ill- 
ness he died June 6, 1846, in the seventy- 
second year of his age. His widow, who sur- 
.■ived him. died July 22, 1858. and now sleeps 
by the side of her husband in the Cortland 
Rural cemetery. They lived and died in the 
strict religious tenets of the Scotch Cove- 
nanter faith and in the fellowship of the 
Covenanter church of Sterling, New York. 
Thirteen children were born to them, seven 
sons and six daughters : 

I. Margaret, born September 7, 1805, died 
in South Cortland, January 12, 1844 ; married 
John Bennie, of East Homer, June 15, 1828; 
children : Thomas, Anne, Hamilton, Nancy 
Jane. David M. 2. John, born May 13, 1807, 
died March 30, 1889: married Samantha 
Cioodel, November 8. 1832: children, Martha 
B., married Marvin R. Wood, of Virgil ; Sa- 
mantha D., married George Fitts, of Groton : 
I'lancy Jane, married William H. Myers, of 
Cortland: a son. John D., died in infancy. 3. 
William, born May 10. 1809, died in Sterling, 



15- 

November i6, 1866: married Sarah Ann Mc- 
Fadflen, I^farch 13. 1837; children, Jane, mar- 
ried Robert Stanton, and John A., married 
lulia L. McNish. 4. Thomas, born January 
"15, 181 1, died in South Cortland, August z8, 
1829. 3. Nancv Jane, born February 24, 
1813, died in South Cortland, August 17, 
1815. 6. James A., mentioned below. 7. Mar- 
tha E., born November 4, 1816, married Wal- 
stein B. Sturtevant. M. D., May 7, 1834 ; chil- 
dren, Tulia M. ; John, married Sarah J. Reed, 
of Cortland; Rachel B. ; James W., married 
Cornelia A. Kingman, of Cincinnatus; Mar- 
tha Melina, married Marcus H. McGraw, of 
McGraw; Frederick Hyde, died in infancy: 
after Dr. Sturtevant's death, November 4, 
1847, the widow, in 1850, married Hira,m Mc- 
Graw, of McGraw: she died April 16, 1894. 
8. Susanna, born September 18, 1818, died 
November 19, 1842. 9. Wilson R., born Feb- 
ruary 19, 1820, died in South Cortland. June 
19, T898: married Betsey Wilcox, February 
17, 1847; fi'^'^ children were born to them, of 
whom only one daughter, Esther A., grew to 
womanhood : she married George H. Hyde, 
of Cortland. July 24. 1878. 10. Sarah, born 
April I. 1822. died in Salt Lake City, April 

17, 1896: married Devillow K. Pike, of New 
Berlin. February 24, 1846; nine children were 
born to them, four of them surviving: Mar- 
garet, now Mrs. Frank Haskins, of Cortland : 
Sarah, wife of John \\'ells, of Topeka, Kan- 
sas; Esther, now Mrs. Royal Dustan, of Salt 
I^ikc City: Devillow K.,' of Piapot, Sask., 
Canada, ti. Elnathan, born April 28, 1824. 
died in Sterling, December 16, 1896; married 
Catherine T.a Mont, of Delhi. New York : 
children. John D.. married Allie Diamond: 
Katie Belle; I.a Mont, married Nellie J. 
Moore, of Orange. Massachusetts; Elnathan 
Jr.. married Ida Shaw; Charles A.; William 
B. : Fred W. 12. Esther E.. born November 

18. 1826. died May 26. 1853; married Philip 
McEachron. three children " died in infancy. 
13. Mclnncthon W.. born March 28, 1829. died 
in Sterling. March 22. 1894; married Mary 
A. I.a Mont. 1848; children. Margaret Evelyn. 
married Adclbert M. Clark, of Dryden ; John 
Harvey, married S. Gertrude Grossman, of 

CTH) James Alexander, the middle one of 
the seven sons of John (2) Calvert, upon the 
death of his father was entrusted with the 
rare of the aged mother and unmarried chil- 



SOUTHI'-RN Ni;W YORK 



dren as well as the supervision of the large 
property. On December 22, 1846, he married 
Olive Adaline Betts, second daughter of 
Hiram and Lydia (Blodgett) Betts, of Cort- 
land. She was of hardy Connecticut ancestry, 
her family being American in the sense in 
which Richard Grant White said the word 
should be used, as her ancestors had come to 
New England before the revolution. A daugh- 
ter, Mary M., was born on the Calvert home- 
.stead. In the early fifties the homestead was 
sold, and the family moved to a newly pur- 
chased farm in Preble. The son, John B., men- 
tioned below, was born there. In the spring of 
1854 the family moved to Homer, where they 
resided on various farms until the spring of 
1864, when they took up their residence in 
Cortland. While in Homer three daughters, 
Ella M., Emma L., Anna M., were born, 
making five children altogether. Because of 
the father's ill health, necessitating a milder 
climate, the family, in the spring of 186S, 
moved to New Brunswick, New Jersey. In 
that city the mother died on September 23, 
1869, and in the December following the fam- 
ily moved back to Cortland. On September 
3, 1872, James A. Calvert was married in 
I?rooklyn, New York, to Emily Haviland, 
sister of James and Henry Haviland, of that 
city. He continued to reside in Cortland un- 
til his death, April 13, 1887. He inherited an 
honored name and he honored it by his pure 
and godly life. Like his father he was es- 
teemed for his integrity, exalted character, 
right living and his fraternal and peace-loving 
spirit. 

Children: i. Mary M., married Dr. A. 
Gaylord Slocum. July 14, 1875 ; for the past 
twenty years he has been the president of 
Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, Michigan: 
two children were born to them. Arthur G. 
and Maizie M., both of whom are married, the 
former being father of a little daughter, and 
the latter mother of a little son. 2. John B., 
mentioned below. 3. Emma L., married Wil- 
rnot C. Smith, of Cortland. June 14. 1876: she 
died in Florida. December 26. 1870: James 
Calvert Smith, born December 8, 1879', now 
of Brooklyn. New York, survives her; an- 
other child died in infancy. 4. Ella M.. mar- 
ried. June 28, t88i. George A. Gould, of 
Grand Rapids. Michigan; an onlv daughter, 
Eleanor Augusta, died at the age of eleven 
months. George A. Gould died June 4. 




'JrleuKu tyn. JrCinAcA/iera 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



153 



1900. 5. Anna M., married J. W. T. Patch- 
ill, of Coming, New York, July 7, 1886; two 
children, Glenn and Isabelle, complete their 
family. 

(IV) John Betts, only son of James Alex- 
ander Calvert, was born in Preble, August 29, 
1852. After studying at various schools, he 
was principal of the high school at McLean, 
1871-72. He entered the University of Roch- 
ester, at Rochester, New York, in the fall 
of 1872, and was graduated in 1876. In Sep- 
tember, 1876, he entered the Union Theologi- 
cal Seminary in New York City, from which 
he was graduated in May, 1879. The degree 
of A. M. was conferred upon him the follow- 
ing June by his alma mater. He was licensed 
to preach by the First Baptist Church of Cort- 
land. New York, ]\Iarch 20. 1875. During the 
last two years in the seminary he supplied the 
Baptist church at Graniteville. Staten Island. 
He also contributed quite frequently to The 
Examiner. Zioii's Advocate, and The Stand- 
ard. Although designed for the ministry, he 
got a taste for newspaper work and formed 
acquaintanceships which finally led him into 
journalism. In October, 1879. he was chosen 
secretary of The Baptist Missionary Conven- 
tion of the State of New York, a society that 
for more than a century has been aiding Bap- 
tist churches in the state. He served as sec- 
retary for seven years, five of which he was 
also assistant pastor of Calvary Church, New 
York. He was ordained in Calvary Church, 
October 19, t88o. When he resigned the sec- 
retaryship of the Convention at Poughkeepsie, 
in October, 1886, he was unanimously chosen 
president, which position he filled for twenty- 
one years. He is still a member of the board. 
On December 10, 1885, he married Mary 
Dows Mairs, of New York. In February, 
1888, he purchased The Baptist Weekly and 
changed the name to The Christian Inquirer. 
He was editor of the paper and president of 
the publishing company seven years. In 1894 
he received the degree of D. D. from Shurtlefif 
College. In March, 1895, The Christian In- 
quirer was consolidated with The E.vamincr. 
and he became one of the stockholders of 
The Examiner Company and one of the edi- 
tors of The Examiner. He continued in this 
relation until he went abroad for an extended 
trip in 1910. He still has his office with The 
E.raminer. 

He has traveled extensively in his own 



country, his journeys extending from Florida 
to Alaska and from Nova Scotia to Southern 
California. His travels in Europe embrace 
the chief points of interest from Great Britain 
to Egypt and Palestine. He is deeply inter- 
ested in the cause of education, and has been 
a trustee of the University of Rochester since 
1899. He served for ten years as trustee of 
Cook Academy, and for five years as presi- 
dent of the board. He served as president of 
the New York Alumni Association of the 
University of Rochester for two years, and 
as president of the Phi Beta Kappa of the 
University during 1S99-1900, and is now a 
member of Phi Beta Kappa Alumni of New 
York. He has also served as president of the 
Baptist Social Union and of the Cortland 
Cotmty Society, of New York. On the oc- 
casion of the celebration of "Old Home 
Week" in Cortland in 1908, he preached a 
Home Coming sermon at the Baptist church 
on Sunday morning, and made one of the ad- 
dresses at the public celebration. He is presi- 
dent of the board of trustees of the Metropol- 
itan College of Music, and president of the 
American Seamen's Friend Society of New 
York. 



The historv of the Bench 
HIRSCHBERG and Bar of the State of 

New York is one of bril- 
liancy and honor, and nobly has the prestige 
established by the judges and counsellors of 
the past been maintained by their successors 
of the present day. Among the foremost of 
these stands Michael Henry Hirschberg, judge 
of the appellate division, second department 
of the supreme court of the state of New 
York. Judge Hirschberg resides in Newburg, 
and for many years prior to his elevation to 
the bench was a recognized leader of the bar 
of the Empire State. 

(T) Henrv M. Hirschberg. father of Mich- 
ael Henry Hirschberg, was born July 21, 1814, 
in Poland. He received an academic educa- 
tion in his native land. At the age of twenty 
he went to England, where for six years he 
was employed as a commercial traveller. In 
1841 he emigrated to the United States, land- 
ing in New Orleans, November 13, of that 
year, and remaining until the following spring, 
when he removed to New York. In that city 
he secured employment as a clerk in a cloth- 
ing store, and in 1843 returned to England. 



154 

In 1845 he came once more to the United 
States/setthng this time in Newburg, New 
York, where he engaged in the clothing busi- 
ness on his own account. The enterprise 
prospered, and until a few years prior to his 
death Mr. Hirschberg conducted a flourishing 
establishment. He became a man of promi- 
nence in the community, was associated in 
politics with the Democrats, and served for 
three years as commissioner of excise, _ for a 
portion of that time holding the position of 
president of the board. In 1875-81-83 he 
served as supervisor, and was also appointed 
local civil service commissioner. For twenty- 
five years Mr. Hirschberg was one of the 
trustees of the Newburg Savings Bank. In 
1854 he was elected a member of Newburg 
Lodge. Free and Accepted Masons, in 1858 
was chosen master, and in 1876 was elected 
treasurer, holding the latter position to the 
close of his life. He was for seventeen years 
president of Congregation Beth Jacob. Mr. 
Hirschberg married, in 1844, in England, 
Frances Francks, of Newcastle, Staffordshire, 
and among their children was a son. Michael 
Henry, mentioned below. Mr. Hirschberg 
filed .August 16, 1886, in Newburg, leaving the 
memory of an able business man and an up- 
right, public-spirited citizen. 

(II) Michael Henry, son of Henry M. and 
Frances (Francks) Hirschberg, was bof" 
.'\pril 12, 1847, in Newburg, New York. He 
received his education at the Free Academy, 
graduating in 1862. After his admission to 
the bar in May, 1868, he began practice in his 
native city, his steady and rapid advancement 
speedily proving his possession, in full meas- 
ure, of the essential qualities of a successful 
lawyer. From 1873 to 1878 he was special 
county judge of Orange county, and in i88g 
he was elected district attorney of that county, 
serving until 1895. Intense application, pro- 
found and comprehensive knowledge of his 
profession and unusual facility in grasping 
and even anticipating the points advanced by 
his adversary made his record a brilliant one 
and caused his tenure of ofiice to be memora- 
ble in the legal annals of the county. In i8g6 
Mr. Hirschberg was elected justice of the su- 
preme court of the state of New York, and 
in iQoo was assigned to the appellate division, 
second department. Brooklyn. In January, 
1004, he was appointed presiding justice for 
a term expiring December ,v, 1910. The 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



qualifications of Judge Hirschberg for his ex- 
alted position have never been questioned and 
are universally acknowledged to be of the 
highest order, chief among them being the 
judicial mind which he possesses in an extra- 
ordinary degree. His decisions are remarka- 
ble for knowledge of the law, lucidity of ex- 
pression, depth of insight and vigor and origi- 
nality of thought. On February 10, 1910, 
Judge Hirschberg received the tribute of a 
nomination on the Republican, Democratic 
and Independent-League tickets for judge of 
the supreme court, being subsequently given 
the further tribute of an election. In 191 1 he 
was reappointed by Governor Dix to the ap- 
pellate (iivision, second department, which of- 
fice he now holds. Judge Hirschberg's pro- 
fessional career, now in its fifth decade, is 
filled with achievement to a degree not always 
found in records of even fifty years' service 
on the bench and at the bar, but to a man of 
his type, in the full maturity of his powers, 
the future always holds promise of greater 
things to come. In 1894 Judge Hirschberg 
was state delegate to the constitutional con- 
vention. His club membership includes the 
Republican, Manhattan, Lawyers', Hamilton, 
Brooklyn. Powellton and Newburg City. In 
everything pertaining to the welfare and prog- 
ress of his community he takes an active in- 
terest, and the educational and charitable in- 
stitutions which constitute so vital an element 
in the life of every city have received the 
benefit of his influence and co-operation. 
From 1 87 1 to 1883 he was a member of the 
board of education of the City of Newburg, 
and for several years its president. 

Judge Hirschberg married, March 16, 1878. 
Lizzie, daughter of Thomas S. and Mary 
(Robinson) McAlles, of Newburg, and they 
are the parents of the following children : 
Henry, born February 12, 1879; Stuart Mc- 
Alles, May 8, 1886: Mary Frances, April 23, 
1887, married Abner M, Harper: David Scott, 
September 8. 1893. Judge Hirschberg and his 
family are prominent and popular in the social 
circles of their home city and also in those of 
New York. 



The family name of Kings- 

KINGSBURY bury takes us back to the 

days of the .Saxon Kings, 

— as the name of a place. There were in 

ancient times four localities of the name in 



■:! ^-iiiLcrg for : 

ii'.estioncd a- 
■o be of '' 



:i\v, lucid i'- 
lid vigor a 
"ebruary i 
' the trill, 



■r, but to : 

'••rv of hi 



urg City. In 

tare and pmv- 

uil.es an ;■ 

1 and char 

so vital an 

have rec 

a'ld CO-. 



1879; Si 
Franres. 



md also in 
nilv name << 



localities of the 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



155 



England, one in the county of Middlesex, 
about eiglit miles from London ; one in Hert- 
fordshire, one in Warwickshire, and Kings- 
bury East in Kingsbury Hundred, in Somer- 
setshire on the Parrot river. 

The Kingsbury arms: Several different 
coats are associated with the name. One ac- 
tually in use in this country at the end of the 
eighteenth century was : Argent, a fesse azure 
between three eagles displayed of the same. 
Another confirmed in 1742 to Dr. Thomas 
Kingsbury, descended from the Kingsburys of 
county Dorset, was : Azure, a chevron or, be- 
tween two doves in chief, proper, and a ser- 
pent in base, nowed of the last. Crest. A 
wyvern vert. Motto : Prudens et innocens. 
(Burke's General Armory, Ed. 1878). Burke 
also gives : Gules, two boars' heads erased in 
chief, argent. Crest. A snail issuing from 
its shell, proper. Another coat given by Usher 
is: Gules, a chevron or, between three cres- 
cents, argent. A knight's helmet borne in 
chief of the second. Crest, a demi lion ram- 
pant, or. Motto: Viiicit amor patriae. 

The ancient name of the place in Somerset- 
shire referred to was Kingsbury Episcopii, and 
the manor was held by the Bishop of Bath 
and Wells. Kingsbury in Warwickshire be- 
longed to the famous Countess Godiva, and in 
the Domesday Book is called "Chinesburie." 
Leofric, Earl of Mercia, her husband, was de- 
scended from the Saxon Kings of Mercia, and 
inherited their ancient seat. Leofric's grand- 
daughter married Turchil de Arden, one of 
the Conqueror's Norman knights, and their 
granddaughter married Peter de Bracebridge. 
in whose family the lordship of Kingsbury 
remained until the time of Queen Elizabeth. 
A daughter of this race married Sir John 
Arden, of Arden, who was either the grand- 
father or crreat-uncle of Mary Arden, Shakes- 
peare's mother. The Bracebridges lived at 
Kingsbury Hall, and in the church in Kings- 
bury their arms may be seen impaled with 
those of the family of Francis, which are a 
chevron argent, between three eagles dis- 
played gules. These charges are nearly the 
same as those of the old Kingsbury coat-of- 
arms used by Hon. Andrew Kingsbury of 
Hartford, about one hundred years ago, but 
in those azure is substituted for gules. Kings- 
bury Hall is described as "a house of Henrv 
VII. 's time, built with its great manor-court 
chamber within a fortress, of which the cur- 



tain wall and the octagonal towers remain, 
probably of the time of King John." 

The Alanor of Kingsbury in the Hundred of 
Caishoe, county Herts, was so termed from the 
Sa.xon Kings, who were the ancient possessors 
thereof, and often resided and kept their Court 
there, among whom Bertulph, King of the Mer- 
cians, celebrated a Parliamentary Council there on 
Friday after Easter, in the year of Christ 851. 
* * * There was a stately Pallace that belonged 
to the Castle of Kingsbury, situated at the west end 
of the Town of St. ."Mbans, where the Saxon Kings 
delighted much, and their Nobles and Officers so 
often resorted thither that they became a great 
Burden and Charge to the Abbot and Monks of 
St. Albans, which induced them to purchase it ; 
and after they had made many Addresses to the 
King for it. -Alfric, who had been Chancellor to 
King Etheldred, whilst he was a Secular, prevailed 
with the King to sell to them all the royal Mannor 
of Kingsbury, with the Parks and Woods belonging 
to it, e.xcepting one small Fortress near the Mon- 
astery, which the King would not sufifer to be de- 
molisht, that the Marks of his Royal House might 
not be forgotten ; and the Abbot and Monks bought 
and enjoyed it till the time of the Dissolution, when 
it returned to the Crown. Through various hands 
it passed to Sir Francis Bacon, Viscount Verulam, 
Keeper of the Great Seal (the great Lord Bacon), 
but when the Seal was taken from him, and he 
retired from the Court, he sold it. — (Historical an- 
tiquities of Hertfordshire bv Sir Henrv Chauncv, 
Kt,. II, 314.) 

King Edward the Confessor gave to West- 
minster Abbey a third of the forest growing 
in his wood at Kyngsbury, lying in the Hun- 
dred of Goare, about six miles northwest of 
London. The name is also found in Domes- 
day Book in the form "Chingesberie," as a 
manor in the Hundred of Plelstine, Middlesex, 
held by Ernulf de Hesdings. 

The first individual of the name that is 
known to us is Gilbert de Kingsbury, who was 
the incumbent of St. Peter's Church. Kings- 
bury, W'arwickshire, about 1300. He prob- 
ably derived his surnaiue from the place. In 
1 368 we find a William de Kingsbury men- 
tioned in the will of Gervase de Wyllesford, 
Rector of Barnak, in Northamptonshire, and 
there are a nutnber of ecclesiastics of the 
name, such as David Kynnesbury, Vicar of 
Cheshunt, Herts, appointed April 12, 1480, 
died in 1503. That there were so many of 
the name occupying positions calling for edu- 
cation and refinement, proves that the family 
must have been of some conseqtience, and es- 
pecially as several of them were Benedictines, 
who were called "the gentlemanly monks," 
then the most learned in all Europe and re- 
cruited from the higher classes of society. 



156 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



In the fourteenth century record appears of 
a family of Kingsburys in Little Cornard, 
county of Suffolk, who appear to have been 
substantial landholders, and from whom the 
original Kingsbury emigrants to this country 
are undoubtedly descended. James Kings- 
bury of Boxford, county of Suffolk, married 
Anne ffrancis, and died in 1622, leaving eight 
children, James. Henry, John, Elizabeth, 
Sarah. Joseph, Thomas and Alyce. Of these, 
three. Henry. John and Joseph, came to New 
England, and a fourth, Thomas, agreed to 
crime, but apparently did not do so (Win- 
throp's New England I. 369, 375; H, 340). 
The first to arrive was Henry, who came on 
the "Talbot" in Governor Winthrop's fleet in 
1630. Governor Winthrop wrote to his wife 
"From aboard the Arabella, riding at the 
Cowes March 28. 1630," just before the de- 
parture from England, "Henry Kingsbury 
hath a child or two in the Talbot sick with 
the measles, but like to do well." Henry 
Kingsbury married Margaret, widow of 
Thomas Alabaster, a relative of Governor 
Winthrop. He settled in Boston, but appar- 
ently returned later to England. Henry 
Kingsbury of Ipswich and Haverhill, from 
whom the following genealogy is traced, ap- 
pears to have been either the son of Henry, 
the first emigrant, by an earlier marriage, or 
the son of Thomas who remained in England, 
probably the latter. The records are not whol- 
ly clear or conclusive on this point. The fam- 
ilv record in America thus begins with Henry 
Kingsbury of Ipswich. 

d) Henry Kingsbury was at Ipswich in 
1638, according to Felt's History, and the 
"Hammatt Papers" state he was a commoner 
in Ipswich in 1641. He was a subscriber to 
the Major Denison fund, December 19. 1648, 
in the sum of two shillings. On February 8. 
1648. according to records, he sold his farm 
in Ipswich, consisting of 32 acres, for 25 Eng- 
lish pounds, to Thomas Safford ; but this does 
not signify that he then left that place, for 
during the same year be bought "house and 
land on High St, in Ipswich", from Daniel 
I^dd of Haverhill, which he sold August 30, 
1660. to Robert Lord, obtaining two oxen in 
hanrl. five pounds to he paid Robert Paine, and 
forty shillings to Edmund Bridges. That 
.■?amc year he also sold six acres to Reinold 
Foster. He was one of the residents of Ips- 
wich who on May 17. iG:,R. signed a petition 



stating that they had taken the oath of fidelity, 
but were not freemen, yet they claimed the 
right to vote in town affairs. In 1661-62-63, 
he was overseer "for Pentucket side," for 
fences and highways in Rowley. His farm 
was on the Merrimack, in that part of Rowley 
afterwards Bradford. On March 3, 1667-68, 
"it was voted and granted that Henry Kings- 
bury shall have ten acres of land which is to 
be laid out unto him, adjoining to Mr. Ward's 
farm, to the west of Hawke's meadow path, 
not prejudicing any other man." In 1669 he 
gave a deposition in court, stating that he was 
fifty-four years old, hence it is determined that 
he was born in 1615. and he died in Haverhill, 
October i, 1687. The inventor}- was taken 
October 10, 1687, and amounted to 40 pounds, 
19 shillings, 6 pence. 

Henry Kingsbury's wife was named Susan- 
na, and she died in Haverhill, February 21, 
1678-9. Children: i. John, died in Haver- 
hill, January 23, 1670-71 ; married. 1666, Eliz- 
abeth, born in Ipswich, 1645; ^''^f' December 
20. 1677, daughter of Matthias Button, of 
Ipswich and Haverhill ; children : John, born 
in Rowley, July 28, 1667; Elizabeth, born in 
Haverhill, August 14, 1669. 2. Ephraim, 
killed by the Indians. May 2, 1676, and be- 
lieved to have been the first person slain by 
the savages in King Philip's war. 3. James, 
married, at Haverhill. January 6, 1673, Sarah, 
born in 1650. daughter of Matthias Button, a 
sister-in-law ; children : Susannah, born April 
18, 1675; Sarah, born August 13, 1677; Mary, 
born August 18, 1679: Ephraim, born April 
13, 1681 ; Abigail, born February 26. 1686; 
Samuel, born July 18, 1690. 4. Samuel, born 
in 1649; died in Haverhill, September 26, 
1698: married. November 5, 1679, Huldah. 
born in Haverhill, November 18, 1661. daugh- 
ter of George and Joanna (Davis) Corliss; 
children: Huldah, born August 16. 1680; 
Thomas, born October 29, 1681. 5. Thomas, 
died in Plainfield, Connecticut, June 11, 1720; 
married, June 29. 1691. Deborah, born June 
6. 1655, daughter of George and Joanna (Da- 
vis) Corliss, widow of Thomas Eastman; 
children: Thomas, born January 30, 1692; 
Mehitable, born June 9, 1696; both killed by 
the Indians, March 15, 1697. 6. Joseph, sec 
forward. 7. Susanna, married. January 29. 
T661-2. Joseph Pike, born in 1638, killed by 
Indians in Amesbury, September 4, 1694, son 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



157 



of Captain John and Mary Pike ; they had 
eight children. 

(II) Lieutenant Joseph Kingsbury, son of 
Henr\' and Susanna Kingsbury, was born in 
1656, died April 9, 1741. He resided in Hav- 
erhill, where he took the oath of allegiance, 
November 28. 1677. As Sergeant Joseph 
Kingsbury, he was chosen constable for the 
west part of Haverhill, March 2, 1702-03; 
tithingman, March 4, 1 700-01 : selectman. 
March, 1697-98-9Q. 1700-01-03-06: viewer of 
fences from the Mill brook westward to the 
^^'estbridge river and northward. He was a 
surveyor, or capable of performing such du- 
ties, for on September 17, 1685, he testified 
that he and \^'^illiam Neff were desired by 
Thomas Woodbery and Josiah Beason to 
measure "a certayne parcell of upland and 
meadow" in Ipswich, and further, "ye meas- 
ure or work above named wee did according to 
O'r best skill and judgment." On May 12, 
1702. the town by vote made choice of "Sergt. 
Joseph Kingsbury to appear at the next in- 
ferior court, to be holden at .Salem on the last 
Tuesday of June next, on the behalf of the 
Town of Haverhill, to answer the said Town's 
presentment for not being provided with a 
school-master according to law." He was em- 
ployed by Captain Simon Wainwright. a mer- 
chant in Haverhill, when the captain was 
killed by the Indians and his house burned, in 
1708. Later in the same, year he moved his 
family to Norwich. Connecticut, leaving his 
Haverhill home June 14, 1708. He settled in 
that portion which was then known as West 
Farms, now Franklin, and erected a dwelling 
on Middle or Center Hill, property which re- 
mained in the Kingsburv name until 1870. 
when bought by John G. Cooley of New York 
for his son, who had married a daughter of 
Colonel Thomas H. C. Kingsbury. He was 
chairman of the meeting at which the ecclesi- 
astical society of West Farms was organized, 
in 1716, and one of the eight pillars of the 
church. He and his son Joseph were among 
the eight men who drew up the covenant of 
the church in 1718. He and his wife were 
admitted to the church by letter. January 4, 
1 7 18. and he was one of the first two deacons 
of the church, chosen October 8. 1718. He 
was appointed eii=itrn of the trainband in the 
West Society in Norwich, in 1719, and lieu- 
tenant in October, 1727. 

Lieutenant Joseph Kingsbury married. April 



2, 1679, Love, daughter of Thomas and Eliza- 
beth (Hutchins) Ayer, of Haverhill, who was 
born April 15, 1663, died April 24, 1735. 
Children: i. Joseph, see forward. 2. Na- 
thaniel, born August 23, 1684; died in Ando- 
ver, September 18, 1763: married, 1709, Han- 
nah Denison ; they had fourteen children. 3. 
Elizabeth, born May 10, 1686; died May 24, 
1686. 4. Mary, born October 19, 1687; died 
December 6, 1714; married, in Lebanon, De- 
cember 14, 1712. Stephen Bingham; no issue. 
5. Elizabeth, born October 16, 1693: died Au- 
gust 21, 1751 ; married, in Lebanon, August 
19, 171 7, Samuel Ashley, of Windham (later 
of Hampton) ; they had seven children. 6. 
Susanna, born September 24, 1695 ; married, 
December 28, 1713. Jonathan Ladd, of Nor- 
wich West Farms ; they had ten children. 

(Ill) Captain Joseph (2) Kingsbury, son 
of Lieutenant Joseph (i) and Love (Ayer) 
Kingsbury, was born in Haverhill. June 22, 
1682, died December i, 1757. He came to 
Norwich West Farms with his father in June. 
1708. being then twenty-six years of age. and 
was admitted to the church of that place by 
letter, January 4, 1718. He was appointed 
deacon. February 30. 1735. and was one of 
the eight pillars of the church. In 1721 he 
was appointed ensign of the trainband ; lieu- 
tenant in 1729; captain in 1748; selectman of 
Norwich in 1723, and a deputy to the general 
assembly 1731-34-38-39-42. He was one of a 
committee appointed by the general assembly 
in May. 1739. "to repair to the society on the 
east side of the great river in Hartford, and 
to affix a place for the building a new meeting- 
house on." He owned at least two slaves. 
Cuff and Phillis, whom he bequeathed to his 
wife. Ruth, and she gave them their freedom 
in December. 1773. The two ex-slaves re- 
moved to Tolland, and after about twenty 
years they were reduced to want, and the town 
of Tolland brought a suit against Ebenezer 
Kingsbury, his mother's executor, to make 
him support them, under the statute requiring 
all masters, or owners, who set slaves at lib- 
erty to provide for their support if they should 
come to want. [See Kingsbury vs. Tolland. 
2 Root (Conn.) 3vS.l 

Captain Joseph Kingsbury married. February 
5, T 705-06. Ruth, daughter of John and Ruth 
( .Ayer) Denison. of Ipswich. Massachusetts, 
who was born June 7, 1686. died May 6, 1779. 
She was buried in the old Franklin burial- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



grounfl, where her tombstone still stands, with 
that of her husband and his parents. Children : 
I. Ephraini, born January 4. i/O^'-O/' <'''^'<' ^°' 
vember 17, 1772; married, July 3, 1728, Mar- 
tha Smith ; children : Asa, Absalom, Martha. 
Obadiah, Irene, Ephraim, Talitha, Anna and 
Joshua. 2. Hannah, born March 6, 1708-09. 
died March 16. 1770: married. October 11. 
1727, Captain Jacob Hyde; children: Jacob. 
Ephraim. Joseph, Mary, Hannah, Jonathan, 
Ruth, Silence, Rebecca and Phcbe. 3. Love, 
born February 23. 1710-ir, died December 29. 
1778; married, November 3, 1732, Josiah 
Backus ; children : Irene, Rachel, Ozias, Leb- 
beus, Ebenezer, Absalom, Anne and Simeon. 
4. Ruth, born February 24, 17 12- 13, died at 
West Farms November 13, 1769; married, 
January 28, 1734-35, Joshua Ed.ejerton, of 
West Farms; children: Ruth, Joshua. Sims. 
Samuel, Deliverance, Margaret, Eleazer. 
Anne, Andrew, Alpheus, Uriah and Joseph 
Kingsbury. 5. Joseph, born February zj, 
1714-15, died at Pomfret, Connecticut. Octo- 
ber 27, 1788; married at West Farms, March 
28. 1738, Deliverance Squire; children: Ebe- 
nezer, Chloe, Sanford, Ruth, Abigail, Joseph, 
Jerusha, Eunice, Deliverance, Irena and Anna. 
6. Ebenezer, see forward. 7. Eleazar, born 
February 7, 1718-19, died at Tolland October 
6, 1785; married, July 20, .1742, Freelove 
Rust ; children : Freelove, Anna, Sarah, Elea- 
zar. Zebulon and Samuel Rust. 8. Eunice, born 
in 1720, died December 7, 1751 ; married, Feb- 
ruar}' 17, 1740-41, Jabez Backus; children; 
Jabez, Joshua, Eunice. Ruth and Charles. 9. 
Grace, born October 4, 1722. died unmarried. 
10. Daniel, born December 14. 1724, died Sep- 
tember 17, 1760; married, January 19, 1747, 
Abigail Barstow; children; Abigail, Daniel, 
Mary. Lucretia and Joseph. 11. Talitha, born 
October 7, 1726. 12. Irene, born March 13. 
1729, (lied unmarried. 13. Nathaniel, born 
February 7, 1730, died December 15, 1784; 
married, Sc])tember 4, 1735, Sarah 'llill, of 
Cambridge, Mas.sachusctts; children: Jacob, 
Sarah. Nathaniel. lohn. loseph, Charles, Tabi- 
tha Hill, Bethiah Hill and \\\]\hm Howe 

(]\') Captain Ebenezer Kingsbury, son of 
Captain Joseph (2) and Ruth (Denison) 
Kingsbury, was born in the West Farms, Feb- 
ruary II. 1716-17, died in Coventry, Connecti- 
cut, September 6. 1800. Me was admitted to 
the church in Bolton, November 24, 1739, and 
became a deacon. He was a highly "valued 



citizen, representing his district in the general 
assembly, I754-55. 1758-59. 1/64, 1766-67, 
'7^'9. 1771-80; was lieutenant of the Ninth 
Company or Trainband in the Fifth Regiment 
of the Colony. May, 1753; captain. October, 
1756. He was chosen a member of the com- 
mittee of correspondence in Coventry. Sep- 
tember 15. 1774. The story is told that during 
a critical i)eriod of the revolution he returned 
from the session of the general assembly one 
Saturday to work for the soldiers. His 
daughter Priscilla moulded bullets from the 
lead clock-weights, and his son Joseph made 
and baked biscuits, — both on the Sabbath. 
Sand-bags were substituted for lead in the 
family clock, and on Monday he returned to 
his post of duty, his saddle-bags balanced on 
one side with food for the soldiers, and on the 
other with bullets to be used against their 
enemies. 

Ca]5tain Ebenezer Kingsbury married. No- 
vember 28, 1743, Priscilla, born in Hampton, 
March 22, 1720, died in Coventry, Connecticut, 
January 31. 1805, daughter of his uncle, Na- 
thaniel Kingsbury, and Hannah (Denison) 
Kingsbury. Children ; Ebenezer, born Au- 
gust 28, 1744, died September 4, 1744; Mary, 
l)orn March 31, 1746, died November 20. 1761 : 
Ebenezer, born January 27, 1749. died in in- 
fancy; Priscilla. born December 26, 1751, died 
January 5, 1751-2; Joseph, see forward; Pris- 
cilla, born January 21, 1756, died March ig, 
1841 ; Martha Edgerton, born July 16. 1758, 
died, unmarried. April. 1823; Ebenezer, born 
.\ugust 30. 1762, died in Hartford. Pennsyl- 
vania, March 22, 1842; Mary, born November 
26, 1754, died young. 

(V) Lieutenant Joseph (3) Kingsbury, son 
of Captain Ebenezer and Priscilla ( Kings- 
bury) Kingsbury, was born April 17, 1753. 
died April 13. 1828. Soon after the com- 
mencement of the revolutionary war, accord- 
ing to the family records, he enlisted in a 
com])any of which Joseph Talcott was cap- 
tain, himself a lieutenant, and Squire Ephraim 
Kingsbury was commissary. The company 
was stationed for a time at Groton, Connecti- 
cut ; from there they were ordered to the 
states of New York and New Jersey, and were 
often employed as scouts. He is said to have 
been a man of quick discernment, and prompt 
in action. Lieutenant Joseph {3) Kingsbury 
married, February 21, 1780. Lois, daughter of 
Jonathan and Lois (Richardson) Porter, who 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



159 



was born in Coventry, Connecticut, April 14, 
1759, died May 20, 1814. Children: Lois, 
horn January 14, 1781, died November 3, 
1805; Oliver, born June 24, 1782, died in 
Worcester, Massachusetts, November 12, 
1809; Eunice Backus, born November 14, 
1784, died January 6, 1833; Ward, born Jan- 
uary 10, 1787, died February 6, 1844; Persis, 
born December 10, 1789, died October 31, 
1854; Electa, born June g, 1791, died Decem- 
ber 6, 1848; Mary, born October 3, 1793, died 
luly 23, 1838; Roxana, born August 5, 1796, 
died in Somerville, New Jersey, November 10, 
1892: Ruth, born April 4, 1798, died October 
27. 1831 ; Addison, born July 5, 1800, died in 
Marietta, Ohio, January 25, 1892; Emeline, 
born March 12, 1803, married, September 18, 
1826, Alvin Kins^sbury. 

fVI) Oliver Kingsbury, son of Lieutenant 
Joseph (3) and Lois (Porter) Kingsbury, was 
born in Coventry, Connecticut, June 24, 1782, 
died in Worcester, Massachusetts, November 
12, 1809. He moved to and settled in Wor- 
cester, where he was a schoolmaster, and 
highly esteemed. He died there of hemor- 
rliage of the lungs. His widow married 
Shubael Brewster, of Coventry, who died 
January 17, 1892, aged ninety-two years. Ad- 
ministration was granted on the estate of 
Oliver Kingsbury, "late of Worcester, Dec'd. 
in the County of \\'orcester. and State of 
Massachusetts, to Cynthia Kingsbury, of s'd 
Coventry, s'd Oliver having at the time of his 
death goods, chattels, and estate in this Dis- 
trict, March 5. 181 1. The Court appoints 
Ephraim Kingsbury, Esq'r, Titus Baker, and 
Noah Porter, to set out and distribute to 
Cynthia Kingsbury, widow and relict of s'd 
I ' Oliver, her dower." Same date : "Cynthia 
Kingsbury appointed guardian to Maria 
Kingsbury and Oliver R. Kingsbury, minors, 
of Coventry." "Shubael Brewster, of Cov- 
entry, appointed guardian to the persons and 
estates of Maria and Oliver R. Kingsbury, 
both minors, in the room of Cynthia Brewster, 
late Cynthia Kingsbury, June 28, 1823." 

Oliver Kingsbury married, April 28. 1803, 
Cynthia, born November 22. 1782, died March 
21, i8s6, daughter of Moses and Hannah 
(Denslow) Wing, of Windsor. Children: i. 
Maria, born in Worcester, May 12. 1806, died 
in Albia, New York, (a suburb of Troy"), 
July 23, 1848: married Alonzo Streeter. M.D., 
of Troy; children: Cynthia Maria, Helen Cor- 



nelia, Caroline, Julia Augusta, and John Ma- 
son Good. 2. Oliver Richmond, see forward. 
(VH) Oliver Richmond Kingsbury, son of 
Oliver and Cynthia (Wing) Kingsbury, was 
born in Worcester, Massachusetts, March 15,. 
1809, died in New York City, December 11, 
1889. He was brought up in Coventry, Con- 
necticut, in the family of his grandfather, and 
at the age of thirteen, in March or April, 1822, 
removed to New York City, and lived there 
the remainder of his life. He entered the ser- 
vice of the American Tract Society, where his 
uncle, Harlan Page, was engaged, from his 
first coming to New York, until the end of his 
days ; he became assistant treasurer in 1834, 
and was treasurer of the society for many 
years before his retirement in 1887. He was 
connected with the Presbyterian church for 
many years, successively ruling elder in the 
Sixth Street, Fourteenth Street, and Central 
Presbyterian churches, and he was several 
times commissioner to the general assembly. 
The following notice appeared in The Ameri- 
can Messenger, relating to the action taken by 
the American Tract Society at the annual 
meeting in May, 1887, with regard to Mr. 
Kingsbury : 

In accordance with the direction of the E.xecu- 
tive Committee, at a special meeting held May 9th, 
the following resolution is offered. As Mr. O. R. 
Kingsbur\- has stated that on account of increasing 
age he would decline a re-election as treasurer, it 
was : 

RESOLVED, That the society, now assembled in 
annual meeting, cannot consent to part with iMr. 
Kingsbury as Treasurer without placing on record 
its estimate of his long and faithful services, A 
youth of 17, he entered the service of tlie society in 
1827. in a subordinate capacity. In 1834. he was 
elected Assistant Secretary: in 1835 was added the 
duty of Assistant Treasurer. He performed the 
duties of treasurership from that time until the 
present, having received the title of Treasurer in 
1870. He has been annuallv elected in this capacity 
for 53 years with no dissenting voice. During this 
period there passed through the treasury about 
$17,000,000, and so far as known not one dollar was 
ever lost in connection with his department. Dur- 
ing these 60 years he has been out of the office 
from illness but once for any length of time, and 
only for three months then. Nor has he taken dur- 
ing these threescore years, on an average, one week's 
vacation per annum. Not a little of the untar- 
nished reputation of the Secretary is due to his 
calm judgment, clear view of financial questions, 
incorruptible integrity, and high Christian character. 
Taking into view the multiplicity of interests in- 
volved, the amount of money handled in unnum- 
bered small sums, the total absence of loss or fail- 



i6o 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



lire in payment of notes, and the length of unbroken 
service, it will be difficult to find parallels in the 
religious or financial institutions of the country. 

In connection with this resohition. Rev. Dr. 
William Ormiston said that this was a most 
marvelous record. He wished for Mr. Kings- 
l)ury many years yet of u.^eful life. The reso- 
lution was adopted unanimously hy a rising 
vote, and he was elected treasurer emeritus. 
He was distinguished by a practical bent of 
mind ; was a man of sound sense ; possessed 
a retiring disposition, and noted as a tnan of 
orderly ways and quiet tastes. His office was 
to him as sacred as his church, and there the 
responsible duties of his earnest life were 
faithfully performed. 

Oliver Richmond Kingsbury married, Sep- 
tember 26, 1838, Susan, born November 17, 
1809, died June 17, 184Q, daughter of Alex- 
ander and jane (Burras) Patterson, of New 
York City. Children: i. Oliver Addison, 
born in New York City, August 20, 1839; a 
Presbyterian clergyman and graduate of Yale 
in i860; married. May 11, 1S65. Sarah Ce- 
cilia Stevenson; children: George Herbert, 
born in Middle Haddam, Connecticut, May 7, 
1866, died in Joliet, Illinois, August 21, 1867; 
Mabel, born in Wappinger's Falls, New York, 
September 3. 1870, married, November 15, 
1809, in New Hartford, New York, David Fen- 
tress ; Arthur Richmond, born in Hawthorne, 
New Jersey, April 18. 1874, died in New 
Mexico, 191 1 ; Susie Antoinette, born in Cor- 
ona, New York. January 22, 187S. married, 
September 3, 1902, A. Hutchings Frith, of 
Bermuda. 2. Howard, see forward. 3. An- 
gelica Patterson, born in New York City, Au- 
gust 14, 1844; died August 30, 1846. 4. Helen 
Louise, born in New York City, June 25, 1846. 
5. George Pomeroy. born in New York City, 
June 8. 1849, died in New York City, July 7, 
190.S. 

(VIIT) Rev. Howard Kingsbury, son of 
Oliver Richmond and Susan (Patterson) 
Kingsbury, was born in New York City, Feb- 
ruary 3. 1842, died in .-Xmherst, Massachusetts, 
September 28, 1878. He was graduated from 
Yale University in 1863, and continued his 
studies at the University of Berlin and the 
Union Theological Seminary, from which he 
was graduated in 1866, and' became a clergy- 
man of the Presbyterian church He supnlicd 
the pulpit of the church in Rome, New York, 
m iRCir,-jn, .nn,l was pastor of the Presbyterian 



church in Newark, Ohio, 1870-77; of the 
Congregational church, Amherst, Massachu- 
setts, in 1877. In tribute to his character at 
the latter place, it was said : "During his brief 
pastorate in Amherst he won the love of his 
people as few ministers have done before or 
since, and his death caused mourning in the 
parish and in the town as well." 

Rev. Howard Kingsbury married, in Yonk- 
ers. New York, June 24, i86g, Sophie How- 
ard Thayer, born June 15, 1845, died in New 
York City, November 2, 1873, daughter of 
Stephen Howard and Harriet (Holden) Thay- 
er. Issue: Howard Thayer Kingsbury, see 
forward. 

fIX) Howard Thayer Kingsbury, son of 
Rev. Howard and Sophie Howard (Thayer) 
Kingsbury, was born in Rome, New York, 
April I, 1870. He received his preparatory 
education at Everson & Halsey's Collegiate 
School, in New York City, and was gradu- 
ated from Yale University with the degree of 
B. A., in i8gi ; was editor of the Yale Lit, 
and was awarded the De Forest medal. He 
was graduated from the New York Law 
School, LL. B., in 1893, taking the first prize 
in municipal law and the prize fellowship ; was 
admitted to the New York state bar in 1S93; 
and to the United States supreme court bar in 
1904. He was associated with the law firm of 
Lee & Lee from 1892 to 1900. and from then 
to the present time (1913) with Coudert 
Brothers, of which firm he is a member. He 
was president of the village of Barker's Point, 
Long Island, 191 1-12. and upon its consolida- 
tion with the village of Sands Point, and 
Mott's Point, in 1912. became one of the trus- 
tees of the consolidated village of Sand's 
Point. He translated Rostand's "Cyrano de 
Bergerac" from the French, which was pub- 
lished by Lamson, Wolfe &• Company, of Bos- 
ton, in 1898, and \vas used by Richard Mans- 
field in his production of the play. He is an 
occasional contributor to The American Jour- 
nal of International Law. as well as other le,gal 
periodicals. He is a member of various clubs 
and organizations, including the Century, Uni- 
versity. Down Town and Yale clubs, of New 
York"; Phi Beta Kajipa ; Zcta Psi ; Elihu Club. 
of Yale; Graduates' Club, of New Haven; 
Sands Point Golf Club ; Manhasset Bay Yacht 
Club; Bar Association, of New York City; 
American Society of International Law ; Sons 
of the Revolution; Society of Colonial Wars; 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



i6i 



and the Veteran Corps of Artillery of New 
York, constituting the Society of the War of 
1812. His town residence is at No. 24 East 
Sixty-first street, and his country residence, 
"Rivombra," Sands Point, Port Washington, 
Long Island. 

Howard Thayer Kingsbury married, in 
South Church. New York City, April 22, 1902, 
Alice Cary Bussing, who was the daughter of 
Abraham Bussing, born June 4, 1828, died 
November 4, 1905, and his wife, Emma Frost, 
daughter of Samuel Frost and Mary Johnson, 
; who were married November 9, 1859. Chil- 
dren : Howard Thayer Jr., born in New York 
City, September 11, 1904; Ruth Oliver, born 
in New York City, October 30, 1906. 



John Roe, the founder of the family 
ROE in this country, was born in Ireland 

in 1628. died at Brookhaven, Long 
Island, New York, between August 22, 1712, 
and July 27, 1714, the dates respectively of 
the writing and the proving of his will. He 
emigrated to America in 1641, and located, 
first in Massachusetts, removing from there 
to Setauket (now Port Jefferson), Long 
Island, and finally settling in Brookhaven, 
Sufifolk county. Long Island. He married 
Hannah Purrer. Children : John, Nathaniel, 
David, referred to below; Elizabeth, married 
a Mr. Mapes ; Hannah, died unmarried; Deb- 
orah, married a Mr. Clark; Mary, married a 
Mr. Corwin. 

(II) David, son of John and Hannah 
(Purrer) Roe, lived in Flushing, Long Is- 
land, where he died after December 26, 1702, 
the date of the writing of his will. His wife's 
name is unknown. Children : Nathaniel, re- 
ferred to below ; John ; Elizabeth, married a 
Mr. Totten. 

(III) Nathaniel, son of David Roe, was 
born on Long Island in 1670. died 1752. He 
married Hannah Reeve, born 1678, died Aug- 
ust 16, 1759. Children: Nathaniel, referred 
to below ; John, married Joanna Miller ; 
Elizabeth ; Hannah ; Deborah. 

(IV) Nathaniel (2), son of Nathaniel (i) 
and Hannah ( Reeve) Roe, was born on Long 
Island, 1700. died in Florida, Orange county. 
New York, in 1789. He married Elizabeth 
Phillips, born 1702, died 1788. Children: 
Phillips ; Nathaniel, referred to below ; Will- 
iam ; James, married, October 19, 1770, 



Elizabeth Elting ; Hannah ; Elizabeth ; Sarah ; 
Deborah. 

(V) Nathaniel (3), son of Nathaniel (2) and 
Elizabeth (Phillips) Roe, was born in Orange 
county. New Y'ork, May 2, 1734, died there 
in October, 1814. He married Susanna Roe, 
born July 2, 1734, died October, 1814, a 
cousin, and daughter of David Roe. Chil- 
dren : Elizabeth, Abigail ; Nathaniel, referred 
to below ; William, Julianna. 

( \'I ) Nathaniel (4), son of Nathaniel (3) 
and Susanna ( Roe) Roe, was born in Orange 
county. New York, August 11, 1761, died 
there May 23, 1833. He married, April 4, 
1782, Mary Satterlee, born March 29, 1763, 
died October 18, 1840. Children: Elizabeth, 
married Thaddeus Seeley ; Abigail, married 
(iarrett Curry; Lewis H., married Sally King; 
Julkmna, married John • Green ; Thomas W., 

married Prime; Alvira ; Nathaniel S. ; 

William, married Matilda Booth ; Genest ; 
Jesse, referred to below. 

(VII) Jesse, son of Nathaniel (4) and 
Mary (Satterlee) Roe, was born in Orange 
county, New York, July 2, 1806. died there 
September 21, 1876. He lived on the old 
homestead of over three hundred acres which 
had been in the possession of the family for 
over one hundred and seventy-five years. He 
was a Republican in politics, and an elder in 
the Presbyterian church. He married Dolly 
C. Booth, born June, 1812, died October, 1886. 
Children: George W., born November 12, 
1832, died June 27, 1850; Thomas H., born 
May 8, 1835, died December 12, 1894, mar- 
ried Mary E. Coudrey ; Harriet M, born 
April 3, 1837, died in 191 1, married, December 
14. 1865, Charles R. Bull; Alfred B., re- 
ferred to below; Virgil B., born November 
19, 1843, died July 9, 1863; Mary C, born 
October 22, 1845, married J. E. Mills ; Ma- 
tilda, born October 27, 1849, died May i. 
1867. 

(VIII) Alfred B., son of Jesse and Dolly 
C. (Booth) Roe, was born on the family 
homestead in Orange county, New York. 
August 12. 1840, and died January 7, 1905, in 
New Mexico, where he had gone on account 
of impaired health. He received his early 
education in the public schools of his native 
county and in Bloomfield, New Jersey, and 
then assisted his father in the cultivation of 
the homestead until his marriage, when he 
was placed in charge of one of the outlying 



1 62 



SOUTH EKX -XI'.W YORK 



farms, and on the death of his father re- 
turned to the homestead, which he made his 
home until his death. He was a Republican 
in politics, and was an elder in the Presby- 
terian church and also one of the trustees of 
the church in Chester. He married, February 
25, 1869, Martha Durland, born September 
16'. 1844,' died February 15, 1896. Children: 
Matilda, born December 9. 1869, died Sep- 
tember 23, 1901, married, in 1894, H. B. Mas- 
ten : le'^sV. born March 28. 1872, now living 
in Buffalo, New York ; Amelia D., born April 
7. 187(1, died December 7. 1809; Alfred, re- 
ferred to below : Marian, died in infancy. 

(IX) Alfred, son of Alfred B. and Martha 
( DurlanfH Roe, was born on the family home- 
stead in Orange county, near Chester. New 
York, June 19, 1880, and is now living there. 
He received his early education at Chester 
Academy, and then attended Lafayette Col- 
lege at Easton. Pennsylvania. He then be- 
came assistant to his father in the manage- 
ment of the homestead, which he inherited at 
the death of the latter, and which he still 
cultivates. He is a justice of the peace for 
Orange county, and is a member of the board 
of education of Chester. He is a member of 
tlie Grange, and is a member of the Lafayette 
College Chapter of the Delta Kappa Epsilon 
fraternity. He is a Republican in politics, and 
a Presbyterian in religion, and has served as 
one of the trustees of the church in Chester. 
He married, .April 3, 1902, Frances A., born 
August 17, 1881, daughter of Benjamin F. 
and Mary (King) Decker, of Campbell Hall, 
New York. Children : Alfred Russell, born 
January 30, 1905 ; Francis Jesse, born Octo- 
ber 23, 1909. 



From the earliest 
SCHERMRRHORN bc,ginnings of the 

state of New York 
this name has been prominently identified 
therewith and now lias numerous representa- 
tives in various sections of the state and 
througlif)ut the Union. It has given the name 
to a street of Greater New York and has 
been especially identified with business inter- 
ests in that city for many generations, though 
the founder of the family settled early at 
Albany. 

d) This family was established in the Mo- 
hawk Valley by Jacob Janse Schermerhorn, 



born in 1622, in Waterland, Holland, died at 
Schenectady, New York, 1689. In 1654 his 
father was a resident of Amsterdam, Holland. 
At an early day Jacob Janse Schermerhorn 
came to Beverwyck, where he became pros- 
perous as an Indian trader and brewer. In 
1648 he transgressed the law against selling 
arms and ammunition to the Indians. He was 
tried by order of Governor Stuyvesant and 
sentenced to banishment for five years and the 
confiscation of his property. Several leading 
citizens interfered in his behalf and succeeded 
in having the banishment clause of the sen- 
tence revoked, but his property was totally 
lost. These proceedings against Jacob J. 
Schermerhorn formed later a ground for com- 
plaint against Stuyvesant to the states-general. 
By his will he devised property worth 56,822 
guilders (about $23,000), so the old pioneer 
soon retrieved his fortunes. His estate was 
considered very large at that time, and was 
exceeded by few except the patroons and men 
of high official rank. He married Jannetje 
Segers, a daughter of Cornelius Scgerse Van 
Voorhoudt. He made his will May 20, 1688, 
and soon after died in Schenectady. He men- 
tions in his will children : Ryer ; Symon, see 
forward : Helena, married Mynder Harmense 
Van Der Bogart; Jacob; Machletdt, married 
Johannes Beekman ; Cornelis ; Jannetje, mar- 
ried Caspar Springstein; Neeltje, married 
Barent Ten Eyck ; Lucas. 

(II) Symon, second son of Jacob Janse and 
Jannetje Segers (Van \'oorhoudt) Schermer- 
horn, was born in Albany, New York. He re- 
sided in Schenectady until 1690. He was 
among the sufferers in the Indian raid on that 
town, which they burned February 9, 1690, 
and in the bitter cold of that night he rode 
to Albany to carry the news, in spite of hav- 
ing been shot through the thigh and his horse 
having been also wounded. In 1691 he re- 
moved to New York City, where he died about 
1696. At the time of the Schenectady 
massacre his son Johannes and three negro 
servants were killed. He married Willempie 
Viele, probably a daughter of Arnout Cor- 
nelisse Viele. Two children were baptized in 
Albany: Johannes, July 23, 1684, and Arnout. 
mentioned below. Two were baptized after 
his removal to New York: Maria, July 5. 
1693 : Jannetje, March 24, 1695. 

(III) Arnout, second son of Symon and 
Willempie (Viele) Schermerhorn, was bap- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



163 



tized November 7, 1686, in Albany, New York. 
He was a boy of about five years when he 
removed with his parents to New York. There 
he made his home and married Marytje Beek- 
man, baptized Maryken, June 23, 1692, at the 
Dutch church in New York, daughter of 
Johannes and Aeltje (Thomas) Beekman. 
Children, baptized in New York: Catharina, 
May 10, 171 1 ; Willemyntje, October 14, 1713, 
married Pieter Canon ; Johannes, mentioned 
below; Aeltie, May 19, 1717; Jannetje, Sep- 
tember 20, 1719. 

(IV) Johannes (John), only son of Arnout 
and Maryken (Beekman) Schermerhorn, was 
baptized July 13, 1715, in New York, where 
he died September 10, 1768. The Dutch 
church records show his marriage, June 16, 
1741, to Sara Canon. She was born June 6, 
baptized June 11, 1721, daughter of Jan and 
Maria (Le Grand) Canon. Children: 
Arnout, baptized March 14, 1742 ; Maria, De- 
cember 21, 1743, married J. Marschalk; Jo- 
hannes, January 15, 1746; Simon, January 20, 
1748; Peter, mentioned below; Sara, October 

9, 1751- 

(V) Peter, fourth son of Johannes (John) 
and Sara (Canon) Schermerhorn, was bap- 
tized October i, 1749, at the Dutch church of 
New York, and resided in that city. He mar- 
ried, September 5, 1771, Elizabeth Bussing, 
born July 24, 1752, died January 8, 1809, 
daughter of Abraham and Elizabeth (Mesier) 
Bussing (see Bussing HI). Children: John 
Peter, born 1775 ; Peter, mentioned below ; 
Abraham. April 9, 1783 ; George, May 16, 
1785; Elizabeth, June 15, 1787; Jane, March 
25, 1792, wife of Rev. William Creighton. 

(VI) Peter (2), second son of Peter (i) 
and Elizabeth (Bussing) Schermerhorn, was 
born April 22, 1781, in New York, where he 
died June 23, 1852, and was buried in Green- 
wood Cemetery, Brooklyn. He married, 
April 5, 1804, Sarah Jones, born March 13, 
1782. died April 28, 1845, and was buried be- 
side her husband. Her father, John Jones, 
was born January i, 1755, and died September 
29, 1806. His wife, Eleanor, was a daughter 
of William Colford, and both were of Eng- 
lish extraction. Children : Peter Henry, born 
March 23, 1805, died at the age of two years; 
John Jones. August 17, 1806; Peter A., men- 
tioned below; Edmund H., December 5, 1815, 
died in Newport, Rhode Island; James J., 
September 25, 1818; William Colford, June 



22^ 182 1, resided in New York and was buried 
in Greenwood. 

(VII) Peter Augustus, third son of Peter 
(2) and Sarah (Jones) Schermerhorn, was 
born January 13, 181 1, in New York City, died 
May 6, 1845. He married, December 9, 1835, 
Adeline E., daughter of Henry A. Coster, born 
May 18, 1818, survived her husband twenty- 
eight years, dying June 8, 1873. Children : 
Ellen, wife of R. Tilden Auchmuty ; Henry 
A., born January 29, 1841, died June 9, 1869; 
Frederick Augustus, mentioned below. 

(VIII) Captain Frederick Augustus Scher- 
merhorn. second son of Peter Augustus and 
Adeline E. (Coster) Schermerhorn, was born 
November i, 1844, in New York. He was 
educated in private schools, and entered Co- 
lumbia College in the class of 1865. He did 
not complete the course, as he desired to take 
a military training in the United States Mili- 
tary Academy at West Point. The outbreak 
of the civil war led to his enlistment, in 1864, 
in his twentieth year, as a soldier, and he was 
commissioned second lieutenant of Company 
C. One Hundred and Eighty-fifth Regiment 
New York Volunteer Infantry. He was mus- 
tered in January, 1865, and went to the front 
with the Army of the Potomac, in which he 
acted as aide-de-camp to Major-General 
Charles Griffin. For gallant conduct at the 
battle of Five Forks, Virginia, in 1865, Lieu- 
tenant Schermerhorn was brevetted captain 
and he continued to serve until peace suc- 
ceeded war. Returning to his studies in 1865 
he entered the School of Mines of Columbia 
College, from which he was graduated in 
1868 with the degree of Mining Engineer. He 
again became interested in military affairs and 
was seven years a member of the National 
Guard of the State of New York, entering as 
private, and rising through various promotions 
to first lieutenant of Company K in the fa- 
mous Seventh New York Regiment. Pos- 
sessed of independent means Captain Scher- 
merhorn has given liberally of his time and 
effort, as well as financial support, to the pro- 
motion of various philanthropic and progres- 
sive societies. Since 1877 he has been a trus- 
tee of Columbia College, was long manager, 
recording secretary and president of the New 
York Institution for the Blind, a supporter 
of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and a 
member of the American Geographical .Society 
and the Loyal Legion. He is interested in 



1 64 



SOUTHERN NEW Y(JRK 



yachting and holds membership m the New 
York, Sewanhaka and Cornithian Yacht 
clubs, \arious social and other clubs in which 
he holds membership include the Tuxedo, 
Metropolitan, Coaching, Riding, Country, 
Rockaway Hunt, Union. City and Knicker- 
bocker. 



This old Dutch name is 
WESTERX'ELT derived from a locality 

in Holland, meaning the 
'•western field," and was brought to .\merica 
in 1662. ^ , , 

(I) In the year T662, Lubbert Lubbertsen 
\'an Westervelt and Gessie Roelofs Van 
Houten, his wife, and six children, as immi- 
grants, came from Meppel in the province of 
Drenthe in Holland, reaching New Amster- 
dam about May i. They crossed in the Dutch 
West Indies ship "Faith." In December, 1662, 
they settled in Flatliush. where he purchased 
a farm. Their children were : Lubbert, Roelof , 
John, juriacn. Margretie, and Mary. It is 
probable that Lubbert Lubbertson had a sec- 
ond wife, as the records of the Dutch church 
in New York show the baptism on March 2, 
1681, of .^cltie, daughter of Lubbert Lubbert- 
sen and Hilletic Paulus. 

(II) Roelof, second son of Lubbert Lub- 
bertsen Van Westervelt, married Ursulina 
Steinerts, probably from Thymens, as her 
name appears in the records of the first Dutch 
church of New York as Ursulina Thymens. 
They had children: Jannetie. born 1686; Kas- 
porus, mentioned below; Johannes, 1695; 
Ariantie, 1699; Maritie, 1704; Annatie, 1707. 
The New York church records show the bap- 
tism of another child, Janneken, September 
27, 1691. 

(III) Kasporus Roelofson Westervelt was 
bnrn in \(y)4 in Flatbush. He married Aeltie 
Hougart. Children: Orselana, born 1715; 
Roelof, mentioned below; Maritie, 1720; Jan, 
1722; Annatie, 1724; Cornelius, 1726; Benja- 
min, 1727; Maria, 1729; Elizabeth. 1731, died 
ymiiig; Jacobus, 1733: Elizabeth, 1735. 

(1\') Roelof (2), secontl child and eldest 
son of Kasporus and Aeltie (Rougart) West- 
ervelt, was born June 15, 1718. He married 
.\rjaenty Rnmein. Children: Casporus, born 
1751: Aeltie, 1753; Albert, mentioned below. 

fV) Albert, junior son of Roelof (2) and 
.Arnjacnty (Romein) Westervelt, was born 
March ^, 17^4. died November 6. 1820. He 



settled upon a farm in the town of Ramapo, 
Rockland county. New York. He married at 
Schraalenburg, New Jersey, Maria Van Saun, 
born November 4, 1761, died January 21, 
1853. Children: Ralph, born November ^i, 
1780; Nancy, 1785; Jacob. 1788; Jacobus, 
mentioned below ; Hester and Sarah. 

( \T ) James (baptized Jacobus), fourth 
child of Albert and Maria (Van Saun) West- 
er\elt. was born October 24, 1792, at Ramapo, 
Rockland county. New York, died there Octo- 
ber 17, 1879. He was a farmer, a member of 
the Dutch Reformed church, and gave his po- 
litical support to the Democratic party. He 
married Hannah Teneyck, born January 22, 
1797, died January 15, 1853. Children: i. 
Sylvester, mentioned below. 2. Marie An- 
toinette, born August 19, 1822, died February 
28, 1887, in Spring \'alley, Rockland county. 
New York. 3. U)hn Henry, October 21, 1827. 
died October 18, 1868. in New York City. 4. 
Schuyler, July 27, 1829, still living. 5. Louisa. 
January 18, 1832, died July 12, 1856, in 
Ramapo, Rockland county. New York. 6. 
Sarah Ellen, January i, 1840, died October 6, 
1874. in Ramapo. 

(VTI) Sylvester, eldest child of James and 
Hannah (Teneyck) Westervelt, was born 
March 9, 1821. at Ramapo, died January .:r4, 
1901. in Newark, New Jersey. He learned the 
trade of carriage builder in that town, and 
engaged in business of his own at Ramapo, 
removing to Haverstraw, New York, and sub- 
sequently to Newark. New Jersey. In 1854 
he took charge of the Phoeni.x Carriage Works 
at Stamford, Connecticut, and in i860 re- 
turned to Newark, where he was superinten- 
dent of a wheel factory. He was a Republican 
in political principles. He married (first), De- 
cember 31. 1844, Margaret Rlauvelt. born 
April 2, 1825. in Ramapo. Rockland county. 
New York, died January 25. 1849 ; daughter of 
Joseph C. and Rebecca (Ramsen) Blauvelt 
(see Blauvelt VII). He married (second) 
Eliza Frances Van Name, born July 15. 1825. 
died January 19. iSCxr). He married (third) 
Ann Maria Ostrom. widow, born .\ugust 20. 
1822. died April 28. 1904. Children of the 
first marriage: Warner Wesley, mentioned 
below; Margaret, born January 9, 1849, died 
February 3, 1849. Child of the second mar- 
riage: Mary Alice, horn August 26. 1852 

(VIII) Warner Wesley, eldest child of Syl- 
vester and Margaret (Blauvelt). Westervelt, 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



165 



was born July 13, 1847, at Ramapo. He at- 
tended the public schools in Spring Valley 
and Stamford, Connecticut, also at Newark, 
New Jersey, and again at Spring Valley. En- 
tering the Normal College at Albany, New 
York, he was graduated in 1867, and engaged 
in teaching in the Union Academy at Belle- 
ville, New York. Later he was a teacher in 
the Union Hall Academy at Jamaica, Long 
Island, and following this in the Polytechnic 
Institute in Brooklyn, New York. Afterward 
he taught in the Ashland public school of 
East C)range, New Jersey, and the public 
school of Piainfield, New Jersey. He was ad- 
mitted to the New York bar in 1880 and since 
then has practised his profession in New York 
City, and now resides at Woodcliff Lake, Ber- 
gen county. New York. With his family Mr. 
Westervelt affiliated with the Dutch Reformed 
church of West New Hempstead ( known as 
the Brick Church), in the town of Ramapo. 
He is an earnest supporter of Republican prin- 
ciples, but takes no part in practical politics, 
and has never been a candidate for official 
position. 

He married, August 4, 1869, in East Orange, 
New Jersey, Mary Amelia, born September 30, 
1847, in Livingston, Esse.x county. New Jer- 
sey, daughter of Henry Oscar, and Charlotte 
(Osborn) Beach. Henry O. Beach was born 
July I, 1825, in Livingston, Essex county, New 
Jersey, where he now resides ; his wife, Char- 
lotte C^sborn, was born August 27, 1824, died 
February 15, 191 1; children: Mary Amelia, 
mentioned above, as the wife of W. W. West- 
ervelt ; Clarence Eugene, born July, 1851, died 
April 16, 1910; Maurice Beach, and Eliza Vir- 
ginia, March 3, 1863. 

Children of W. W. Westervelt and wife: i. 
Jennie Elizabeth, born June 3, 1870, is the 
wife of Thomas Jefiferson Ward, residing at 
Hanover, Morris county. New Jersey. 2. and 
3. Burton Blauvelt and Bessy Beach, twins, 
August 22, 1872 ; the latter died one month 
old. and the former, April 6, 191 1, in Hack- 
ensack. New Jersey. 4. Mary Amelia, No- 
vember 29, 1876. 5. Margaret, October 31, 
1878; married, April 29, 1908, Samuel D. 
Yates, and resides in Jersey City, New Jersey. 
6. Warner \\'esley, January 29, 1883, married 
Ada Louise Cromwell, July 12, 1910; resides 
in Hackensack, New Jersey. 7. Stewart Liv- 
ingston, August 12, 1891. 



(The Blauvelt Line.) 

(V) Joseph, third son of Johannes G. (q. 
V.) and Marytje (Smidt) Blauvelt, was born 
September 17, 1740, baptized September 21, 
at Tappan, died March 15, 1789, in the town 
of Ramajjo, New York. He married. May 
13, 1769, Hannah Demorest, born August i, 
1749. Children: John, born May 8, 1770; 
Nicholas, June 4, 1772; Cornelius, mentioned 
below; Daniel, December 16, 1782. 

(VI) Cornelius, third son of Joseph and 
Hannah (Demorest) Blauvelt, was born June 
12, 1775, in Ramapo, died June 12, 1858. He 
marriecl, November 4, 1796, Bridget Talman, 
born August 9, 1778, daughter of Jan and 
Frynckye (Mebie) Talman. Children: Joseph 
C, mentioned below; John, born August 21. 
1801 : Cornelius, August 20, 1808; Abraham 
C. J., December 18. 181 1; Tunis; Nicholas C. 

(VII) Joseph Cornelius, eldest child of 
Cornelius and Bridget (Talman) Blauvelt, was 
born November 8, 1798, in Ramapo, died Jan- 
uary 5, 1883, in Spring Valley. He married. 
May 12, 1821, Rebecca Ramsen. born June 20, 
1803, i" New York City, died at Spring Val- 
ley, April 21, 1885. Children: Mary, born 
March 5, 1822, married John DeBaun. and 
died July 6, 1845 : Isaac Ramsen and Mar- 
garet, twins, April 2, 1825 ; Aaron DuBois, 
June 21, 1832; John Calvin, October 29, 1835 ; 
Cornelius Edmund, January 4, 1838. 

(VIII) Margaret, second daugiiter of Jo- 
seph C. and Rebecca (Ramsen) Blauvelt. and 
twin of Isaac R., became the wife of Sylvester 
Westervelt, of Ramapo (see Westervelt VII). 



Celtic in origin, the name 
MORG.AN Morgan, in the principality of 

Wales, is older than the ad- 
vent of the Saxon race or language. The 
derivation has not been conclusively deter- 
mined, but Dixon, an English authority on 
surnames, says that it means by sea, or by 
the sea, which is probably as nearly accurate 
as any explanation may be. The name is al- 
lied to the Scotch ceann mor, meaning big 
head, or perhaps big headland. Another pos- 
sible derivation is from the Welsh more can. 
meaning sea burn, which is not essentially 
different from the former interpretation, by 
the sea. 

The name was common at the time of the 
Conquest, and appears in the Domesday Book 
and in the Battle Abbey Roll. Among the 



1 66 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Welsh, several sovereign princes and other 
potentates of the Morgan stock were living 
as far back as the year 300 or 400. One of 
these princes, Morgan of Gla Morgan, in 
725, is said to have invented trial by jnry, a 
procedure which he called "the apostolic law." 
"As Christ and the twelve Apostles are finally 
to judge the world, so human tribunals should 
be composed of the king and twelve wise 
men."' This institution preceded by a century 
and a half the time of .Alfred the Great, who 
is generally credited with the law. 

In the latter part of the sixteenth century 
the family from which were derived the an- 
cestors of the .American branch, moved from 
A\'ales to Bristol. England. The immediate 
family of Miles Morgan, who came to Massa- 
chusetts, was of Glamorganshire, Wales, and 
there is reason to believe that his father was 
William Morgan. Among the early families 
of the American pioneers there was tradition 
of a little book owned by James Morgan, the 
brother of Miles Morgan, dated before 1600, 
and inscribed with the name of William Mor- 
gan of Llandaff. Other evidence in the shape 
of antique gold sleeve-buttons stamped "W. 
M.," in the possession of James Morgan, 
pointed to the same conclusion, and these were 
said to have been an heirloom from \\'illiam 
Morgan of I.landaff. 

Arms — or, a griffin segreant sable ; crest — a 
reindeer's head couped or, attired gules ; mot- 
to — Onward and Upward. 

(I) Miles Morgan, who founded the family 
of his name in New England, was born prob- 
ably in Llandaff, Glamorganshire, Wales, 
about 1615. Accompanying his older brother, 
James Morgan, who settled in New London, 
Connecticut, and John Morgan, who went to 
Virginia, he sailed from Bri.stol, England, and 
arrived in Boston in April, 1636. His first 
residence was in Roxbury, and there it is be- 
lieved he remained some years. Subscqucntlv 
he joined the company which, led by Sir \\'ill- 
iam Pynchon, had founded Agawam (Spring- 
field) on the Connecticut river. It is not a 
historical certainty that he was with the first 
company which went inland from Boston, or 
that he was one of the founders of Agawam. 
That place was established in 1636. and the 
name of Miles Morgan appears on the rec- 
ords in 1643, showing that he was there be- 
fore that time, but how long before is not 
known. 



He became one of the leading men of Aga- 
wam. He acquired an extensive tract of land, 
and was also a trader, sailing a vessel up and 
down the river. One of the few fortified 
houses in Agawam belonged to him, and he 
was one of the leaders of the militia, having 
the rank of sergeant. In all the fighting in 
which the little settlement was engaged to 
protect itself from the attack of the surround- 
ing ravages, he was much depended upon for 1 
his valor and his skill as a soldier. When, 
during King Philip's \\'ar, in 1675, the In- 
dians made an attack on Agawam and nearly 
destroyed the town, his house was the central 
place of refuge for the beleagured inhabitants. 
His sons, following the footsteps of their fa- 
ther, were two noted Indian hunters, and one 
of them, Pelatiah Morgan, was killed by the 
Indians. In the "records or list of ye names 
of the townsmen or men of this Towne of 
Springfield in February, 1664, written by Eli- 
zur Holyoke,"' he appears as Serj. Miles Mor- 
gan. In 1655-57, 1660-62-68 he was a select- 
man. He served as constable one year, and 
at different times as fence viewer, highway 
surveyor, and overseer of highways, and also 
on various town committees. He died May 
28. 1699. A bronze statue of a Puritan sol- 
dier standing in one of the public parks of 
Springfield enduringly connnemorates his 
fame. 

He married (first) in 1643, Prudence Gil- 
bert of Beverly, Massachusetts. The tradi- 
tion is that on the vessel on which he came to 
Boston Prudence Gilbert was also a passen- 
ger, and there he made her acquaintance. 
She was coming to the new world to join 
mem.bers of her family already located in Bev- 
erly. After he had settled in Springfield he 
sent word to her and proposed marriage. She 
accepted the offer, and the young man, with 
two friends and an Indian guide leading pack 
horses, marched across Massachusetts from 
the Connecticut river to the "land of the peo- 
ple of the east,'' where the two young people 
were married. After the marriage the house- 
hold goods of the young couple were laden on 
the packhorses, and the bride, on foot, 
tramped back to Springfield, one hundred and 
twenty miles, escorted by the bridegroom and 
his friends. She died January 14. 1660. Is- 
sue: I. Mary Morgan, born February 4, 
1644; married Edmund Pryngrydays. 2. 
Jonathan Morgan, born November 16, 1646, 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



167 



died 1714; married Sarah Cooley. 3. David 
Morgan, born September 23, 1648, died May 
30, 1731; married Mary, daughter of John 
and Mary Clark. 4. Pelatiah Morgan, born 
July 7, 1650, killed by Indians in 1676. 5. 
Isaac Morgan, born May 12, 1652, died be- 
tween 1706 and 1708; married Abigail, daugh- 
ter of Samuel Gardner of Hadley, Massachu- 
setts. 6. Liddia Morgan, born April 8, 1653 ; 
married John Pierce. 7. Hannah Morgan, 
born April 11, 1655, <^'^d January 7, 1698; 
married Samuel Terry Jr. 8. Mercy Morgan, 
born July 8, 1658. 

He married (second) February 15, 1670, 
Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas and Margaret 
Bliss. Issue: 9. Nathaniel Morgan, of whom 
below. 

(II) Nathaniel, son of Miles and Elizabeth 
(Bliss) Morgan, was born in Springfield, 
June 14, 1671. He settled in ^^'est Spring- 
field, where he made his home during his en- 
tire life and was a successful farmer. He 
died August 30, 1752. He married, January 
17, 1691, Hannah Bird, who died June 7, 
175 1. Of the seven sons and two daughters 
of this marriage, all the sons and one daugh- 
ter lived to be over seventy years of age. 
Issue: Nathaniel Morgan, born February 16, 
1692 ; Samuel Morgan, born 1694, died in De- 
cember, 1699; Ebenezer Morgan, born 1696: 
Hannah Morgan, born 1698; Miles Morgan, 
born 1700; Joseph Morgan, of whom below; 
James Morgan, born 1705; Isaac Morgan. 
born 170S, died November 7, 1796; Elizabeth 
Morgan, born 1710. 

(III) Joseph, son of Nathaniel and Han- 
nah (Bird) Morgan, was born December 3, 
1702. He lived on the paternal farm in West 
Springfield. He died November 7, 1773. He 
married, in 1735, Mary Stebbins, daughter of 
Benjamin Stebbins; she was born July 6, 1712, 
and died December 6. 1798. Issue: i.. Joseph 
Morgan, of whom below. 2. Titus Morgan, 
died in infancy. 3. Titus Morgan, born July 
19, 1740; married Sarah, daughter of Eben- 
ezer Morgan, a son of David Morgan and a 
grandson of Allies Morgan. 4. Lucas Mor- 
gan, born February 26, 1743; married (first) 
Tryhene Smith, died February 20, 1793; mar- 
ried (second) Betsy Eastman, of Granby, 
Massachusetts, daughter of William Eastman. 

5. Elizabeth Morgan, born December 23, 1745. 
died April 12, 1782; married Thomas White. 

6. Judah Morgan, born March 22. 1749; mar- 



ried Elizabeth Shivoy. 7. Jesse Morgan, born 
March 22, 1749, died June 15, 1810; married 
(first) Mercy Stebbins, of Deerfield, Massa- 
chusetts, died June 8, 1806; married (second) 
widow Hannah Stebbins, of Deerfield. 8. 
Hannah Morgan, born November 29, 175 1 ; 
married John Legg. 

(I\') Joseph (2), son of Joseph (i) and 
Mary (Stebbins) Morgan, was born February 
19, 1736. He was a captain of militia, and 
in character as well as in physic^ue he was 
reckoned one of the staunchest men of west- 
ern Massachusetts. He married, September 
9, 1765, Experience Smith, born October 23, 
1 741. Issue: I. Eurydice Morgan, born No- 
vember 28, 1765 ; married Russell Ely. 2. 
Huldah Morgan, born November 27, 1767, 
died March 24, 1770. 3. Huldah Morgan, 
born April 18, 1770; married Edmund Ely. 
4. Nancy Morgan, born July 22. 1772. 5. 
Achsah Morgan, born August 16. 1774; mar- 
ried (first) Samuel D. Chapin, died October 
25, 1801 ; married (second) Nehemiah D. 
Beardsley. 6. Joseph Morgan, of whom be- 
low. 7. Betsey Morgan, born July 4. 178-2, 
died July 13, 1786. 

(V) Joseph (3), son of Joseph (2) and 
Experience (Smith) Morgan, was born Jan- 
uary 4, 1780. Leaving home when he was a 
young man, he settled in Hartford, Connec- 
ticut, and became a successful and respected 
hotel keeper. He died in 1847. He married 
Sarah Spencer, of Middletown, Connecti'cut. 
Issue: I. Mary Morgan, married Rev. James 
A. Smith, a Congregational clergyman of 
Connecticut. 2. Lucy Morgan, married James 
Goodwin, president of Connecticut Mutual 
Life Insurance Company; their son. James 
Junius .Goodwin, was a banker and broker in 
New York. 3. Junius Spencer Morgan, of 
whom below. 

(VI) Junius Spencer, son of Joseph (,3) 
and Sarah (Spencer) Morgan, was born in 
West Springfield, Massachusetts. April 14. 
1813. His early years were spent in Hart- 
ford. Connecticut, where he was educated. 
When he had giiown to manhood he went to 
Boston and entered the banking house of Al- 
bert Wells, where he gained his first knowl- 
edge of that business in which he afterward 
became successful and distinguished. In Julv. 
1834, he mT5ved to New York, entering the 
banking house of Morgan, Ketchum & Co. 
Remaining in New York only about two 



i68 



SOUT?lERN NEW^ YORK 



years, he returned to his native city and tliere 
estabUshed himself in business as a dry-goods 
merciiant in the firms of Howe, Mather & 
Co. and Mather. Morjjan & Co. Subsequently 
he went again to Boston and, still continuing 
in the dry-goods business, became a partner 
of J. M. Beebe in the famous firm of Beebe, 
Morgan & Co., which in its prime was one of 
the largest and most influential houses in that 
trade in the United States. 

Mr. Morgan visited England in 1853, and, 
upon the invitation of George Peabody, be- 
came associated with that great banker as 
his partner in October, 1854. In ten years 
he succeeded entirely to the business of Mr. 
Peabody. and established the house of J. S. 
Morgan & Co., which shortly became one of 
the largest banking houses in the world. The 
later years of his life were spent largely 
abroad, but he never lost his love for his na- 
tive country, and during the civil war he 
gave substantial assistance to the cause of 
the national gcnernment. He was a man of 
generous instincts, and contributed hand- 
somely to the support of educational and pub- 
lic institutions. His activity as a layman in 
the affairs of the Protestant Episcopal church 
was noteworthy, and among other institutions, 
Trinity College, of Hartford, Connecticut, 
owed much to his munificence. He died in 
Nice, [""ranee, in 1895. "i^ t'l^ result of an ac- 
ciflent. Me married, in Boston, in 1836, Juliet 
Pierpont, daughter of Rev. John and Mary 
Sheldon (Lord) Pierpont. Issue: i. John 
Pierpont Morgan, of whom below. 2. Sarah 
Si)encer Morgan, born December 5. 1839; 
married fleorge Hale Morgan, born Febru- 
ary 14, 1840, son of George Denison and 
Caroline A. (Hale) Morgan, of Hartford, 
Connecticut, and New York City, and a de- 
sccndaiu of James Morgan of New London. 
Connecticut. 3. Mary Lyman Morgan, born 
November 5. 1844: married, in London. Eng- 
land. Walter H. Rurus. of New York. 4. 
Junius Spencer Morgan, born April 6, 1846, 
died young. 5. Juliet Pierpont Morgan, born 
December 4, 1847; married John Brainard 
Morgan, son of George Denisoii and Caroline 
A. ( Hale) Morgan. 

(VII) John Pierpont Morgan, only son of 
Junius Spencer and Juliet (Pierpont) Mor- 
gan, was born in Hartford. Connecticut, April 
'". ^^^7'- 'I'l-"'' '" Rome. Italv. March y. 
•9'3- 



He was educated in the English High 
school in Boston, and then studied in 
the University of (iottingen, Germany, where 
he completed a full course, returning to the 
United States when twenty years of age. lU- 
engaged in the banking business with Duncan 
Sherman & Co., of New York City, in 1857, 
and there obtained a full knowledge of fi- 
nance in a house which at that time was one 
of the most prominent in the country. In i8()o 
he became American agent and attorney for 
(ieorge Peabody & Co., of London, with 
which house his father was connected, and in 
1864 he engaged in banking on his own ac- 
count in the firm of Dabney, Morgan & Co. 
In 1871 he became a member of the famous 
banking house of Drexel, Morgan & Co., the 
name of which in 1895 ^'^'''s changed to I. P. 
Morgan & Co. At the same time he was also 
a member of the firm of J. S. Morgan & Co. 
of London, of which his father was the foun- 
der, and, upon the death of his parent, he 
succeeded him in that concern. Thus he was 
head of the greatest private bank in America, 
and of one of the most influential monetary 
institutions in England. 

II is ])reeminence as a banker and financier 
was recognized for nearly a quarter of a 
century. In those respects he was one 
:if the most potent powers that the United 
States has ever known, and rivalled even 
I he .--trongest men in Europe. In the wonder- 
ful industrial and financial development which 
characterized the closing years of the nine- 
teenth century in the United States, and es- 
pecially in the development of that movement 
toward the consolidation of industrial enter- 
prises, Mr. Morgan was not only i)roniinent, 
but it is not too much to say that, at that time, 
he exercised the most powerful and helpful 
iniiiicnce ever displayed by any man in the 
financial history of the country. Particularly 
will his genius and indefatigable labors in 
the organization and development of the 
United States Steel Corporation be long re- 
membered as a masterly achievement, and. in 
the opinion of many, as laying the substantial 
foundation for the great industrial prosperity 
of t!u' country which followed in the years 
immediately after this accom])lishiuent. 

Mr. Morgan was connected with nearly 
all notable financial undertakings of his time, 
and his influence was always of the sound- 
est character and conducive to the public wel- 





j^xC-i,^^^-j/'V-^ 




SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



169 



fare as well as to the investing interests. A 
list of the important reorganizations of rail- 
road companies, the negotiations of loans, and 
the underwriting of industrial enterprises 
which have been handled by him would be 
long and imposing. Also in public affairs 
were his services to the country of in- 
estimable value. Especially in 1894 and 1895, 
and at other times of threatened monetary 
stringency, he contributed substantially 
and effectively to protecting the credit of the 
United States treasury. 

Although, when the banking disturbances 
which developed in New York City in the 
autumn of 1907 threatened to overwhelm the 
entire country with supreme disaster, he had 
been largely retired from active participation 
in affairs, Mr. Morgan came forward again 
to save the situation. In the grave emergency 
which then arose he took the lead in measures 
instituted to prevent the widespread destruc- 
tion of public credit and overthrow of indus- 
trial and financial institutions that was immi- 
nent. His leadership in those trying days 
was unreservedly accepted by men who were 
foremost in the financial world in Nev York 
City, and as well throughout the United 
States. Among his associates he was relied 
upon for initiative and for powerful influence, 
and even the national administration depended 
upon his advice and his assistance. After the 
battle had been won and confidence restored, 
it was everywhere recognized that his financial 
genius and his masterly control of men and 
affairs had been the main instruments in sav- 
ing the country, if not the world, from the 
worst disaster that had impended for a gen- 
eration. The great masters of finance in Lon- 
don, Paris, and other monetary centers of 
Europe did not withhold their warmest praise 
and indorsement of his accomplishment, while 
his associates in the American fields of fi- 
nance and industry have been profuse in ac- 
knowledgment of the preeminent service that 
he rendered to the country. 

Mr. Morgan was also a large investor 
in the great business enterprises of the coun- 
try, and a director in more than two score 
financial, railroad, and industrial corporations. 
Typically foremost among the enterprises in 
which he helcl important interests and exer- 
cised pronounced influence in the direction of 
their affairs were the followine: The United 
States Steel Corporation, the Cleveland, Cin- 
cinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railway Com- 



pany, the First National Bank of the City of 
New York, the General Electric Company, the 
Lake Erie & Western Railroad Company, the 
Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway 
Company, the Michigan Central Railroad 
Company, the National Bank of Commerce of 
New York, the New York & Harlem River 
Railroad Company, the New York Central 
and Hudson River Railroad Company, the 
New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad 
Company, the West Shore Railroad Company, 
and the Western Union Telegraph Company. 

A man of broad culture and refined tastes, 
Mr. Morgan did not confine liimself to busi- 
ness affairs. He was particularly inter- 
ested in art, being one of its most generous 
patrons, and one of the accomplished comiois- 
seurs of the world. Some of the finest works 
of the great masters of olden times and of 
the present were owned by him. His collec- 
tion of art objects is recognized as one of the 
largest, most important, and most valuable 
ever brought together by a single private indi- 
vidual. A considerable part of this great col- 
lection was acquired during the ten years or 
so preceding 190S, and has been kept in Ken- 
sington Museum, London, in the Metropoli- 
tan Museum of Art, in New York City, and 
in Mr. Morgan's private galleries in London 
and New York. It consists not only of rare 
and valuable paintings, but exquisite porce- 
lains, marble reliefs, bronzes, enamels, fab- 
rics, and other objects. 

Mr. Morgan's New York residence was in 
Madison avenue, and he had a country seat, 
"Cragston," at Highland Falls, New York. 
He also had a house at Roehampton, near 
Wimbledon, a suburb of London, and one 
near Kensington. Adjoining his New York 
City residence he had a fine private art gal- 
lery which contains many of his art treasures. 
He was a member of the leading clubs of Ne- 
York City and London, was one of the foun- 
ders and president of the Metropolitan Club 
of New York, and was for several years com- 
modore of the New York Yacht Club. Par- 
ticularly interested in the Metropolitan Art 
Museum, he was a generous benefactor 
to that institution and w^as its president. He 
arranged to erect in Hartford. Connecti- 
cut, an art building in memory of his father, 
to be called the Morgan Memorial ; the corner- 
stone of this edifice was laid April 23, 1908. 
He was one of the trustees of Columbia Uni- 
versitv, a director or trustee of various other 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



educational and philanthropic institutions, a 
member of the I'rotestant Episcopal Church, 
and several times was a lay delegate from 
the diocese of New York to the general con- 
ventions of that religious body. 

He married (first) Amelia, daughter of 
Jonathan and Mary (Cady) Sturgess of New 
York City. She died, and he married (sec- 
ond) in 1S65, Frances Louise, daughter of 
Charles and Louise (Kirkland) Tracy, of New 
York City. Issue: i. John Pierpont Mor- 
gan, born 1867; graduated from Harvard 
University, class of 1889, and since then has 
been engaged in the banking business with 
his father. He resides in Madison avenue, 
New York City, and is a member of the 
Metropolitan, Union, University, Riding, New- 
York Yacht, and other clubs. He married, in 
1891, Jane Norton Grew, daughter of Henry 
Sturgis and Jane Norton (Wigglesworth) 
Grew of Boston ; she was born in Boston, Sep- 
tember 30, 1868. They have one son, Junius 
Spencer Morgan, born in 1892. 2. Louisa 
Pierpont Morgan, married Herbert L. Satter- 
lee. 3. Juliet I'ierpont Morgan, married W. 
Pierson Hamilton. 4. Anne Tracy Morgan. 



The family name of 
\'AN DER POEL van der P'oel is the 
Dutch significance 
frir "from the lake," or mar.sh, and when 
the name was first applied undoubtedly this 
family dwelt beside a small body of water, 
either dammed or hemmed in by natural or 
artificial means, and thus, at a time in his- 
tory when Christian names only were in com- 
mon use, it designated which one of sev- 
eral bearing the same name was meant. 
The family lived originally in Gorichem 
(Groningen?) on the Rhine, but dispersed 
about the year 1600, the branch which then 
went to Amsterdam, Holland, coming to 
America not long afterwards, from whom 
those of the name living here are descended. 
The branch in America was originated by 
Tcunis (Anthony) Cornelis van der Poel 
Calias Spitsbergen), who had a short exist- 
ence, for he left no male descendants so far 
as is known at the present, time. He was 
in Bevcrwyck (Albany) from 1660 to 1687; 
married Catrina. daughter of Johannes 
Cronn ; was a magistrate in 167 1, and owned 
one-half of Constapel's Island in the Hud- 
son river, opposite Paerde Hoeck. When 



he died, about 1687 (his will was made June 
17, 1687), he left a widow and three daugh- 
ters, Elizabeth, Maria and Johanna. At 
this time he was still the owner of a house 
in Amsterdam, Holland. 

(I) There is evidence of two others of 
the name having been early in this country. 
Jacobus (James) van der Poel married Mar- 
garet Jans in New York, July 25, 1693, and 
Gerrit van der Poel, a widower, married 
Debora Warren, February 12, 1697. 

(II) Wynant Gerritse van der Poel, son 
of Gerrit van der Poel, originated this line 
of descent. He was born most likely in 
Holland, and was in Albany as early as 
1657. He resided there until about 1694. 
Pie purchased a half interest in a sawmill 
located on the eastern bank of the Hudson 
river, on what came to be known for the 
next two centuries and more as the Wyants 
kill, or creek. He bought it in 1674, from 
Geertruy Pieterse Vosburgh, widow of Abra- 
ham Vosburgh. His last will, made in 
1695, shows that he had removed from Al- 
bany, as it was indorsed "The Will of 
Wynant Gerritse van der Poel, late of Al- 
bany, now of New York." It was dated 
February 29, 1695, and was probated April 
17, 1702, so the date of his death must have 
been in the interim. For some reason lie 
bequeathed only six shillings to his son 
Melgert, and gave the residue of his estate 
to his son-in-law, William G. van den 
Bergh. It is very possible that he provided 
in the usual way for his children during his 
lifetime, and in old age resided with his 
daughter Catryn, who married van den 
Bergh. Wjmant Gerritse van der Poel mar- 
ried Tryntje Melgers. Children: i. Cor- 
nelia, married Cornelis Gysbertse van den 
Bergh before 1685. 2. Melgert Wynantse 
(see forward). 3. Gerrit, married Catrina 
Van Zandt. ,4. Catryn, married William G. 
van den Bergh. before 1685. 5. Margariot. 
married Johannes Van Zandt, about 1683. 

(HI) Melgert W'ynant.se van der Poel. 
son of Wynant Gerritse and Tryntje CMel- 
gers) van der Poel, resided in .'Mbany. New 
York. His house, as also his father's, fronted 
on the Fort on State street, in 1675, probably 
located on the south side of that principal 
thorousrhfare where most of the early houses 
of leading residents were built. Not infre- 
quently he wrote his name Melchert. for so 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



171 



it appears on some of the records. It is 
likely that he died before the year 1700. Mel- 
gert W'ynantse van der Poel married (first) 
Ariaantje, daughter of Abraham Isaacse and 
Maria ( \'igne ) \'erplanck, by whom he had 
eight children, and he married (second) 
Elizabeth Teller, by whom he had two chil- 
dren. She was the daughter of William and 
Margaret (Donchesen) Teller, Sr. By her 
first husband, as shown by her will, made 
February 19, 1720. she had several children, 
viz.: Margaret, married Volckert Douw; 
Maria, married John Vinhagen ; Magdalena, 
married Abraham Lansing, and Helena. She 
died in the year she had made her will. Chil- 
dren : I. ^lelgert (see forward). 2. Maria. 
3. Trynke. 4. Abraham, married Antje van 
■den Bergh, January 3, 1713. 5. Wynant, 
baptized October 14, 1683, married Cath- 
arina De Hoogen (or De Hooges), August 
17, 1706. 6. Gelyn, baptized May 17, 1685. 

7. Jacobus (James), born March 9, 1687. 8. 
Hendrick, baptized June 2, 1689. 9. Wil- 
helm, born March 19, 1693. 10. Ariaantje, 
born November 17, 1695. 

(IV) Melgert van der Poel, son of Mel- 
gert Wynantse and Ariaantje (Verplanck) 
van der Poel, was baptized in Albany, New 
York, and resided in Kinderhook. Columbia 
county. New York, until his marriage, when 
he removed to Poelsburgh. New York, 
where he died. Melgert van der Poel mar- 
ried. May 17, 1696, Catharina. daughter of 
Lourens (Laurence) and Elbertje (Evertse) 
\'an Alen. She inherited a large estate from 
her father, who was a son-in-law of de 
Bruyn, to whom a large patent of land on 
the Hudson river had been granted. Chil- 
dren and dates of their baptism : i. Elbertje, 
February 3, 1697, married Martin Van Deu- 
sen, December 23, 1719. 2. Ariaantje, Sep- 
tember 3, 1699. 3. Lourens (Laurence). Jan- 
uary 26, 1701, married. October 20, 1726. 
Ariaantje van den Bergh. 4. Maria, Jan- 
uar}' 10. 1703, married November 8, 1724, 
David Groesjjeck. 5. Johannes, March 4, 
1705 (see forward). 6. Abraham, February 
o. 1707, married. October 26. 1738, Elizabeth 
Quinlen. 7. Jacobus (James). April 17. 1700. 
married. October 16, 1740, Neeltje Huyck. 

8. Isaac, October 14, 1711. married ."Xnna 
. 9. Catryna, December ifi, 1716. 

(V) Johannes van der Poel. son of Mel- 
gert and Catharina (\'aii Alen) van der 



Poel, was born on his father's estate in Kin- 
derhook, Columbia county. New York, 
March 4, 1705; died there April 11, 1777, but 
was interred at Poelsburgh. It is thought 
that he was a widower (having married on 
November 8, 1736, but to whom unknown), 
when he married Annatje (Nautje or An- 
nie), daughter of Dr. Samuel and Catherine 
(Howarden) Staats. This marriage took 
place May 5, 1743, at the house on "The 
Flatts" (half way between Albany and 
Troy) of Madam Schuyler, "the American 
Lady," whose niece and adopted daughter 
she was. His wife was granddaughter of 
Major Abraham Staats, surgeon, who came 
to Rensselaerwyck in 1642 with Dominie 
Megapolensis, and whose wife was Catrina 
Jochemse Wessels. Major Staats was a 
prominent leader during Leisler's adminis- 
tration of the government, and probably left 
New York to settle in Poelsburgh soon after 
its collapse. Children: i. Isaac, born in 
Kinderhook, New York, December 8, 1747 
(see forward). 2. Maria, married, Novem- 
ber 19, 1762. Laurence Van Dyck. 3. Cath- 
erine, married, October 27, 1767, John 
Pruyn. 4. Eltje, baptized April 22, 1750, 
married John Van Valkenbergh. 5. Sarah, 
married (first) John Van Alstyne, (second) 
Colonel Jacob Schermerhorn. 

(VI) Isaac van der Poel, son of Johannes 
and Annatje (or Annie) (Staats) van der 
Poel, was born in Kinderhook, Columbia 
county. New York, December 8, 1747, and 
was baptized in Albany, December 25, 1747, 
with Philip Schuyler and Ceertruy Lansing 
as sponsors. He died in Chatham. Cohnnbia 
county. New York, December 25, 1807. 

He was commissioned adjutant of the 
Seventh regiment (Kinderhook district), 
October 20, 1775. ^•''^ was removed from 
this position for disaffection to the Amer- 
ican government. He afterwards joined the 
British forces and commanded a company of 
refugees on Staten Island. W'hile acting in 
this capacity he was taken sick, and it is 
said that through the influence of his mother 
with her relative. General Philip Schuyler, 
a pass through the American lines was se- 
cured for him. She brought him to her 
home, cared for him tenderly until his com- 
plete recovery, and then returned him to 
his company on Staten Island. His estate 
was confiscated by the government, and he 



1 



SOUTHERX NEW YORK 



was thus rendered almost penniless. He was 
a man of extraordinary intellect and of a 
frank, noble and generous nature, but he 
never enjoyed a day of peace after the mis- 
taken step he took in the Revolution. Fol- 
lowing his marriage, he purchased a small 
farm in the village of Chatham, over the hill 
and about a mile and a half from Kinderhook 
lake, where he passed the remainder of his 
days quietly and not far removed from the 
wide circles of his relatives and boyhood days. 
Isaac van der Poel married Moyca 
(Mayke, or May), daughter of Jacobus 
(James), of Pompaonie, and Elizabeth (Van 
Dyck) Huyck. She was born October 17, 
1758, died in Stuyvesant, New York, No- 
vember 20, 1827, and was interred in the 
Kinderhook, New York, cemetery. Her 
mother was the daughter of Arent and Heyl- 
tie ( Van Alen ) Van Dyck, who had, be- 
side Moyca, children named Arent and Bur- 
ger. Arent Van Dyck, maternal grand- 
father of Isaac van der Poel, was one of 
His Majesty's justices of the peace for the 
colony. He was a gentleman of education 
and talents, and the general scribe for the 
region in which he lived. He was a lineal 
descendant of Hendrick Van Dyck, who was 
attorney-general of the Dutch province of 
New York, and who came from the West 
Indies with Go\ernor Peter Stuyvesant. He 
and Stuyvesant were two obstinate Dutch- 
men, and seemed to have quarreled all the 
way from the West Indies until they ar- 
rived at New York. Children: i. Anne, 
born January 3. 1785. died September 5. 1787. 

2. James, born in Kinderhook, New York, Jan- 
uary 10, 1787, died in Albany, New York, 
October .^, 1843; married, April 19, 1808. 
Anna, daughter of Rev. George Jacob Leon- 
ard Doll, and who was born July 19, 1782: 
died in Albany. New York. March 14, 1855. 

3. Anne, born July 30, 1789; died April 3, 
'793- 4- Elizabeth, born January 19, 1791: 
married, January 16, 1815, Lucas J. Van 
Alen: died .August 2^. 1833. 5. John, born 
August 24, 1796 (see forward). 6. Aaron, 
born February 5, 1799; married (first), Sep- 
tember 3, 1821, Harriet Baldwin, who died 
in Ai)ril. 1837: married (second). .April 2 
i83g. Ellen McRride. 

( VII ) John \'an der Poel, son of Isaac and 
Moyca, or May, (Huyck) van der Poel, was 
born in Kinderhook, Columbia county, New 



York, August 24, 1796. He resided in the 
place of his nativity throughout his life, 
where he had an extensive practice as a 
physician of repute. He died there Octo- 
ber 2/, 1851, and was buried in the Kinder- 
hook cemetery amid the graves of his an- 
cestors of two centuries. 

Dr. John \'an der Poel married at Coshen. 
Orange county, January 14, 1823, Sarah 
West, daughter of Timothy Oakley and 
Sarah Ketchum. .She was born in Deer 
Park, Orange county, New York, May i, 
1797, and died at Kinderhook, at the lK)me 
of her son, Aaron J. Van der Poel, ( )ctober 
6, 1883. Children: i. Samuel Oakley, born 
February 22, 1824; married, December 10, 
1850, Gertrude Lansing Wendell, and died 
at W^ashington on March 12, 1886 (see for- 
ward). 2. Aaron John, born at \'alatie. Co- 
lumbia county. New York, October 24. 1825; 
died at Paris, France, August 22. 1887: mar- 
ried, August 3, 1852, Adaline Elizabeth, 
daughter of Henry C. Van Schaack and 
Adaline Ives, who was born February 28, 
1830, died in London, July 27, 1912, by 
whom : Mary Cornelia, born October 28, 
1854, married, January 29, 1878. Benjamin 
W. Franklin : Henry Van Schaack, born 
January 19, 1856, died June 13. 1859; 
Thomas Beekman, born June 18, 1858, died 
December 15, 1863: Augustus Hall, born 
December 13, 1859, died .April 27, 191 1, mar- 
ried, November 25, 1885, Eliza Granger, 
at Baltimore, Maryland, children, born at 
Orange, New |ersey : A. Augustus Van 
der Poel, born jiily 4. 1888, A. B., Yale Uni- 
versity, 1 91 3, and Eliza G. Van der Poel, 
bom December 21, 1891 ; Adaline Ives, born 
July 28, 1862, died December 16, 1863; 
Lydia Beekman, born August i, 1864. mar- 
ried Sartcll Prentice. 1806; Aaron Melgert, 
born January \(\ 1867: Margaret, born De- 
cember 10, 1870, married Waldo Newcomer. 
October 6, 1897. 3. James, born June 
28, 1827; died .April 30, 1835. 4. Jesse 
Oakley, born June 15, 1831 ; died January 
25, 1870. 5. John, born December 11. 1834; 
died in Chicago. III., May 29, i8(')(); n,:irried, 
.April 5, i860, Mary E. Van der Poel : no- 
issue. 6. Sarah Elizabeth, born March 21, 
1838; died in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania, 
August II, 1876: married (first). March 24, 
1859, Peter Wendell, who was born July 1, 
1827; died May 12, 1868, son of Dr. Peter 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



173 



Wendell and Elizabeth \'an Kleeck ; mar- 
ried (second), December 16, 1873, Major 
Robert L. Burnett. 

(VIII) Dr. Samuel Oakley Van der Poel, 
son of Dr. John and Sarah W. ( Oakley ) \'an 
der Poel, was born in Kinderhook, Colum- 
bia county, New York, February 22, 1824, 
and died at Washington, D. C, March 12, 
1886. 

Like his father, he was a physician 01 
celebrity, and as health officer of the port 
of New York for a great many years gained 
wide prominence. His boyhood and youth 
were spent in his native place, and the out- 
door life of that healthful locality helped 
him to develop a vigorous and robust con- 
stitution. He completed his preparatory 
training at an early age in the Kinderhook 
Academy and then entered upon his col- 
legiate course in the University of New 
York, of which institution the venerable and 
scholarly Theodore Frelinghuysen was then 
the chancellor. Receiving his diploma, he 
returned to begin the study of medicine with 
his father, and after a thorough course at 
home and in the institution, graduated at 
JefTerson Medical College, Philadelphia, in 
the spring of 1845. FoJ" the next two years 
he was associated in practice with his 
father; but he still regarded his education 
and early .practice as only preparatory to 
the real professional career he had marked 
out, so in the fall of 1847 he went to Paris 
to pursue his studies with the superior ad- 
\antages belongine to that brilliant capital. 
It was a remarkable period, when Dr. Van 
der Poel began his serious post-graduate 
course in medicine. Paris was in the midst 
of profound agitation. The unpopular min- 
istry of Guizot and the trembling throne of 
the citizen king were tottering to their fall. 
This political ferment culminated in the 
violent revolution of February, 1848, ending 
in the abdication of Louis Phillipe and the 
proclamation of the Second Republic. He 
was a witness of these memorable and tur- 
bulent scenes, and, as the seething tumult 
was unpropitious to the calm prosecution of 
studies, he traveled through the south of 
France and Italy, witnessing at Lyons, Mar- 
seilles, Naples, Rome. Florence and Milan 
the various acts of the revolutionary drama 
then exciting all Europe. Immediately after 
the bloody days of June he returned to the 



French capital and remained for a consider- 
able period. 

In the spring of 1850, Dr. Van der Poel 
came to Albany, New York, where he settled 
and speedily acquired a remunerative prac- 
tice which continued to he both flattering and 
progressive, and it was in this year that he 
married there. In 1857, Governor John Alsop 
King appointed him surgeon-general of New 
York state, and three years later he was chos- 
en president of the Albany County Medical 
Society, being re-elected the following year as 
an endorsement of his wise administration In 
1 86 1 he was again invited to hold the office 
of surgeon-general, this time by Governor Ed- 
win D. Morgan. The position proved in this 
case not one of mere empty honor or a sine- 
cure. The inauguration of the civil war 
shortly after his term began, imposed duties 
and responsibilities far more arduous, delicate 
and important than had ever before devolved 
upon that or any other similar position in this 
country. It became necessary, without the 
guide of precedent or experience, to impro- 
vise a vast and systematic bureau meeting ev- 
ery requirement attaching to the complete 
medical organization of a great force. There 
were many militia regiments to be promptly 
provided with medical supplies and instru- 
ments as they hurried to the field. There were 
numerous volunteer regiments rapidly assem- 
bling, requiring immediate care for their sick 
and attention to their permanent organization. 
There were hundreds of surgeons and assist- 
ants coming from every section of the state, 
representing every grade of the profession, 
whose qualifications were to be examined and 
decided. New regiments were uninterrupted- 
ly organized, and old regiments demanded 
constant attention, even after they had passed 
into the service of the United States, in order 
that a competent medical staff might be main- 
tained. This last duty was made ]3articularly 
harassing and exhausting by the crude system 
of the general government during the first two 
years of the war. In many cases the medical 
officers no sooner became conversant with 
their duties than the novelty and romance 
vanished, their resignations were offered and 
accepted, and the surgeon-general required to 
fill the vacancies with such promptitude that 
the public service should suffer no detriment. 
The magnitude of the responsibility and the 
severity of the labor thus imposed may be 



1/4 

judged from the fact that there were between 
six and seven hundred positions upon the 
medical staff to be kept filled with competent 
officers. A still more significant testimony is 
embodied in the statement that at one time 
the surgeon-general was called upon to make 
over five hundred appointments in the space 
of six weeks. Nor was this all. He was 
obliged to establish and perfect a system of 
])romotion which should be just, without fa- 
voritism, and confer reward without impairing 
the efficiency of the service. His patronage 
was immense. With hundreds of officers in 
this department, upon whose respective mer- 
its none but himself could decide, it required 
a nice sense of honor and a wise discrimina- 
tion to distribute the appointments in such a 
wav that the good of the general service might 
be harmonized with a recognition of just per- 
sonal claims. Nothing could put the profes- 
sional acquirements and the executive talents 
of a man to a severer test than these varied, 
complicated and difficult duties ; and it is but 
to repeat the judgment of the highest authori- 
ties to say that they were performed by Dr. 
Van der Pocl with signal ability. His suc- 
cessful administration elicited the official ap- 
proval of both the Secretary of War and the 
the governor of the state of New York, and 
constitutes an important chapter in the asso- 
ciation of New York with the great contest. 

In 1867, Dr. Van der Poel was appointed 
to the chair of General Pathology and Clinical 
Medicine in the Albany Medical College, 
which position he held for three years 
and then resigned. About the same time 
he was appointed a manager of the .State 
Lunatic .Asylum at Utica, New York, a 
position in which he did effective work. 
In February, 1870, he was elected pres- 
ident of the Medical Society of the State 
of New York, the highest recognition in the 
power of his professional brethren. The next 
step in his noteworthy career was equally if 
not more important, as affecting innumerable 
persons. In 1872. Governor John T. Hoffman 
placed him in charge of the quarantine de- 
partment of the port of New York as health 
officer. The irregularities of this office for 
many years hafl been the theme of discussion 
in legislative councils and commercial con- 
ventions, for nothing in the way of a reform 
seemed to have been at all effective. The 
antagonism of commerce and quarantine were 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



developed to the fullest extent. In this field, 
with all its complications, there was full scope 
for the exertion of his remarkable executive 
ability, which he had previously displayed. In 
many respects this is the highest medical of- 
fice in the world, and to Dr. Van der Poel 
belongs the credit of restoring it to its true 
position. His first action was to reduce the 
various parts of it to form one perfect sys- 
tem. The enormous expenditures had grown 
into a heterogeneous organization without 
much system. Taking charge of it purely as 
a sanitary interest, he placed in the hands of 
those who owned merchandise and ships the 
work which had to be done on their vessels, 
and which thus could be done by them under 
the ordinary business rules that controlled 
such matters elsewhere. The quarantine law, 
which had grown by successive enactments in- 
to an authority for oppressive administration, 
was codified and relaxed from some of its pro- 
visions, only retaining what was necessary of 
sanitary restraint for the public safety, and 
these changes were urged forcefully upon the 
legislature. For the first time in the history 
of quarantine, one found that commerce was 
actively sustaining it. Mercantile associations 
passed complimentary and approving resolu- 
tions, and petitioned the legislature in favor of 
every change which he recommended. 
Branches of trade which had -left New 
York apparently forever, to avoid the 
expenses incident to their quarantine de- 
tention, began soon thereafter to re- 
turn. In all this acute change of con- 
ditions, there was not the slightest relaxa- 
tion of sanitary restraint necessary to the pro- 
tection of the entire northern frontier and 
Western United States, which depend upon 
this port for their immigrations ; but sanitary 
retrulations. which Dr. Van der Poel consid- 
ered as his legitimate care, were made more 
strict than ever before. In January, 1876, he 
was elected to the chair of Theory and Prac- 
tice of Medicine in the Albany Medical Col- 
lege, a position which he sustained with credit 
to that institution's advancement. It is of 
common repute that as a physician he was 
equally learned in theory as skilled in prac- 
tice. To large native endowments he added 
the highest cultivation. He delighted in the 
acquisition of an enormous medical library. 
which he enriched with rare and important 
foreign works. He was known to his friends 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



175 



1 1 as a gentleman of large, public spirit and pos- 
■ ■ sessing an attractive quality of broad, genial 
culture. 

Dr. Samuel Oakley Van der Poel married, 
at Albany, New York, December 10, 1850, 
( Icrtrude Lansing Wendell, who was born in 
Albany, January 15, 1824, died in Cazenovia, 
1! New York, August 13, 1906, daughter of Dr. 
! Peter Wendell and Elizabeth Van Kleeck. 
It is desirable to include here a few facts 
regarding the parentage of Mrs. S. O. Van 
der Poel. Dr. Peter Wendell was a man of 
prominence in Albany. He was born there 
Tunc 3, 1786, died at his residence on Elk- 
street, in that city, October 29, 1849. ^^ was 
the son of Jacob Harmanus Wendell (born 
October 21, 1754, died March 23, 1826, son 
of Harmanus Wendell and Catherine Van 
Vechten), who married, about 1785, Geertruy 
(Gertrude) Lansing (born September 3, 1758, 
daughter of Peter Lansing and Elizabeth 
\\'endell). His wife (Elizabeth Van Kleeck) 
(lied in Albany, November 11, 1846. He stud- 
ied medicine with Dr. William McLellan of 
Albany ; attended lectures at the University 
of Pennsylvania; commenced practice in 1807 
at Albany ; received the degree of M. D. from 
his ahna mater in 1823, at which time he was 
elected a Regent of the University of the State 
of New York, of which body he became chan- 
cellor in 1842, filling that office until his death. 
The children of Dr. S. O. Van der Poel and 
Gertrude Lansing Wendell, all born in Al- 
bany, New York, were: i. Wendell, born Oc- 
tober 23, 1851, died August 9, 1852. 2. Sam- 
uel Oakley, born August 27, 1853; married, 
October 20, 1880, Mary Louisa Halsted ; died 
in New York City, April 22, 1912 (see for- 
ward). 3. Herman Wendell, born July 8, 
1856, died March 16, 1906, in Boston, Massa- 
chusetts. 4. John, born February 20, 1858 
(see forward). 5. Elizabeth Wendell, born 
March 17, 1861, died September 3, 1861. 6. 
Lewis Morris, born June 20, 1862, died Au- 
gust 4, 1863. 7. Gertrude Wendell, born No- 
vember 2, 1864; married, in New York City, 
October 20, 1892, Anson Blake Moran, broker, 
who was born in Brooklyn, New York, May 
2, 1865, son of Daniel Edward and Annie 
Augtista (Blake) Moran; by whom: Gertrude 
Van der P'oel Moran, born in New York City, 
September 13,. 1894, died in Cazenovia, New 
York, September i, 1912; and Annette Blake 



Moran, born in New York City, March 13, 
1899. . 

(IX) Dr. Samuel Oakley Yan der Poel, son 
of Dr. Samuel Oakley and Gertrude Lansing 
(Wendell) Van der Poel, was born in Albany, 
New York, August 27, 1853, and died at his 
home, No. 63 East Fifty-fifth street, New 
York City, April 22, 1912. 

He completed his education, after prelimi- 
nary studies in his native city, at Rutgers Col- 
lege, graduating with the class of 1873. He 
received the degree of Master of Arts the 
following year, and acquired his degree of 
M. D. at the College of Physicians and Sur- 
geons, Columbia University, in 1876. He 
served eighteen months as house physician in 
Bellevue Hospital, and then took a post-gradu- 
ate course in Vienna. Upon his return to the 
United States he began practice in Albany, 
where he was appointed adjunct professor of 
theory and practice in the Albany Medical 
College, and received an honorary M. D. de- 
gree there. In 1885 he removed to New York 
City, and was appointed visiting physician at 
Randall's Island, as also at the Charity Hos- 
pital. At about the same time he became as- 
sistant surgeon at the Manhattan Eye and Ear 
Infirmary and the throat department of the 
Vanderbilt Clinic. In 1888 he was made sen- 
ior medical director of the New York Life 
Insurance Company, a position he held with 
more than satisfactory credit until the time of 
his death. The end came as a great shock to 
his associates of that institution and his many 
friends, for only the previous day he had 
gone on a trip into the country and was feel- 
ing in excellent health. He was a Republican, 
and attended the church of Rev. John Park- 
hurst. He belonged to the University, Cen- 
tury and Rockaway Hunt clubs, and to the St. 
Nicholas and Holland societies. The follow- 
ing minute regarding the death of Dr. Van der 
Poel was passed by the office committee of the 
New York Life Insurance Company, May i, 
1912, and only serves to illustrate in slight 
measure in what esteem he was held gener- 
ally: 

"We record the death, on the 22nd of .\pril, 1912, 
of our associate. Dr. S. Oakley Van der Poel. The 
deceased was a distinguished physician, a useful citi- 
zen, a model husband and father, a devoted servant 
of this institution, and a loyal friend. He was effi- 
cient and faithful in all the onerous duties laid upon 
him during- his nearly twenty years of service here, 
and his labors have passed into and become a part 



176 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



of the practice and history of this company. We 
testify to his eminent quaUties, and offer our deep- 
est sympathies to his widow and sons." 

Dr S. O. Van der Poel married, at Irving- 
ton-oii-tiie-Hudson, October 20, 1880, Mary 
Louisa Halsted, who was born in New \ ork 
City. January 5, 1857, daughter of William 
Mills Halsted, who was born at New York 
City, August 30, 1827, died at 47 East Twenty- 
fifth street. New York City, February 28, 
1895, and married, at Elizabeth, New Jersey, 
February 20, 1851, Mary Louisa Haines, who 
was born at New York City, April 10, 1829, 
and died at 26 East Twenty-second street, 
New York City, January 17, 1883. William 
M. Halsted was the son of William Mills Hal- 
sted and Sarah Johnson. Mary Louisa Haines 
was the daughter of Richard Townley Haines 
and Maria Ward Johnson. 

Children of Dr. S. O. Van der Poel and 
Mary Louisa Halsted: i. Samuel Oakley, 
born in Albany, New York, August 22, 1881 
(see forward). 2. William Halsted, born in 
New York City, April 16, 1885 (see forward). 

(X) Samuel Oakley van der Poel, son of 
Dr. Samuel Oakley and Mary Louisa ( Hal- 
sted ) Van der Poel. was born in Albany. New 
York, .\ugust 22. 1881. He was a graduate' 
of Yale University, class of 1903. and there- 
after engaged in the banking business for 
three years. He then became a mining engi- 
neer, undertaking practical work in Colorado, 
with office at No. 30 Broad street. He was a 
member of Squadron A, National Guard New- 
York. He is a Republican, and attends the 
Episcopal church. He is a member of the 
following clubs and societies : Holland. St. 
Nicholas, University. Yale. Rockaway Hunt, 
New York Yacht. Alpha Delta Phi. Baltusrol 
Golf, Strollers, and Squadron A Club. His 
residence is at No. 10 West Eighth street. 
New York City. 

S. O. van der Poel Jr. married, at South- 
ampton. Long Island, September 16, 1905. 
Mildred Moore Barclay. She was born in 
New York City. December 23. 1887. daughter 
of Henry Anthony Barclay and Clara O. 
Wright, of Baltimore. Henry A. Barclay was 
born December 14, 1844, died at New York 
City. March 8, 1905. and was the son of Henry 
Barclay. i)orn April 3. 1794. died March 21. 
1S63, who married. Ajiril 13. 1842. Sarah 
Moore, who was born October 5. 1809, died 
September 3. 1873, daughter of Daniel Sack- 



ett Moore. Children: i. Mildred Barclay, 
born at Short Hills, New Jersey, August 5, 
1908. 2. Barbara Oldfield, born at New^ York, 
New York, May 22, 191 1. 3. Gertrude Schuy- 
ler, born at New York, New York, May 22, 
191 1. 

(X) William Halsted van der Poel, son of 
Dr. Samuel Oakley and Mary Louisa (Hal- 
sted) V'an der Poel, was born in New York 
City, April 16, 1885. He is a member of the 
St. Nicholas Society and of the Rockaway 
Hunt and Baltusrol Golf clubs. New York 
Yacht Club, Riding, Sleepy Hollow, Piping 
Rock, and served his enlistment in Squadron 
A. National Guard New York. He is a Re- 
publican, and member of the Episcopal church. 
His office is in the Forty-second Street Build- 
ing, and he resides at No. 830 Park avenue. 
New York City. 

William Halsted van der Poel married, in 
New York, New York, June 10, 1910. Blanche 
Pauline Billings. She was born in Chicago, 
Illinois, June 25, 1884, daughter of Cornelius 
K. G. Billings and Blanche Elizabeth McLeish. 
Issue: Halsted Billings, born at New York 
City. August n. 1912. 

(IX) Dr. John Van der Poel, son of Dr. 
Samuel Oakley and Gertrude Lansing (Wen- 
dell) V'an der Poel, was born in .Albany. New 
York. February 20, 1858. 

His preliminary education was obtained at 
private schools and at the .\lbany Boys Acad- 
emy. He graduated from Rutgers College 
with the class of 1878. and obtained the de- 
gree of M. D. from the College of Physicians 
and Surgeons, New York City (Columbia 
University) in 1881. He served as house sur- 
geon in the New York Hospital for eighteen 
months, as house physician in the Mount 
Sinai Hospital for six months, and followed 
up his post-graduate studies during the next 
two years at the Universities of Berlin, Leipsic 
and Vienna, during w^hich time he served as 
interne at the Dresden Lying-in Hospital for 
four months. Upon his return to America he 
practiced in New York City, and associated 
himself with the New York University Medi- 
cal College, from which he received the ap- 
pointment of lecturer on obstetrics in 1888. 
In 1896 he w-as appointed clinical lecturer in 
genito-urinary diseases at the same institution. 
which position he held for fourteen years, and 
during the last four years of this period served 
as assistant attending surgeon at Bellevue 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



177 



Hospital in this department. He is a member 
of the University, Century, New York Yacht, 
Riding, and Piping Rock clubs, as also the 
New York State Medical Society, New York 
County Medical Society, New York Academy 
of Medicine, American Association of Genito- 
urinary Surgeons, of which he was president 
in 1910: American Urological Association, and 
the "Association Internationale d'Urologie," 
of which he is at present American secretary. 
He resides at 56 West Fifty-second street, 
New York City. 

( Aaron \^an der Poel Line. ) 
(VII) Judge Aaron \'an der Poel was the 
sixth and last child of Isaac Van der Poel and 
Moyca Huyck. He was born in Kinderhook, 
Columbia county. New York, February 5, 
lyqg, and died in New York City, July 18, 
1870. 

In 181 1 he went to live with his older broth- 
er. Judge James Van der Poel, in the same 
village, and there began his classical studies, 
continuing them under Levi Gleason, a cele- 
brated teacher in his day. He took up the 
study of law in 1816 in his brother's office, 
and was admitted to the bar in 1820, at the 
time of his coming of age. Thereupon he 
formed a professional connection with his 
brother, the firm of young and energetic law- 
yers meeting with success. He took consid- 
erable interest in politics, and was active as a 
Democrat. In 1824 he was elected to the 
assembly, and again in 1828 and 1829. John 
Van Buren was at this time a student in his 
ofifice, and later married his niece. In 1832 he 
was elected to the twenty-third session of 
congress, and received endorsement of his ef- 
forts by re-election to the twenty-fourth and 
twenty-sixth, the years being 1832. 1834 and 
1838 that he served in Washington. This was 
during a period of unexampled interest and 
excitement, throughout which he was a firm 
supporter of the administration, having the 
full confidence of Presidents Andrew Jackson 
and Martin Van Buren, for of both of whom 
he was a warm personal as well as political 
friend, the latter president coming from his 
home town, Kinderhook. This can be verified 
more fully by reference to the files of the con- 
gressional debates. After his third congres- 
sional term he resumed the practice of law in 
New York, where his ability won for him high 
honor at the bar and great respect amongst 



his confreres. He was appointed a justice of 
the superior court of New York City in 1843, 
was re-elected in 1847, 'i''"^ served until Janu- 
ary I, 1850, in all for seven years. The first 
and second volumes of Sandford's Sup<Tior 
Court Reports contain many of his fipii ions 
and judgments. 

He was a member of the Dutch Refoimed 
church, as had been his ancestors for genera- 
tions back to the time of their coming ta this 
country ; but later was a member of St. 
George's Episcopal Church in New York City. 
He traveled abroad, following his marriage, 
and on returning built his home at No. 114 
East Sixteenth street. 

Judge Aaron Van der Poel married (first) 
September 3, 1821, Harriet Baldwin, who died 
in April, 1837, without issue. He married 
(second), April 2, 1839, Ellen McBride, who 
was born in New York City, August 14, 18 15, 
and died there December 26, 1891. She was 
the daughter of James McBride and Hannah 
Savage, the latter born in Spencertown, New 
York. Children, born in New York City: i. 
James McBride, born August 2, 1840, died 
there, December 27, i860. 2. John A., born 
August 22, 1842, died there, April 12, 1866 
(see forward). 3. Aaron Ernest, born Feb- 
ruary 20, 1846, died there, September 26, 
i8q8. 

(VIII) John A. Van der Poel. .son of Judge 
Aaron and Ellen (McBride) Van der Poel, 
was born in New York City, August 22, 1842, 
and died there, April 12, 1866. 

.•\lthough baptized "John", he wrote his 
name "John A.", in order to be distinguished 
from his cousin, bearing also simply the name 
of John, which was but the natural old-fash- 
ioned form of including the father's name to 
show whose son he was. It is unfortunate 
that his life was a short one, for by inheri- 
tance of intellectual power and his splendid 
education he was at the open door of a life 
full of promise. He received his early train- 
ing in the home of his parents and at the 
Charlier School in New York City, which at 
that time was famous as a private school and 
where many who later gained prominence in 
the metropolis acquired their preparatory edu- 
cation. He then went to the Chateau de Lan- 
cey, in Switzerland; followed that course with 
attendance at Columbia University, graduated 
there, then graduated at the Columbia Law 
School and was acquiring the practice of law 



1 



>/-« 



SOUTHERN NE\\' YORK 



in the office of his cousin, Aaron J. Van der 
Poel, at the time of his death. He was an 
Episcopahan. and throughout liis hte resided 
in New York City. 

fohn A. Van der Poel married, in New 
York City, May 22. 1865. Emily Caroline 
Noyes. She was horn in New York City. June 
zi. 1842. and in 1913 was residing at No. 22 
Cramercy Park, with summer residence at 
Litchfield, Connecticut. She is the daughter 
of William Curtis Noyes and Julia Flewwel- 
ling Tallmadge. She is a member of and 
much interested in the work of the Colonial 
Dames of America, of the Connecticut Daugh- 
ters of the American Revolution, and of the 
National Arts Society, being on the board of 
the latter organization. She studied art with 
R. Swain Gifford and William Sartain, and 
has written "Color Problems", and "The 
Chronicles of a Pioneer School". (This im- 
mediate line of the family use the name form 
of Vanderpoel). 

William Curtis Noyes was the son of 
George Noyes and Martha Curtis. He was 
born at Schodack. New York, August 19. 
1805. and died in New York City, December 
25, 1864. His line of descent traces through 
his father, George Noyes, son of William 
Noves and Elizabeth Gillct, who was the son 
of William Noyes and Sybil Whiting (through 
the latter to \\'illiam Pyncheon. John Alden, 
Governor William Bradford and others of 
the earliest New England families) ; who was 
the son of John Noyes and Mary Gallup; who 
was the son of Rev, James Noyes, one of the 
founders of Yale College, and Dorothy Stan- 
ton : who was the son of Rev. James Noyes 
and Sarah Brown, the last paternal ancestor 
named having been born in Choulderton, Wilt- 
shire, England, came to America in 1634, and 
settled in Newbury, Massachusetts. 

Mr. Noyes was one of the most successful 
lawyers of his times in New York City, and 
maintained prominence among professional 
and i)hiIantliroi)ic circles of the metropolis. 
He was a Republican, and active in the work 
of the Union League Club. He was of Pres- 
byterian faith, and was a trustee of the Uni- 
versity and Tenth Street Church, as well as 
one of the founders of the Church of the 
Coven.ant. both of New York City. Among 
other interests, he was first vice-president of 
the New York Law Institute; council of the 
University of the City of New York for many 



years; counsellor of the New York. New Ha- 
ven & Hartford railroad, also of the Pacific 
Mutual Insurance Company, and a member of 
the Century and Athenaeum clubs. 

His career began at the age of fourteen 
years with the study of law, and when twenty- 
two he was practicing in Rome, New York, 
continuing at Utica, and finally removing to 
the metropolis in 1838, where it was not long 
ere he became eminent among practitioners. 
His life was devoted to his profession. His 
management of the North American Trust 
cases ; his able exposition of the laws of 
"Charitable Uses" in the Rose will case, and 
his remarkable contest in what is known as 
the "Omnibus Suit" of the New York & New 
Haven Railroad against Schuyler atid others, 
were some of his {)romincnt cases. In the lat- 
ter, said the Hon. William M. Evarts at the 
meeting of the bar. "speaking literally, Mr. 
Noyes was on one side and all the rest of us 
(the bar) on the other." 

In the proceedings had before the New York 
Court of Appeals in memory of Mr. Noyes. 
as reported in Volume 32 of the New York 
Reports, page 10, the following tribute was 
paid to him : 

'His experience was various and extensive: his 
knowledge of the law and of its history exact and 
comprehensive; his apprehension of legal distinc- 
tions clear and precise, and he was thoroughly fur- 
nished for every trial of strength in those conflicts 
of the bar upon which the administration of justice 
most intimately depends. His public life was 
marked by integrity of character, firmness of pur- 
pose and adherence to principle. In his social 
walk, virtue and benevolence shed their radiance 
upon his way. * * * \Vc entertain great satisfac- 
tion and pride in the memory of his wonderful at- 
tainments as a legal scholar and thorough lawyer, 
the laborious hours he gave voluntarily in the serv- 
ice of the State in the discharge of his duty as a 
Commissioner of the Code, the munificent spirit ex- 
hibited in the complete and splendid libran,- he col- 
lected and freely opened to his brethren, the masterly 
skill and ability witb which he performed his part 
in the profcs,sion he adorned, and the lustre which 
he shed as a lawyer upon the Rar of New York. 
We recognize among the traits which ennobled his 
character his inflexible principle and rectitude of 
purpose, his truth as a man and his severity of 
conscience, all tempered by courtesy and illumined 
by the light of Christianity." 

He had a decided taste for general litera- 
ture, and collected a large library of law and 
miscellaneous books. The former he gave to 
Hamilton College, which had honored him 
with an LL.D. Descended from Puritan an- 



^^. . 




(ijUJ. UQ, UYcLAy^ 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



179 



cestry, Mr. Noyes inherited many of their 
virtues, was a consistent Presbyterian, and 
practiced his beHef. He was charitable as a 
habit, giving liberally to good objects and sup- 
porting a home missionary for years. He was 
on the charity board of the New England 
Society, of which he was made president just 
before his last illness. 

As his father had been a member of the so- 
called underground railroad, he imbibed as a 
boy an intense love of freedom. He served 
as a member of the Peace Commission which 
sat in Washington in 1861, and made efforts 
to avert civil war. When these were unsuc- 
cessful, he unstintedly gave time and money 
to support the government. He was early a 
member of the Union League Club. In 1857 
the legislature of New York appointed him, 
with Alexander Bradford and David Dudley 
Field, commissioners to prepare a civil code, 
Mr. Noyes taking the main charge of the 
Penal Code, which was about finished at the 
time of his death. 

William Curtis Noyes married (first) Anne 
Tracy, of Utica, New York. He married 
(second), at New York City, October 7, 1841, 
Julia Flewwelling Tallmadge, who was born 
in New York City, July 5, 1818, and died there 
March 9, 1899. She was the daughter of 
Frederick Augustus Tallmadge and Elizabeth 
Hannah Canfield, -of Sharon, Connecticut. 
The latter was the daughter of Judge Judson 
Canfield and Mabel Ruggles. Frederick A. 
Tallmadge was the son of Colonel Benjamin 
Tallmadge, head of the secret service under 
General Washington, and Mary Floyd, daugh- 
ter of William Floyd. Signer of the Declara- 
tion of Independence: who was the son of 
Rev. Benjamin Tallmadge and Susanna Smith, 
('f Long Island: who was the son of James 
Tallmadge and Hannah Harrison; son of John 
Tallmadge and Abigail Bishop ; son of Robert 
Tallmadge and Sarah Nash, the last-named 
paternal ancestor having come to America in 
164,^. from Newton .Stacy. England, was a 
planter in Connecticut, where he took the oath 
of fidelity in 1664. 

William Curtis Noyes and his wife, Anne 
Tracy, had four children, three dying when 
infants, and Rachel Tracy Noyes. their daugh- 
ter, born in L^tica, married Charles Edward 
Whitehead, died in New York City. The chil- 
dren of William Curtis Noyes and Julia Flew- 
welling Tallmadge were, born in New York 



City: I. Emily Caroline, born June 21, 1842; 
married John A. Van der Poel. 2. William 
Tracy, born in 1848, died when fourteen 
months old. 3. Mary Tallmadge, born in 1852, 
died in New York City, in 1856. 

(IX) John Arent Van der Poel, son of John 
A. and Emily Caroline (Noyes) Van der Poel, 
was born in New York City, June 4, 1866, 
and died in Boston, Massachusetts, January 
18, 1902. He received his early education in 
New York, followed by a special course at 
Rutgers College, New Brunswick, New Jer- 
sey. He resided in New York and Boston, in 
the former place joining the National Guard 
of New York State and becoming first lieuten- 
ant of the Twelfth Regiment. Passing his 
summers in Litchfield, Connecticut, in the 
home of his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Wil- 
liam Curtis Noyes, he built there in her honor, 
in 1900, the Noyes Memorial Building, a fire- 
proof structure, which houses a public library, 
an historical society, and a scientific associa- 
tion. 

John A. Van der Poel married, at Wash- 
ington, D. C, January 11, 1888, Elizabeth 
Crichton Battelle, who was born May 28, 1862, 
dau.ghter of Cornelius Battelle, of Sau.gerties, 
New York. Issue : Floyd Lewis, born at 
Saugerties, New York, October 16, 1892. 

(X) Floyd Lewis Van der Poel, son of 
John Arent and Elizabeth Crichton (Battelle) 
Van der Poel, was born at Saugerties, New 
York, October 16, 1892. He first attended 
school in England, the Choate School, in Wal- 
lingford, Connecticut, and is now engaged in 
electric manufacturing in Bantam. Connecti- 



Major George Washington Rains, 
RAINS an American soldier and chemist, 
was born in Craven county, North 
Carolina, in 1817, eighth child of Gabriel and 
Esther Rains. His early education was re- 
ceived at the Newbern Academy, in Craven 
county, and at an early age he went out to the 
Indian Territory, then a primitive wilderness 
inhabited only by savages, to join his broth- 
er. Lieutenant Gabriel J. Rains, at that time 
disbursing agent of the LTnited States in that 
district. Here he remained more than a year, 
and in returning to Alabama made a voyage 
of six hundred miles, in a dug-out, down the 
Arkansas river, from Fort Gibson to Little 



i8o 



SOUTIIERX NEW YORK 



Rock. Ill 1838 he entered West Point Acad- 
emy, and having a strong taste for mihtary 
life went through the different grades from 
corporal to first captain of cadets, with the 
highest credit. Me was first in scientific 
studies, and in summation of the whole ranked 
third in his class. He graduated in 1842. and 
having received his commission July ist of that 
year, as second lieutenant of engineers, he left 
West Point for Boston, where, serving under 
Colonel Thayer, he was engaged in the con- 
struction of Fort Warren, and it was here that 
Lieutenant Rains gained his practical experi- 
ence in engineering. Having, however, a pre- 
dilection for the parade and excitement of 
military life, the quiet and monotony of the 
engineer corps hecame irksome to him. and 
after a year's experience under Colonel Thay- 
er he resolved to apply for an exchange. Gen- 
eral Scott, who took a great interest in the 
cadets and often visited West Point, had seen 
and become acquainted with young Rains, and 
used his influence to obtain what had never 
been heard of in the army before, the wished- 
for exchange from a higher to a lower grade. 
Joining the Fourth .Artillery at Fortress Mon- 
roe, he reported to General Walbach then in 
command, a perfect soldier and the beau ideal 
of a bluff old officer. He remained with that 
regiment only about a year, when an assistant 
professor being required at West Point, Lieu- 
tenant Rains, by reason of his brilliant scien- 
tific record while at the Acadamy, was chosen 
to fill the position. Returning then to West 
Point in 1844, as one of the assistant profess- 
ors of chemistry, geology and mineralogv. he 
remained there until the outbreak of the Mex- 
ican war in 1846, when he applied to join his 
regiment, and embarked with it for Point 
Isabel, at the mouth of the Rio Grande, then 
the great depot of the army of Mexico. While 
stationed at Point Isabel in 1846. he was made 
acting assistant quartermaster and acting com- 
missary of subsistence, but tiring of the inac- 
tion r)f depot life he wrote to General Scott 
that he had left a fine position at West Point 
solely that he might be engaged in actual serv- 
ice, and begged the general to use his influ- 
ence to that end. In the meantime General 
Taylor had detailed him as bearer of dis- 
patches to the fleet at \'era Cruz. Quite un- 
expectedly General Scott with his staff arrived 
at the mouth of the Rio Grande, and sending 
for him told him that he was going to relieve 



him and take him into the field, and that he 
should supersede those of General Taylor. 
Accordingly, in January, 1847, '^^ sailed for 
Vera Cruz, and was the first American officer 
who entered that city. \\'hen he returned 
General Scott verbally appointed him his aide- 
de-camp, but (ieneral Pillow having applied 
for him. General Scott decided he must accept 
the latter appointment, and he remained on 
(ieneral Pillow's staff' during the campaign, 
that commenced with the seige of Vera Cruz, 
and until the battle of Cerro Gordo when Gen- 
eral Pillow was wounded and returned inval- 
ided to the United States. He then became 
aide to General Scott during (General Pillow's 
absence, and was with him during the march 
to and occupation of Puebla. 

On General Pillow's return. Lieutenant 
Rains rejoined him as aide-de-camp and par- 
ticipated in all the battles of the valley, receiv- 
ing his commission as first lieutenant of the 
Fourth Artillery in March, 1847, and as brevet 
captain for gallant conduct at the battle of 
Contreras and Cherubusco, on the 20th of 
.Xugust of the same year. For gallant conduct 
at the battle of Chapultepec, Captain Rains 
received his commission as brevet major, and 
after seven months' residence in Mexico re- 
turned with General Pillow to New Orleans. 
As the summer advanced they were ordered 
to Pascagoula, and after some weeks there 
were sent to Florida, the Indians having com- 
menced hostilities. His duties here consisted 
in making roads, constructing bridges and 
building forts, the Indians keeping concealed 
in the hammocks after their arrival and never 
appearing in the open field, so that no en- 
gagement took place. He remained for about 
eighteen months in the lower part of Florida, 
and in the neighborhood of the Everglades, 
when a treaty was made between General 
Twiggs and Bowlegs, King of the Seminoles. 
In 1830 he was ordered to Fort Hamilton, 
where he stayed only a year, and after this, 
with but short assignments of duty at each 
post he was ordered in succession to Forts 
Columbus and Mackinaw, back a.gain to Bos- 
ton Harbor, and then once more to Fort Co- 
lumbus. In i8,S5 he was made commandant 
of recruits at Governor's Island, and it was 
while holding this position that he was mar- 
ried to Frances Josephine Ramsdell. .Xjiril 2,^. 
1856. In October of this year he resigned 
from the army and went to Newburg to live. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



where he became president and part owner of 
the Washington Iron Works in that city. 

In 1861, being a son of the south, he re- 
ported for duty to Mr. Jefferson Davis, who, 
knowing his scientific attainments and being 
urgently in need of an officer to take charge 
of the manufacture of ammunition, persuaded 
liim to accept that position. He was accord- 
ingly placed at once on special duty in the 
ordnance department and commissioned July 
10, 1 861. Gunpowder was most urgently 
needed. Carte blanche was given him as to 
choice of location, and nature of plant neces- 
sary for its manufacture, and the result was 
eminently satisfactory. By various energetic 
measures the troops were temporarily sup- 
plied, pending the erection of the Confederate 
Powder Works, and this in the face of almost 
insurmountable difficulties, with but primitive 
appliances many of them improvised for tlie 
occasion, and everything to be commenced de 
novo. In seven short months was erected, suf- 
ficiently for operation, at Augusta, Georgia, 
the largest and most complete powder manu- 
factory ever seen on this continent at that 
time. 

Colonel Rains had also charge of the arsenal 
at Augusta, Georgia, from which small arms 
and ammunition were turned out in great 
quantities, as well as the foundry and ma- 
chine shop, from which twelve-pound Na- 
poleon guns were made, and shells, hand- 
grenades and torpedoes in large quantities. 
Nothing could have better illustrated the com- 
bination of great scientific knowledge with 
marvelous ingenuity in the overcoming of me- 
chanical difficulties. In 1865 he was promoted 
to tiie rank of brigadier-general. After the 
termination of the war, in November, 1866, 
he became professor of chemistry in tlie med- 
ical department of the University of Georgia, 
and from it he received the degree of M.D., 
March i, 1867. The university conferred 
upon him the degree of LL.D., June 13, 1880. 
He was dean of the Medical College until 
1884, when he resigned that position, but re- 
mained a member of the faculty until March, 
1894, when he retired from active life, and 
upon his resignation he was made a professor 
emeritus. While living in Augusta he thor- 
oughly identified himself with the interests of 
that city and took an active part in all things 
pertaining to her welfare. 

He largely contributed to scientific litera- 



ture, his contributions being scattered through 
various periodicals. Among his notable pub- 
lications are: "Steam Portable Engines" 
(i860); "Rudimentary Course of Analytical 
and Applied Chemistry" (1872); "Chemical 
Qualitative Analysis" (1879) ; and "A History 
of the Confederate Powder Works" (1882). 
He was a born instructor of youth, having a 
clear perception of what he taught, and a 
magic way of imparting knowledge to others. 

General Rains possessed remarkable origi- 
nality of mind with great perceptive and in- 
ventive powers : an omnivorous reader, he kept 
well abreast of the times in all departments 
of scientific knowledge, and in his bold, phil- 
osophic deductions from the most recent sci- 
entific discoveries was far in advance of his 
time. Modest and simple, it seemed almost 
strange that so much gentleness and simplicity 
of manner could be associated with so much 
ability in so many directions and with such 
great practical energy. With a mind of the 
highest culture, polished manners and fasci- 
nating address, he was a great favorite in the 
social circle, where his high sense of honor, 
sound practical sense, generous nature and 
sterling worth endeared him to a host of warm 
personal friends. 

He married, April 23, 1856, Frances J., 
daughter of Homer Ramsdell, of Newburg, 
New York (see Ramsdell VHI). Major Rains 
died at Newburg, March 21, 1898. 

(The Ramsdell Line.) 
It is difificult to determine to what extent the 
descendants of the pioneers of New England 
are indebted to the political condition that ob- 
tained in the mother country during the period 
of the settlement of the colonies now constitut- 
ing the New England states. There is no 
doubt that the intolerant attitude of the Brit- 
ish government toward the Puritans drove to 
these shores a class of settlers far superior to 
what might, and probably would have come 
hither, if they had not been oppressed at 
home. The intolerance of the Puritans in 
New England drove those of the Baptist faith 
and the Quakers to settle in remote localities, 
so that records on the early generations of 
this family have been difificult to obtain. The 
ancestor of the Ramsdells, a sturdy character, 
came to Massachusetts in the first century of 
colonization. His descendants are not numer- 
ous, but they have numbered among them 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



many good men and some leaders. They have 
taken part in tlie great events that have oc- 
curred in more than two centuries. They were 
patriots in the revolution and furnished their 
full quota of fighting men. One of the name 
fell at the battle of Lexington at the very 
outset of the rexolution. From Massachusetts 
the familv has spread into many states, where 
the position of its members is a very honorable 
one. 

(I) Joseph Ramsdell, or as it was often 
spelled on the old records Ramsden, was born 
in England, probably about 1620, and was an 
early settler in Plymouth. His name first ap- 
pears on the records of Plymouth as owner 
of land planted on shares in 1641, and was 
on the list of Plymouth men able to bear arms 
in 1O43. He married (first) March, 1645, 
Rachel Eaton, born 1625, daughter of Francis 
Eaton. He married (second) October 16, 
1661, Mary Savory. The only child named on 
the records and the only one known to gene- 
alogists is Daniel, mentioned below. 

(Hj Daniel, only child known of Joseph 
Ramsdell, was born September 14, 1649, at 
Plymouth, Massachusetts. His name appears 
on the Plymouth records again in 1665. His 
wife bore the name of Sarah. The children 
of Daniel Ramsdell, so far as known, were: 
Thomas, mentioned below ; Samuel, born 
1689-90; Joseph, 1693; Benjamin, 1699; Han- 
nah, 1700. 

(HI ) Thomas, son of Daniel Ramsdell, was 
born about 1680 in the Plymouth colony. He 
and his brother Samuel settled in Scituate, in 
that part that was set off as Hanover, in 171 1 
or 1712. The records of Scituate show that 
Thomas Ramsdell married, March 23, 1703, 
Sarah, whose surname is not given. She was 
born about 1682, died in Hanover, in 1773. at 
the advanced age of ninety-one years. Pie 
died at Hanover, September 16, 1727, a com- 
l)aratively young man. He resided from 1706 
to 1 710 in Pembroke, Massachusetts, where 
the births of three children are recorded, 
namely: Mary, May 9, 1706; Joseph, men- 
tioned below; Jeremiah, July 28, 1710. The 
children of Thomas and Sarah Ramsdell re- 
corded at Hanover were: Gideon, born Sep- 
tember 13, 1712; Sarah, July 12. 1715; Mercy, 
November 5, 1717, married. March 9, 1738. 
Pcleg Stetson; Lydia, September 5, 171^9; 
i:iizabeth, married, 1747, Ebenezer Curtis; 



Grace, 1725, married, 1744, .Vdam Prouty ; 
Thomas. 

(IV) Joseph (2), eldest son of Thomas and 
Sarah Ramsdell, was born May 29, 170S, in 
Pembroke, Massachusetts, died in llanover, 
August 22, 1787, in his eightieth year. He 
lived during his active life on a farm in that 
ICiWn, antl was admitted to the Hanover 
church. May 4, 1729. He married (first) in 
Hanover, April 23, 1730, Mary Homer, who 
died June 1, 1754. She was admitted to the 
Hanover church, July 6, 1740. Children of 
Joseph and Mary Ramsdell: Mary, born Jan- 
uary 6, 1731. married, 1748, William Whiting; 
Avis, born July 14, 1732, died December 28, 
1740; i'riscilla. baptized September 8, 1734, 
married, December 25, 1755, Isaac Prouty; 
Nehemiah, born November 13, 1734, married, 
December 29, 1757. Rebecca Chamberlain, and 
settled in Connecticut ; Thomas, born October 
3, 1736, died March 13, 1757; Joseph, born 
April 25, 1739, died April 6, 1740; Avis, born 
1741, baptized March 29, 1741, married, De- 
cember 24, 1761, Joshua Dwelley; Joseph, 
mentioned below; Japhet, born August 22, 
1745, died June 19, 1750; Sarah, bom April 19, 
1749, married, January 13, 1774, Oliver Pool. 
He married (second), November 2, 1755, 
Mercy Prior, who died July 20, 1766. Chil- 
dren of Joseph and Mercy Ramsdell were: 
Mercy, born April 28, 1757. married, Novem- 
ber 4, 1778, Ralph Estes; Lydia, born 1759. 
baptized August 26, 1759, married, November 
6, 1 791, Samuel Whitcomb. 

(V) Joseph (3), fourth son of Joseph 
(2) and Mary (Homer) Ramsdell, was 
born July 3, 1743, in Hanover Massa- 
chusetts, died August 5. 18 17, in that town. 
He bought or received a grant of land 
in Western (now Warren), where two of 
his sons settled in 1880. He was a 
soldier of the revolution in Captain Amos 
Turner's company. Colonel John Cushing's 
regiment (the Second Plymouth) in 1776. 
He married (first) in Pembroke, February 1. 
1770, Elizabeth Barker, born February 5, 
1743, in Hanover, daughter of Robert and 
Hannah Barker, died June 19. 1786. He mar- 
ried (second). May 17, 1787, Elizabeth Ellis, 
born July i, 1752, in Hanover, daughter of 
Mordecai and Sarah (Otis) Ellis, died Octo- 
ber 20, i8n. Children, all of first marriage: 
Mary, born Julv 20. 1771. married, Julv 20, 
1789, Nathaniel' Ellis ; Priscilla, born March 



SOUTHERx\ NEW YORK 



183 



18, 1773, died July 24, 1774; Joseph, men- 
tioned below; Priscilla, born July 7, 1776, died 
October 17, 1777; Barker, baptized June 13, 
1779; Homer, born 1781. 

(VI) Joseph (4), eldest son of Joseph (3) 
and Elizabeth (Barker) Ramsdell, was born 
September 10, 1775, in Hanover, Massachu- 
setts, settled in Warren about 1800, where he 
died August 5, 181 7. He married, in Han- 
over, February 3, 1800, Ruth Stockbridge, 
born November 8, 1777, recorded in Warren, 
daughter of William and Ruth ( Bailey ) 
Stockbridge, of Hanover, a descendant of John 
Stockbridge, who was among the passengers 
on the ship "'Blessing," which came from Eng- 
land to Massachusetts in 1635. His son, 
Charles Stockbridge, born in England in 1634 
was a wheelwright, resided in Boston, and 
died in 1683 in Scituate, Massachusetts. His 
wife, Abigail, afterward married Amos Tur- 
ner. Her son, Joseph Stockbridge, born June 
28, 1672, died 1773, married Mary Turner. 
David, son of Joseph and Mary Stockbridge, 
born 1713, in Hanover, died 1788, married 
(second) Jane Reed, and they were the par- 
ents of William Stockbridge, born December 
20, 1752, died 1831. He married, October 9, 
1774. Ruth, daughter of John Bailey, and they 
were the parents of Ruth Stockbridge, who 
became the wife of Joseph (4) Ramsdell. 
Their children recorded in Hanover were : 
Joseph, born October 21, 1800; Mary, October 
16, 1803; Homer, mentioned below. They had 
no children recorded in Warren. 

(VH) Homer, second son of Joseph (4) 
and Ruth (Stockbridge) Ramsdell, was born 
August 12, 1 8 10, his descendants say in War- 
ren, Massachusetts, but no record of his birth 
appears in that town. He died at Newburg, 
New York, February 13, 1894. He received 
an academic education, and as a youth went 
to New York City, where he became clerk in 
a dry goods store. In 1832 he became head 
of the firm of Ramsdell & Brown, of that city, 
being only twenty-two years of age when he 
established a large business, dealing in silks, 
laces, fancy and white goods. While on his 
vacation in June, 1834. making a tour on the 
Erie canal, he met his future wife, daughter 
of Thomas Powell. He continued in business 
in New York imtil 1840. when inducements 
were offered to him to remove to Newburg. 
there to superintend the many interests of Mr. 
Powell. In 1844 Mr. Ramsdell became a mem- 



ber of the firm of Thomas Powell & Com- 
pany, and was largely the administrator of 
Mr. Powell's affairs both before and after his 
death in 1856. Mr. Ramsdell continued the 
enterprises in which they were both interested 
and extended them, or widened their scope, as 
conditions changed. On February i, 1865, he 
purchased the dock property and barge of B. 
Carpenter & Company and consolidated the 
business of that firm with that of Homer 
Ramsdell & Company. In 1845 ^^^ New York 
& Erie railroad, having defaulted in paying its 
dividends, a sale of foreclosure seemed inevi- 
table. Then Newburg came to the rescue and 
Mr. Ramsdell, for services rendered in pro- 
curing subscriptions, was made a member of 
the board of directors. In 1854 he brought to 
bear influences which induced the Erie rail- 
road to build a branch to the city of Newburg. 
He subscribed heavily to the stock, and 
through his instrumentality all the money 
needed for construction was advanced. With 
the exception of a brief interval he continued 
to be a director of that company until 1884. 
He was an active advocate of the plan to 
change the gauge from broad to the present 
standard gauge. Had the policy of the rail- 
road been guided by his judgment, the cost 
at that time would probably not have exceeded 
seventy-five thousand, and when it was ulti- 
mately made thirty years later, it cost nearly 
seven millions. He was among those who bol- 
stered the credit of the company by large pur- 
chases of stock at public sales ; encouraged the 
contractors, and secured the final completion 
of the line to Dunkirk. In 1853 he was elected 
president of the company, a difficult position, 
which called for large financial and executive 
ability, and those who trusted in him were 
not disappointed. It was his influence that 
secured a proper terminal for the railroad at 
Jersey City. He purchased this property tor 
about a million dollars, solely on his own ac- 
count, taking title and keeping the negotiations 
unknown from all, save three personal friends 
in the board of directors, until the negotia- 
tions were completed. It was through his in- 
fluence that the restrictions on terminals for 
the road within the state was removed, and a 
connection by way of Paterson with Jersey 
City made. Previously the road had sufTercd 
many hardships in winter because of the fcol- 
ish restrictions made by state pride that hotli 
termini should be within the state. The ice 



1 84 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



at Piermont made winter operation a difficult 
and unprotitable matter. Another idea origi- 
nated by iMr. Ramsdell was the construction 
of the Hawley branch of the Erie in Pennsyl- 
vania, connecting with the railroads of the 
Pennsylvania Coal Company, and adding im- 
mensely to the volume of business on the 
Erie line. He was also influential in promot- 
ing the construction of the short cut of the 
Erie between Vail's Gate on the Newburg 
branch and Arden on the main line. He re- 
signed the presidency of the Erie in 1857, and 
was made receiver of the road in 1876. Dur- 
ing all his activities on the part of the com- 
pany he never accepted any fee, commission 
or other reward for the large sums of money 
which he advanced, or for his endorsement or 
other financial assistance beyond the legal rate 
of interest. He originated the plan of car 
trusts by which the equipment of the road was 
several times increased, when the road was 
in urgent need of rolling stock. In 1886 he 
])laced upon the Hudson two fast steamers, 
the "Newburg" and the "Homer Ramsdell," 
affording express freight accommodations be- 
tween his home city and New York, having 
previously by purchase and consolidation 
added other neighboring lines, embracing not 
only those of Newburg, but also Poughkeepsie 
an(l Fishkill, in Dutchess county, and High- 
land, in Ulster county. 

For a number of years, beginning in i86o, 
he was president of the Washington Iron 
Works Company of Newburg, whose pay roll 
in 1865 amounted to seven hundred thousand 
dollars per year. Mr. Ramsdell was vice- 
president and director of a company formed 
in 1844 which erected the Newburg Steam 
Mills, giving employment to hundreds of ]ieo- 
ple. He was a member of the first board of 
directors of the Newburg Gas Light Com- 
l>any, organized in 185 1, and was president of 
a company formed in 1850, which built and 
operated the Newburg and EUenville plank 
road. With many other interests of the town 
he was actively identified and contributed to 
every elevating movement of his day. From 
1841 to 1851 he was a member of the board 
of village trustees, and again from 1861 to 
i86;. In t86i he was president of the village. 
Originally a Whig in politics, on the dissolu- 
tion of that narfy he became a Democrat. In 
religion he affiliated with the Episcop.Tl church, 
and for many years was senior warden of St. 



George's church. He Wcx= a leading spirit in 
the construction of the Church of the Good 
.Sliepherd. As his years advanced he resigned 
the details of his business to his sons, but 
continued to take an interest in affairs until 
failing eyesight made his visits to his office 
less frequent. His last days were spent 
quietly. The important news of the day was 
read to him and he kept largely in touch with 
passing events. A stroke of paralysis four 
days before his death brought the end. He 
was a central figure in the business and social 
life of Newburg for many years and was 
eminent among the business men of the state, 
a leader in every line of finance and commerce 
to which he turned his attention. In appear- 
ance he was handsome and commanding, with 
elegant manners and rare diplomacy. "As 
courteous as Homer Ramsdell" was a standard 
often laid before the youths of the community. 
With great foresight Mr. Ramsdell saw far 
into the future and made men do his will when 
unconscious of his purpose. A man of de- 
tail, he laid his plans like a general. Though 
possessed of wealth, he preferred a life of 
business activity to one of ease, and delighted 
in liaiulling large affairs. \Vith great breadth 
of intellect, he could grasp large matters and 
see every detail and understand what related 
to them. He planned the construction of the 
Erie railroad to Jersey City when other men 
of the time considered Piermont as its neces- 
sary terminus. To the interests of the com- 
munity he a])])lied the same foresight and wide 
knowledge of affairs which guided the manage- 
men of his own interests. It is said of him 
liy a writer in the Newburg Daily Neics that 
"The man has never lived who has done so 
nuich for Newburg as Homer Ramsdell." The 
same writer says : "With all his courtesy, gen- 
erosity and friendliness, he was a man of iron 
will, of firm determination and strict business 
jM-inciples. The man who did not deal hon- 
estly with him was made to feel that his vel- 
vet glove covered a hand of steel. His cool- 
ness under trying circumstances, his rare 
diplomacy when he found himself matched 
against strong men who were trying to out- 
general him have been often the subject of 
remark. Jim Fisk once said that Homer 
Ramsdell could carry more eggs in his arms 
without breaking any than any other man he 
knew. A homely expression, but it expresses 
the idea aright." 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



185 



He married, June 16, 1835, Frances Eliz- 
aljeth, daughter of Thomas and Mary (Lud- 
low) Powell, of Newburg (see Powell V)- 
Children: i. Mary L. Powell, died in her 
sixth year. 2. Frances Josephine, mentioned 
below. 3. Thomas Powell, born May 13, 1840, 
died December 5, 189 — , in Newburg. 4. James 
A. Powell, mentioned below. 5. Henry Powell, 
mentioned below. 6. Homer Stockbridge, born 
December 14, 1851 ; married Maud Cabell 
Clarkson and has four children. 7. Lelia 
Rains, born July 8, 1856. 

(Vni) Frances Josephine, eldest surviving 
daughter of Homer and Frances E. (Powell) 
Ramsdell. was born May 21, 1838, in New- 
burg, and became the wife of Major George 
W. Rains of the Fourth United States Artil- 
lery (see Rains). 

( VHl ) James A. Powell, second son of 
Homer and Frances Elizabeth ( Powell ) 
Ramsdell, was born March 9, 1842, in New- 
burg, where he has always resided. He at- 
tended school until 1857, when at the age of 
fifteen years he began working in his father's 
warehouse and is now one of the three trus- 
tees of the Ramsdell estate in Newburg. He 
married Fannie, daughter of John J. Van 
Ostrand, of Brooklyn, New York. 

(VHI) Henry Powell, third son of Homer 
and Frances Elizabeth (Powell) Ramsdell, 
was born May 3, 1844, in Newburg. He was 
educated in private schools and Mt. Pleasant 
Military Academy, at Ossining, New York. On 
leaving school he entered the employ of the 
Washington Iron W'orks at Newburg as a 
clerk. Soon after this he became a soldier 
in the civil war. When Colonel A. Van Horn 
Ellis was gpthering the One Hundred and 
Twenty-fourth Regiment New York Volun- 
teers, Henry P. Ramsdell recruited a company, 
afterwards known as Company C, with which 
he went out as second lieutenant. He was 
subsequently promoted successively to first 
lieutenant and captain, and at the end of two 
years' service resigned on accoimt of ill health 
(see history of One Hundred and Twenty- 
fourth New York \'olunteer Regiment). Re- 
turning to Newburg he resumed connection 
with the Washington Iron Works and went to 
Titusville, Pennsylvania, as a salesman in its 
employ. In 1868 he became a clerk in the 
wholesale grocery house of Garbutte. Gri?o-5 
K- Company, in New York City, where he 
continued about two years. In February, 1870. 



he engaged w^ith George W. Severns, a paper 
manufacturer, of Salisbury Mills, New York, 
which concern failed in April following. Mr. 
Ramsdell then purchased this paper mill prop- 
erty and conducted business under the name 
of the Arlington Paper Company until Febru- 
ary I, 1912, when he sold out to the Holdcn 
interests and retired from active life. He is 
a member of the City and Powellton clubs of 
Newburg; of the Union League, Arkwright, 
Athletic and City Lunch clubs of New York 
City. He is also affiliated with the order of 
Free Masons and the Benevolent and Pro- 
tective Order of Elks, and the Elks' Club of 
Newburg. He is an Episcopalian. He mar- 
ried Adele Livingston Voorhees and has one 
daughter. 

(The Powell Line.) 

This name is of Welsh origin and was 
originally Ap Howell, being gradually con- 
tracted to Powell. The early seat of the fam- 
ily was in Brechonshire, South Wales, where 
is now the town of Breconshire. It has been 
largely represented in the professions, but 
most of its bearers have been engaged in agri- 
culture. A\'herever found, people of this name 
are noted for their industry, thrift and kind, 
obliging dispositions. It was brought to this 
country by a Quaker family, which has been 
conspicuous on Long Island from a very early 
period. Happily the English system of keep- 
ing records obtained to a large extent among 
the English immigrants on Long Island, so 
that something can be learned about this fam- 
ily. 

(I) Thomas Powell was born in \\ ales. 
Great Britain, October, 1641, died at West- 
bury, Long Island, December 28, 1721. He 
was one of the purchasers and patentees of 
Huntington, Long Island, in 1664, and was a 
man of means and prominence. He purchased, 
August 18, 1695, from "Mawmee, alias Sere- 
wanus, William Chepy and all ye rest of ye 
Indian proprietors" for and in consideration 
of one hundred and forty pounds, the tract 
of land on which the village of Rethpage is 
now situated. Patents were issued for these 
purchases by Governor Dongan to Thomas 
Powell in 1664 and 1695. The latter pur- 
chase became the family seat. Thomas (2) 
settling thereon the same year. Huntington 
records show that he was frequently elected 
to fill important positions in the township, the 
first of which appears to have been in 1663. 



i86 



SOUTHERX XEW YORK 



when at the age of twenty-two years he was 
made recorder, which office he held for about 
twenty years ; in 1667 he was made constable. 
"Every constable shall have a stafif six feet 
long with the king's arms on it, as a badge 
of his authority." He was appointed sur- 
veyor in 1679, to lay out land in the East Rid- 
ing and overseer in 1672. He was again 
chosen constable in 1682, but refused to serve, 
being "scrupulous of swearing as the law 
directs." The constable had to sw^ear to levy 
and collect the church rates. After the year 
K)S8. at which time he was surveyor, he was 
more engaged with appointments in Friends' 
Meetings than public business. He attended 
the monthly meetings which were held alter- 
nately at Jericho and Westbury. The last 
mention of his name on the records was in 
this wise: "28-12 mo. 1721 died Thomas 
Powell Senr.. being well respected as a worthy 
Friend, and died in Unity with Friends." 

His first wife was unknown. Children: i. 
Thomas, mentioned below. 2. Abigail, born 
April 18. 1668, died February 9, 1757; mar- 
ried Richard Willits, March 15, 1690, at 
Huntington, Long Island. 3. Elizabeth, mar- 
ried, June 9, 1691, at Bethpage, Samuel Titus; 
siie died September 2. 1704. 4. John, mar- 
ried, October, 1704, Margaret Hallock ; he 

died 1738. 5. Jonas, married Anna . 

f). Caleb, married Sarah ; he died in 1741. 

7. Wait, died 1750. 8. Elisha. married 

Rebecca ; he died 1734. Thomas 

Powell married (second) Elizabeth Phillips, 
of Jericho. Long Island, February 9, 1690 (at 
F.flmuiui Titus' in Westbury). Children: Q-. 
Hannah, born May 28. 1691 ; married. 1712. at 
Hetlipage. William \\'illis. 10. Phoebe, born 
( )itolit.T <>. i'»)3. <lied 1751 ; married, 1712 at 
Ik'thpagc. Henry Willis. 11. Rachel, married, 
in 1719. Thomas Willets. 12. Mercy, born 
1702. died March 13, 1759; married, 1726. 
Jacob .Seaman. 13. Solomon, married, 1730, 
Ruth Carman; he died February 23, 1736. 14. 
Sarah, married, 1722. Nathaniel Seaman. 15. 
Amy. Elizabeth Phillips, second wife of 
Thomas Powell, was the daughter of John 
Townsend and widow of Theophilus Phillips, 
of Flushing. 

(H) Thomas (2). son of Thomas (1) 
Powell, was born in Wales. Great Britain, 
died at Bethpage, Long Island, September 27, 
1731. His iiome was the first white man's 
house built in that vicinity, although there 



were many Indian wigwams in the neighbor- 
hood. In 1727 Friends' Meetings were held 
once a month, in first days, at his house, and 
in 1744 a meeting house was built. In his will 
he left his son Thomas four acres of land ami 
the hou.se that stands upon it. "My father's 
homestead," more than any other of the sons. 
He married Mary, daughter of Thomas Wil- 
lets, of Jericho, Long Island, and Dinah 
Townsend, his wife. Children, i. Samuel 
Prior, born 1692, died May 21, 1776. 2. 
Thomas, born May 30, 1693, died March i. 
1757; married. December. 1724. Abigail Hal- 
lock. 3. Mary, born November 4, 1694. died 
February, 1695. 4. Abigail, born December 
'.3' i^'QS; rnarried. 1733, Peter Hallock. 5. 
Mary, born March 16. 1697. 6. Wail, born 
September 29, 1698, died in 1782; married. 
January 15, 1723, Mary Mudge. 7. Amos, 
of Islip, born May 9. 1700, died January 14, 
1749; in the year 1747 he accompanied John 
Woolman through Connecticut, when Wool- 
man was on a religious visit to New England. 
8. Moses, born May 4, 1702. died 1774. 9. 
Richard, mentioned below. 10. Elizabeth, born 
October 11, 1705. 11. Hannah, born July 18, 
1707, died 1790; married Henry Whitson. 
bom 1705. 12. Joshua, born May 18. 1709; 
married Phoebe, daughter of Richard Post. 
13. Isaac, born April. 1711. died 1794: mar- 
ried, January 2. 1733. Martha Whitman. 14. 
Martha, born June 29. 17 13, died March 24. 
1773; married Francis Keen. 15. Deborah, 
born October 28. 1715; married. 1744, John 
Whitson. 

(HI) Richard, sixth son of Thomas (2) 
and Mary (Willets) Powell, was born April 
17, 1704, and lived near Mannatt's Hill, at 
Bethpage, where he died May 7. 1774. He 
married (first), in 1737. Freclove, daughter 
of Henry and Susannah (Ailing) Weeks, who 
died before 1748. He married (second) Sep- 
tember 28, 1748, Jerusha Weeks, born Lewis, 
widow of Robert Weeks, a brother of his first 
wife. He had sons of the first marriage: 
Henry, mentioned below, and Richard, and a 
son. Silas, of the second marriage. 

(IV) Henry, eldest son of Richard and 
Freelove (Weeks) Powell, was born 1741, at 
Bethpage. and was drowned ofl" Shelter Island 
ferry in 1781. He was a Quaker, but abetted 
the American forces during the revolutionary 
war and for this his land was confiscated by 
the British authorities and he was put in 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



X87 



prison. He married, December 19, 1762, at 
bt. George's church, Hempstead, his cousin, 
Mary, daughter of Francis and Martha 
(Powell) Keene. Children: Freelove, mar- 
ried Jacob Parish; Jacob; Thomas, mentioned 
below ; Martha, married Benjamin Townsend ; 
Eliza, married William Seymour. 

(V) Thomas (3), second son of Henry and 
Mary (Keene) Powell, was born February 21, 
1769. He resided first at Hempstead, and set- 
tled in Orange county. New York, and was 
town collector of Marlboro, whence he re- 
moved to Newburg, where he was prominent 
in business and especially in transportation. 
He built the steamboat "Highlander," which 
was well known on the Hudson in the early 
part of the nineteenth century, and later built 
the "Thomas Powell." the fastest boat on the 
water at that time. He engaged largely in 
the mercantile business with his brother Jacob 
at Newburg, and they were also engaged in 
loaning money and exporting goods during the 
war of 1812. Thomas Powell was intensely 
patriotic and widely known for his upright- 
ness as a merchant and business man. He 
died May 12, 1856. He married, March i, 
1802, Mary Ludlow, of Newburg, daughter 
of Robert Crommelin and Elizabeth (Con- 
kling) Ludlow, of Newburg (see Ludlow 
Vni). Children: Henry, Robert, James 
Augustus, Jacob, Frances Elizabeth. The last 
named being the wife of Homer Ramsdell (see 
Ramsdell VH). 

(The Ludlow Line.) 

(I) George Ludlow, of Hill Deverill, high 
sheriff for Wilts, 1567; married Edith, daugh- 
ter of Andrew, Lord Windsor of Stanwell. 
Middlesex. Children : Edmund ; Thomas, 
mentioned below. 

(H) Thomas, son of George Ludlow, of 
Dinton and Bayclift'e, died November, 1607. 
He married Jane, sister of Sir Gabriel Pyle, 
of Bapton. Children: Gabriel ;• Roger, after- 
ward lieutenant-governor of Massachusetts 
and Connecticut ; Thomas, mentioned below ; 
George, afterward colonel, who died in 1657 
at Jamestown, Virginia. 

(HI) Thomas (2), son of Thomas (i) 
Ludlow, baptized at Baverstock, March 3. 
1593; married at Warminster, February 15. 
1624, Jane Bennett of Steeple Ashton. Chil- 
dren ; Thomas ; Gabriel, mentioned below. 

(IV) Gabriel, son of Thomas (2) Ludlow. 



of Fromme, was baptized at Warminster, Au- 
gust 27, 1634; died 1690. He married Mar- 
tha . Among their children was Gabriel 

mentioned below. 

(V) Gabriel (2), son of Gabriel (i) Lud- 
low, of New York, born November 2, 1663. 
at Castle Gary ; arrived in New York, Novem- 
ber 24, 1694. He married, April 5, i&jy, 
Sarah, daughter of Rev. Joseph Hanmer, 
D. D., chaplain of the British forces. They 
had twelve children, whose blood flows in 
many of the older families of the province 
and state of New York. Their second son 
was Gabriel, mentioned below. 

(VI) (iabriel (3), son of Gabriel (2) I ud- 
low, was born in the city of New York, 
where he married (first) Frances Duncnn, 
and through this marriage are descended the 
Livingston Ludlows, the Verplancks, the 
Dashwoods and the Carrolls of New York. 
He married (second) Elizabeth, daughter of 
Daniel Crommelin, one of the proprietors of 
the Wawayanda patent in Orange county. 
Among their children was Robert Cromnielin, 
mentioned below. 

(VII) Robert Crommelin, son of Gabriel 
(3) Ludlow, was born in New York, and iti 
1796 settled in Newburg, intending to engage 
in the mercantile business, but fell a victim to 
consumption in the vigorous years of man- 
hood. He married, in 1781, Elizabeth Conk- 
ling, by whom he had three sons and four 
daughters. 

(VIII) Mary, eldest daughter of Robert 
Crommelin Ludlow, became the wife of 
Thomas Powell (see Powell V). 



This old Dutch name has 
nURL.'\ND many spellings among the 

descendants, such as Dor- 
land, Dorlin and numerous other forms. It 
has been conspicuous in the settlement of va- 
rious districts in New York, and chieflv iden- 
tified for many generations with agriculture 
and mechanic arts. In recent generations it has 
been largely connected with mercantile and 
professional life. 

(I) Jan Gerretse Dorlandt, born about 
1625-7, came from Holland in 1632 and set- 
tled in the village of Brooklyn. His first resi- 
dence was near the Fulton street ferry, and 
he removed later to the village of Bedford, in 
Brooklyn township, where he was residing in 
1657. He had a farm of forty acres at the 



i88 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



east end of Bedford, adjoining what is now 
Fulton street. His name is on the assessment 
roll of Brooklyn township in 1675, and on 
April 6, 1677, he purchased meadow lot No. 18 
in Flatbush. ' In a list of taxpayers in 1683 
his property is valued at eighty-three pounds, 
including four horses and nine head of neat 
cattle of various ages, and a poll, eighteen 
pounds. In 1687 he subscribed to the oath of 
allegiance to the English government, and in 
that year was elected town commissioner of 
Brooklyn, continuing to fill that office, which 
wa.'i equivalent to the modern town supervisor, 
until 1701 or later. In 1699 he was collector 
of Brooklyn, and was living in 171 1. The 
name of his first wife is unknown, but he was 
married before 1655, when a son was born. 
The mother died between 1663 and 1666. He 
married (second) in 1667, Anna Remsen, 
daughter of Rem Jansen Vandcrbeeck and 
Jannetji Rapalie. Both were members of the 
Reformed Dutch church of Brooklyn in 1677. 
and in 171 1 he was an elder of this church, 
where several of his children were baptized. 
They included : Gerret Gerretsc. of whom 
further; Elias ; Samuel; Christina; Gertrude: 
Rem; Mary; Anna; Elsie; John 

(II) Gerret Gerretse Durland, son of Jan 
Gerretse Dorlandt. was born in 1655 in Brook- 
lyn, died in Flatbush after 1741. He resided 
in Brooklyn. In the year of liis demise he 
was a witness in a case involving the location 
and value of lands, with which he was familiar 
through a lifelong residence in the district, 
which was at Wale Bocht. now Wallabout. He 
was a member of the Reformed Dutch Church 
from 1677 to 1687, and probably later, as was 
also his wife. He subscribed to the oath of 
allegiance to England in September, 1687. On 
March 22. 7689. he bought two lots of thirtv 
acres each in the "New Lotts" of Flatbush. 
on the third kill. This property he mort- 
gagefl June 5. 1689, for one hundred and sixty 
pounds. In the census of 1698 he is noted as 
a resident of "flackbush." In 1738 he resided 
in Gravesend. but eventually returned to Flat- 
bush. as he was living in the latter place in 
1 741. He married ("first), Mav 25, 1682. Cor- 
nelia dc Reauvoise. baptized March 3. i6S9. in 
New Amsterdam, died in 1682-3. He married 
''second) Gertrude .Aukcs Vaii Nuys. Chil- 
dren: Charles; Gerret; John, of whom fur- 
ther; Hermina; Anna. 

dll) John, .son of Gerret Gerretse Dur- 



land, probably child of the second wife, was 
born about 1O88, died after 1744. He resided 
in Norwich, near Oyster Bay, and married 
Mary Birdsell. His wife was undoubtedly of 
English descent, which accounts for the intro- 
duction of English names among their chil- 
dren. Children: Gerret; John; Cornelia; 
Henry; Anna; Alary; Charles, of whom fur- 
ther ; Joseph ; Daniel ; Mercy. 

(IV) Charles, son of John and Mary (Bird- 
sell) Durland. was born March 19, 1731, near 
Oyster Bay, died December 17, 1798, in Ches- 
ter, Orange county. New York. He moved to 
Orange county from Long Island in 1754. He 
engaged on the frontier in the French and In- 
dian war, at its conclusion was married and 
bes;an farming. He is included in the list 
of "exempts" from military service, following 
a list of signers of the Association in Goshen 
precinct. Orange county. New York, June 21, 
•775' ^s set forth in the "Calendar of His- 
torical Manuscripts" (N. Y.) vol. I, p. 12. On 
August 29, 1788, he purchased the farm of 
one hundred acres at Westchester, New 
York, which is still held in the family. He 
made his will June 4. 1794. and this was 
proved late in the year 1798. He married, in 
'755- Jane Swartwout, born 1730, died in 181Z. 
Children : Mary ; Catherine ; Gerret ; Joseph, 
of whom further ; Elizabeth ; Charles ; Roxan- 
nah : John ; Samuel, of whom further. 

(V) Joseph, second son of Charles and 
Jane (Swartwout) Durland. was born March 
31. 1762, at Chester, New York, died 1828. 
He married (first), April i, 1787, Martha 
Boord. born 1765, died December 13, 1797; 
married (second), June 4, 1799, Sarah Sat- 
terly. born 1778. died 1838, daughter of Sam- 
uel Satterly. He resided in Chester, Goshen 
township. Orange county. New York. Chil- 
dren, by second marriage : James. Charles B.. 
Thomas. Elizabeth, Martha. Christina. Jonas. 
Samuel S., of whom further ; Jane ; Susan ; 
James ; Thomas E. 

(\T) Samuel Satterlv, fifth son of Joseph 
and Sarah (Satterly) Durland, was born in 
Chester. New York, December 17, 1804. died 
with tvphoid. November 30, 1833. He mar- 
ried. September 22. 1829. Amelia Vernon, of 
East Norwich. Long Island, who was born 
in 1806. died 1876. He was a farmer on the 
Durland homestead. Children: Joseph, of 
whom further: Sarah Letitia, married Henry 
Wisner Wood. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



189 



(\TI) Joseph (2), son of Samuel Satterly 
and Amelia (Vernon) Durland, was born on 
on the old family homestead in Chester, New 
York, March 16, 1S32, died in the village of 
Chester, November 18, 1910. He attended 
tlie public schools of his native town and 
completed his education at the Chester Acad- 
emy, and at an academy at Bloomfield, New 
Jersey. At an early age he began his busi- 
ness career as a clerk in Masterson"s store in 
Westchester. He was later, for a few years, 
a partner of his stepfather, James Durland, 
at Chester Mills. On February i, 1859, he 
purchased the interest of his father-in-law, 
James J. Board, in the store conducted under 
the firm name of Board, Pierson & Company. 
A Mr. Bell was admitted in the firm, which 
then became Pierson. Bell & Durland. In 
February, 1862, Mr. Durland and his brother, 
Samuel S. Durland, formed a partnership and 
purchased the interests of Mr. Pierson and 
Mr. Bell. The two brothers conducted the 
business until 1872, when Mr. S. S. Durland, 
retired from the firm. Mr. Joseph Durland 
then conducted the business alone until 1885, 
when his son Frank was admitted as a part- 
ner, the firm being known as J. Durland & 
Son. This partnership continued until Feb- 
ruary I, 1908, when Mr. Durland sold his 
interest to his son and retired from active 
business. Mr. Durland was one of the most 
prosperous and ablest business men in the 
county. Through his thrift and good manage- 
ment he acquired a valuable property. He 
was a wise counsellor, and his advice was 
often sought by the people of this community 
on matters pertaining to business and politics. 
He was a public-spirited citizen and generously 
assisted in all movements for the upbuilding 
of his community. He traveled extensively 
through this country, visiting nearly every 
state in the Union. He was connected with 
many business enterprises. He was for many 
years a director of the Warwick and the 
Goshen Savings banks ; the Durland Trust 
Company of Norfolk. Nebraska. He was also 
a director of the Chester National Bank and 
was its president two years, and vice-president 
at the time of his death. He was a Repub- 
lican in politics and prominent in the council 
of his party. He was the first Republican 
supervisor of Chester, serving in 1867 and 
t868 He took an active part in the estab- 
lishing of the Union free school, and during 



the years 1869-76 served as clerk of the 
first board of education of Chester. He was 
untiring in his service in securing in Novem- 
Ijer, 1898, the incorporation of the village of 
Chester and was elected a member of the 
first board of trustees. He was one of the 
first to urge the construction of an adequate 
water supply system, and was a member of 
the board of water commissioners, which in- 
stalled the present system. He united with 
the Presbyterian church in 1855, and served 
as deacon for some time, and as elder from 
1890 until his death. 

He married, February 25, 1857, Nancy 
Kingsland, daughter of Major James J. 
Board. She was born November i, 1835, and 
now resides in Chester. Five children were 
born of this marriage: i. James Board, born 
April 28, 1858, died May 25, 191 1; married. 
November 12, 1884, Sarah Andrews; children: 
i. Violet, born August 25, 1885, inarried El- 
bert N. Oakes, of Middletown, New York, 
ii. Rose, born December 14, 1888, married 
Bert Matthews, of Middletown, New York. iii. 
Joseph, born December 28, 1891. iv. Whit- 
man R., born November 18, 1897. 2. Frank, 
mentioned below. 3. Amelia Vernon, born 
July 15, 1862. 4. Marion, born October 26, 
1865. died May 23, 1903. 5. Nettie Eugenia, 
born February 14, 1878; married William T. 
Mofifatt. of New York City ; one child, Allan 
Kingsland. 

(Vni) Frank, son of Joseph (2) and 
Nancy Kingsland (Board) Durland, was born 
in the Yelverton Inn, village of Chester, New 
York, March 25, i860. He attended the pub- 
lic schools and the Chester Academy until 
1877, when he began his business career by 
entering his father's general store as a clerk. 
In 1885 his father admitted him as a part- 
ner in the business under tlie firm name of 
T. Durland & Son, and on February i, 1908, 
he purchased his father's interest in the busi- 
ness, and since that date has conducted the 
store alone. Mr. Durland is one of the promi- 
nent business men of his town and countv: is 
a director of the Chester (New York) Tele- 
phone Company, Walton Hose Company, Dur- 
land Trust Company of Norfolk. Nebraska. 
and treasurer of the Orange &• Rockland Elec- 
tric Company, of Monroe. New York. In 
politics he is a Republican, but has never 
aspired to office. He is president of the board 
of trade of Chester, and a member of the 



igo 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



board of education. He is a member of the 
Presbyterian church and president of its board 
of trustees ; he is also a member of Standard 
Lodge, No. 711, Free and Accepted Masons, 
of Monroe, New York. He married, April 22, 
1891, Mary Burt, daughter of William Moore 
and Sarah (Burt) Sanford, of Warwick, 
Orange county, New York, who was a daugh- 
ter of James Burt, for many years president 
of the Chester National Bank. Two children: 
I. William Sanford, born July 13, 1892; 
graduate of Nazareth Hall Military Acad- 
emy, Nazareth, Pennsylvania, antl East- 
man's Business College of Poughkeepsie, New 
York. 2. Nancy Board, born March 29, 1898; 
now a student in Chester high school. 

(V) Samuel, son of Charles and Jane 
(Swartwout) Durland, was born February 11, 
1775. in Chester: there he died January 14, 
1849. He owned a farm in Chester and was 
a thrifty and successful man. He married. 
May 3. 1795, Elizabeth Cheshire, of Long 
Island, born March, 1772, died 1849. Chil- 
dren: Mercy; Mary; Matilda; Daniel; Albert; 
Sophia; John C, of whom further; Elsie, 

married Arkill ; Coe; Elizabeth, married 

Bailey. 

(VI) John C, son of Samuel and Elizabeth 
(Cheshire) Durland, was born June 30, 1807. 
in Goshen, New York, died near Monticello 
in 1894; buried in Monticello. He grew to 
manhood in Chester, attending the district 
schools. Soon after attaining his majority he 
settled on a farm two miles west of Monticello, 
in Sullivan county. New York. He married. 
September 21, 1830, Adeline, daughter of 
Townscnd Dusenbury. born about 1808, died 
in 1858 Children: i. Stephen D., of whom 
further. 2. Phelie Ann. May 31, 1836: mar- 
ried, in 1853. James E, Miller, of' Orange 
county. New York; lived on a farm in the 
village of Bullville, in that county ; children : 
John, born 1856, married Hattie Dann, re- 
sides in Orange county; George Edwin, 1858, 
married Alice Nibbs, of Middletown, where 
they live: Clarence Townsend. tSC)2, married 
fk'ile Harbor, of Kansas : Ada Elizabeth, mar- 
ried Henry Smith, died March 2. 1912. re- 
sided near Howells Station, Orange county. 
James E. Miller died in July, 1910. at Bull- 
ville : his widow now resides with a nephew 
at Hurleyville, Sullivan county. New York. 
3. James Townsend, of whom further. 4. 
Samuel, of whom further. 5. Emily. 



March, 1843, died at age of two years. 6. 
Peter Dusenbury, June, 1845, resided at 
Hewins, Kansas. 7. Harriet, married Joseph 
Holmes and lives in Sullivan county, New 
York. 8. Albert, born March 11, 1855; mar- 
ried Olivia Olmstead and lives in Burnside, 
Orange county; children: Ralph; Albert, 
living at Washingtonville, New York : 
Theron, a farmer at Burnside, New York ; 
Ralph, served an enlistment in the United 
States navy. 

(VII) Stephen Dusenbury. eldest child of 
John C. and Adeline (Dusenbury) Durland. 
was born in 1834. in Monticello. He attended 
the local schools of that town and Monti- 
cello Academy. He taught school for some 
years and later was a farmer near the village 
of Monticello. He was among the patriots 
who responded early to the call of his country 
for defense of its honor, and enlisted in 1861 
in the One Hundred and Forty-third New 
York Volunteer Infantry, serving in Company 
B, under Captain Baldwin, He died in 1864 
from exposure and never returned to his 
native home. The family never received any 
definite knowledge of how or when he lost his 
life. His trunk was shipped home with notice 
of his having died. He acted as secretary or 
yeoman to Captain Baldwin during the war. 
He married Delia Hoyt, daughter of Leander 
and Mary (Weed) Hoyt. Mrs. Durland sur- 
vived her husband many years. She married 
(second) James Arkills. of Sullivan county, 
and has a daughter, Lena M. .Arkills. born 
1877, now the wife of Edward Dodd, residing 
in Otisville, Orange county. New York, and 
has two children, Grace and Agnes. Children 
of Stephen D. Durland : Marshall, who lived 
but two years ; Leander Hoyt, mentioned be- 
low. 

(\TII) Leander Hoyt. only surviving son 
of Stephen Dusenbury and Delia (Hoyt) Dur- 
land, was born February 3, 1863. in Bridge- 
ville, Sullivan county. New York. He was 
educated in the district schools and Monti- 
cello .'\cademy. In t88q he engaged in the liv- 
ery business at Monticello and has the largest 
and most complete establishment of its kind 
in that village. In the great fire of 1909 his 
house and barns were completely destroyed 
and have been rebuilt in the most substantial 
manner. Mr. Durland has long been active 
in the conduct of local affairs : was elected 
supervisor in 1905, and re-elected rn 1907. He 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



also served two terms as tax collector, begin- 
ning in 1908; in political affairs he acts with 
the Republican party ; is a member of the 
Knights of the RIaccabees, and the Masonic 
fraternity, and with his family is affiliated with 
the Presbyterian church. He married, Decem- 
ber 24, 1891, Mary Emma, daughter of Ed- 
gar and Matilda (Smith) Evans, of Otisville. 
Mr. and Mrs. Evans had children, i. John 
K., born 1863, in Orange county, is now serv- 
ing his fourth term as member of assembly 
from Sullivan county ; he married Jennie 
Sherman, of Bloomingburg, and has two chil- 
dren : Sadie and Florence. 2. Mary E., born 
September 7, 1S66; wife of Leander H. Dur- 
land, as above noted. 3. Elizabeth, born 1871 ; 
wife of George Palmer, resides in Otisville. 4. 
Emeline, born 1874: married George Smith 
and resides in Otisville. 5. Theodore, born 
1879; lives, unmarried, in Bloomingburg. Mrs. 
Evans died in 1899, and her husband now re- 
sides in Bloomingburg. He married (second) 
a widow. Mariette (Harding) Smith. Chil- 
dren of Leander H. Durland : Mabel Holmes, 
born July 8, 1892 ; Edgar Evans, April 29, 
1895; Lena Arkills. August 10, 1898; Eliz- 
abeth Palmer, August 21, 1899; Leander 
Hoyt, June 27, 1901 ; Theodore Evans, July 
26, 1906. 

( VH) James Townsend, second son of John 
C. and Adeline (Dusenbury) Durland, was 
born in August, 1838. He resided in Hurley- 
ville. Sullivan county, New York, where he 
died March 3. 1883. He married Sarah, daugh- 
ter of Albert and Nancy (Hill) Wheeler, who 
died in 1894. having survived her husband 
eleven years. Children : i. Minnie, born Decem- 
ber 7, 1857 ; married Isaac Gardner. 2. John Al- 
bert, born in 1859 : resides on a farm six miles 
north of Monticello ; he married Mary Elmore 
and has four children : Willard, Inez, May, 
Ellen. 3. William Townsend, born in 1865 ; 
lives in La Grange, Illinois ; he married Jessie 
Hoyt. of Bridgeville, Sullivan county, and has 
four daughters : Ruth, Nellie, Edna, Helen. 
4. Howard Fowler, mentioned below. 5. Ste- 
phen, born in 1871 : lives in Ellen ville, Ulster 

county. New York ; he married Jessie . 6. 

Walter N., resides in Hurleyville; married 
Lydia Neal and has three sons : Maver, John. 
Frederick. 7. Grace A., born in 1878: wife of 
Arthur Hatch ; resides in Fallsburg and has 
four children : Madeline. Fay, Ellisar, Fred- 
erick. 



(\TII) Howard Fowler, third son of James 
Townsend and Sarah (Wheeler) Durland, was 
born December 7, 1867, in Hurleyville. He has 
always been a farmer, and in 191 1 purchased 
a farm of fifty acres, four miles north of 
Middletown, Orange county. New York, upon 
which he settled in the spring of 1912. He 
married, March 6, 1889, Nellie L., daughter of 
Andrew J. and Elsie (Smith) Reynolds, of 
Loch Sheldrake, Sullivan county, New York, 
where her grandfather settled in 1812. Mr. 
and Mrs. Reynolds had four children : Wal- 
ter, born December 2, 1861 ; Lorian, Decem- 
ber 16, 1865 ; Nellie, born March 4, 1869; Jen- 
nie, November 29, 1877. Mr. Reynolds died 
February 9, 1899, and his widow now re- 
sides on the home farm at Loch Sheldrake. 
Children of Howard F. Durland : Raymond 
Henry, born September 19, 1894: Harry \\'ill- 
iam, August 22, 1896; Leah, February 22, 
1911. 

(VII) Samuel (2), third son of John C. and 
Adeline (Dusenbury) Durland, was born 
October 4, 1840, near Monticello, where he 
grew to manhood. Before attaining his ma- 
jority the civil war broke out and he enlisted 
February 4, 1862, in the Tenth New York 
Independent Battery, with which he served 
three years, and participated in twenty-five 
battles. In spite of this severe exposure he 
received no injury. Some of the principal en- 
gagements in which he took part were Second 
Bull Run, Gettysburg, Antietam, Cedar Moun- 
tain, Cold Harbor and Manassas Station. 
After the close of the war he returned to the 
town of Thompson. He engaged in farming 
there until 1909, then sold his farm and pur- 
chased a home in Monticello, where he now 
resides. He is a member of the Methodist 
church, and an earnest supporter of Repub- 
lican principles and policies. He married, 
October 28. 1866. at Thompson, Sarah, daugh- 
ter of David and Mary Jane (Palmer) Rum- 
sey, early settlers of Sullivan county. They 
had three sons and three daughters : Nathan : 
David ; Louis : Polly : Sarah, mentioned above ; 
Janette. Children of Samuel (2) Durland: 
I. Ida May, born November 22, 1867; mar- 
ried (first) Harry Johnson, of Jersey City, 
died in 190.S ; (second) in 1908. Alpheus 
Witherell. of Bayonne, New Jersey. 2. Ella 
L., August 4. 1869: married (first) Louis 
Millspaugh, of Monticello. died in 1901 ; (sec- 
ond) Melvin Leroy, of Liberty, New York. 



192 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Thc-y resided in Monticello. Children of the 
Millspaugh marriage: May, born August, 
1890, married George Sniffer, of Glenville, 
resides in Glenwild; Harold, 1898, and Vin- 
cent, 1900. 3. Frank Chapman, July, 
1871, resides in Fallsburg; married Bessie 
Sharp, of Jersey City, a native of Scotland; 
children: Ada, bom 1894, and Harry, 1898. 4. 
Mary. November 26, 1876; married Philip 
Kreuder, a native of Germany, and resides 
in Brooklyn. They have a son, Carl, born in 
1901. 5. Leon Samuel, October 19, 1881, 
a traveling salesman, residing in Buffalo, New 
York. 6. Frederick, 1883, employed by the 
New York Taxicab Company, of New York 
City ; married Mary Connolly, of Bedford 
Park, New York. 7. George Wesley, March 
5, 1886. 



The American ancestor of the 
PECK Peck family of Troy herein con- 
sidered was William Peck, who 
was among the first of the early settlers of 
New England. Others of the name arrived 
at about the same time, but apparently were 
not related. They were the progenitors of a 
numerous posterity, and the name is a distin- 
guished one in the United States. 

(I) W'illiam Peck was born in or near the 
city of London, England, in 1601, and married 
there about the year 1622. His son Jeremiah 
was the only English-born child. William 
Peck, with his wife Elizabeth and son Jere- 
miah, emigrated from England to America, 
coming in the company with Governor Eaton, 
Rev. John Davenport and others in the ship 
"Hector," arriving at Boston from London, 
June 26, 1637. This company, consisting 
largely of merchants and farmers, had suf- 
fered much from the intolerance and persecu- 
tions of the reign of King Charles L and their 
object in coming to America was to secure 
unmolested enjoyment of civil and religious 
liberty. William Peck was one of the original 
I)roprietors of New Haven, Connecticut, his 
autograph signature being affi-xed to the agree- 
ment or constitution, dated June 4, 1639. for 
the government of the infant colony ("this is 
said to be "one of the first examples in his- 
tory of a written constitution organizing a 
government and defining its powers"). He was 
admitted a freeman of the colony, October 20. 
1640; was a merchant, and a trustee, treasurer 
and general business agent of the Colony Col- 



legiate School, established on the basis of the 
Hopkins' fund. He is usually named in the 
records with the title of "Mr," then a prefix 
of respect and distinction. From 1659 until 
his death he was a deacon of the church in 
New Haven. His home lot of about an acre, 
his house and store were on Church street, 
the front of which is now covered by the 
Connecticut Savings Bank building. His grave 
is now covered by the Center Church in New 
Haven. He died October 4, 1694, aged ninety- 
three years. His will, dated March 9, 1688-89, 
probated October 13, 1694, is recorded in the 
probate records of New Haven (Book H, p. 
176). His wife Elizabeth died December 5, 
1683. He married (second) Sarah, widow of 
William Holt. His children, all by first wife, 
survived him, as did his second wife, and are 
all named in his will. i. Jeremiah, see for- 
ward. 2. John, removed to Wallingford, Con- 
necticut; called "lieutenant" in the records. 3. 
Joseph, settled in East Saybrook (later Lynn), 
Connecticut, where he was surveyor, recorder, 
justice of the peace and deacon of the church. 
4. Elizabeth, married Samuel Andrews. 

(H) Jeremiah, eldest son of William and 
Elizabeth Peck, was born in or near London, 
England, in 1623. and was brought to Amer- 
ica by his parents in 1637. He is said by Cot- 
ton Alathcr to have been a student at Har- 
vard, and undoubtedly was, as he was pos- 
sessed of a good education. His name does 
not, however, appear in the catalogue of grad- 
uates of any year. He was for a time of 
(luilford, Connecticut, preaching or teaching 
until 1660, when he removed to New Haven in 
response to an invitation to take charge of 
the Collegiate school, which had been insti- 
tuted in New Haven by the general court in 
1659. He was in charge of the school until 
the summer of 1661, when it was temporarily 
suspended for lack of support. After a few 
years it was revived and flourishes now under 
the name of the Johns Hopkins Grammar 
School. In the fall of 1661 he was invited 
to preach at Saybrook, Connecticut, where he 
is sujiposcd to have been ordained, as he set- 
tled there as a minister, dating frpm Septem- 
ber 25, 1661. He remained in Saybrook until 
t666, when he removed to Guilford. Dif- 
ficulties arose in the Synod, which decided 
him to leave Connecticut. He removed later 
in 1666 to Newark, New Jersey, where he re- 
sided on the corner of Market and Mulberrv 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



193 



streets. He preached in the neighboring 
towns, but not in Newark. In 1669, or 1670, 
he settled as the minister of Ehzabethtown, 
New Jersey, declining calls to other churches 
until 1678, when he became the first settled 
minister of the church in Greenwich, Con- 
necticut. He remained here until 1689, and in 
1691 became the first settled minister of the 
church at Waterbury, Connecticut, continuing 
here, discharging most of his official duties 
until his death, June 7, 1699. He was a man 
of much usefulness, both as a teacher and a 
minister on the frontier settlements among the 
early colonists. He married Johannah Kit- 
chell, November 12, 1656, daughter of Robert 
Kitchell, one of the first planters of Guilford, 
Connecticut. She survived him until 171 1, dy- 
ing in Waterbury. His will and that of his 
wife are recorded in the Waterbury land rec- 
ords (Deeds of Gift, p. 6 & 103 of vol. I). 
Children: i. Samuel, see forward. 2. Ruth, 
married Jonathan Atwater. 3. Caleb, no record 
of marriage. 4. Anne, married Thomas, son 
of Captain Stanley, of Farmington, Connecti- 
cut. 5. Jeremiah (2), deputy to the general 
court of Connecticut ; constable, and one of 
the first deacons of the Northbury Church in 
Waterbury. 6. Joshua, died unmarried. 

(HI) Samuel, eldest son of Rev. Jeremiah 
and Johannah (Kitchell) Peck, was born in 
Guilford, Connecticut, January 18, 1659, died 
April 28, 1746; was well educated, came to 
Greenwich, Connecticut, with his father in 
1678, where he was a man of wealth, and jus- 
tice of the peace for fifty years, holding other 
important offices until his death. He married, 
November 27, 1686, Ruth, daughter of Peter, 
granddaughter of Jeffrey Ferris, of Stamford, 
Connecticut. She died September 17, 1745, 
aged eighty-three years. Their gravestones 
are in the old Greenwich cemetery. Children, 
all born in Greenwich, Connecticut: i. Sam- 
uel (2), see forward. 2. Jeremiah (3), farmer 
of Greenwich. 3. Joseph, died unmarried. 4. 
David, a farmer of Greenwich, Connecticut, 
later of Xorth Castle. Westchester county. 
New York. 5. Nathaniel, justice of the peace 
in Greenwich for many years, and a prominent 
man. 6. Eliphalet, a farmer of Old Green- 
wich. 7. Theophilus, a large land owner of 
Greenwich. 8. Peter, of Greenwich. 9. Rob- 
ert, of Greenwich. 

(IV") Samuel (2). eldest son of Samuel (i) 
and Ruth (Ferris) Peck, was born in March. 



1O8S, and died in Old Greenwich, December, 
1733. He was a carpenter by trade and owned 
a farm in that part of the town called "Old 
Greenwich,'' where he lived. He married 

Elizabeth in 1715. She survived him, and 

married (second) John Clogston. Children, all 
born in Greenwich, Connecticut: i. Mary, 
died unmarried. 2. John, see forward. 3. 
Samuel (3), of great energy and decision of 
character; deacon of the First Congregational 
Church in Greenwich. 4. Ruth, married Nehe- 
miah Haight. 

(V) John, eldest son of Samuel (2) and 
Elizabeth Peck, was born in 1718, and died 
in Greenwich, September, 1771. He lived in 
Old Greenwich on a small farm near the 
shore of Long Island sound. He married, in 
1 74 1, Sarah, daughter of John Adams, who 
died in Clifton Park, New Yorkj January 11, 
1 8 14, aged ninety-five years. Children, all 
born in Greenwich, Connecticut: i. John, see 
forward. 2. Heath, married Rachel Roselle. 
He was a soldier of the revolution, but re- 
tired from the service in 1780. He led numer- 
ous scouting parties against the Tories after 
his return, and while out with one of them in 
C)ctober, 1780, was shot from the outside 
through a window and killed. 3. Nathan, un- 
married ; drowned while attempting a rescue 
of several others, two of whom he saved be- 
fore giving up his own life. 4. Sarah, mar- 
ried \\'ilson Northrup. 5. Ruth, married Will- 
iam Kinch ; removed to Hampden, New York ; 
died at Lodi, same state. 6. Abijah, born April 
3, 1758; was a soldier of the revolutionary 
war, entering the continental army in January, 
1776; was under arms when the Declaration of 
Independence was read to the American army, 
and one of the sentinels on duty when it 
evacuated the city of New York. He served 
in several campaigns, and was in the battle at 
White Plains. After the war he resided in 
North Salem, New York, and there married, 
November 18, 1784, Mindwell, daughter of 
Solomon Close, Jr., and shortly afterwards 
went to Galway, New York, where he resided 
until 1794, and then removed to and resided 
in Clifton Park, New York, until his decease 
there, November 12, 1848. His wife was born 
March 27, 1763, and died April 4, 1816. He 
married (second) in November, 1821, Widow 
Lydia Montgomery, who died January 22, 
1846. After his removal to Clifton Park, he 
became a Baptist minister, and was ordained 



194 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



as such March 12, 1801. He statedly preached 
to the church at Clifton Park, with few inter- 
vals, and as his age permitted, until his death. 
He had a fluent diction, a strong, well-bal- 
anced mind and was a man of great influ- 
ence and extensive usefulness both as a citi- 
zen and a Christian minister. His children : 
Abigail. Ruth. Nathan, Solomon C, Sarah. 
Abijah, Elizabeth, John. 7. Abigail, married 
Alexander Baird. 8. Elizabeth, married Jos- 
eph Youngs; removed to Ballston, New York, 
from thence to Amsterdam, thence to Otego, 
New York. She had sixteen children, seven 
sons and nine daughters, all of whom mar- 
ried and settled in Broome, Chenango and 
Otsego counties. New York. 

(VI) John (2), son of John (i) and Sa- 
rah (Adams') Peck, was born November 12, 
1742, died September ig, 1819. In 1775, 
when but thirty-two years of age, he was a 
veteran of a long war and accustomed to a 
military life. He had served in the army for 
four years during the then recent French 
war, and subsequently became an active mem- 
ber of the militia. He enlisted in the Eighth 
Company. Captain Thomas Lee. Fifth Regi- 
ment of the New York Line, Colonel Lewis 
Dubois, December 26, 1776, for three years 
or during the war and was mustered out, 
January, 1782. He appears to have served 
part of his enlistment, from February 10, 
1777, to May, 1779, in the First Company. 
Captain Rosekrans, of the same regiment. 
Subsequent to the expiration of his first three 
years of service he was in the winter of 1780 
a member of the Light Company of the same 
Fifth Regiment. He served in the battle at 
White Plains. Colonel Dubois was in com- 
mand of his regiment at the capture of Fort 
Montgomery, October 6. 1777, and his lieuten- 
ant-colonel and major were taken prisoners, 
and in this battle John Peck was serving. He 
was reported missing October 6, 1777, with 
a large number of others of that company. 
There is complete evidence, both direct and 
circumstantial, that John Peck was not only 
a revolutionary soldier for upwards of six 
years, but was during all that time a conti- 
nental soldier of the war. In 1772 John Peck 
removed to Crcat Nine Partners, in that part 
now Stanford, Dutchess county. New York. 
In 1780 he moved to Little Nine Partners, 
in that part now Milan, same countv, where 
he remained until 1788, then returned to 



Stanford, and in 1792 removed west of the 
Hudson river to what is now Hunter, Greene 
county, New York. In February, 1795, he 
settled in Sherburne, Chenango county. New 
York, where he resided until his death. He 
was a man of superior natural talents, great 
firmness and energy, one of the enterprising 
valuable pioneers in the settlement of New 
York state. 

He married, in October. 1764. Sarah, 
daughter of Nathan Northrup, of North Sa- 
lem, New York. She w^as born there, October 
28. 1746, and died in Smyrna, New York, 
November 11, 1830. She was a granddaugh- 
ter of Daniel and Sarah Northrup. of Milford, 
Connecticut, and a great-granddaughter of 
Joseph Northrup, of Yorkshire, England, and 
his wife Mary, daughter of Francis Norton, 
of Milford, Connecticut, who came there with 
Rev. Peter Pruden, and died September 11, 
1669. Children: i. Samuel, died in infancy. 
2. Joel, an early settler of Norwich, Che- 
nango county. New York. 3. Sarah, married 
(first) Daniel Fisher; (second) William Yer- 
rington : (third) Peter Cole. 4. Mary, mar- 
ried David Wilbur. 5. Phebe, married Job 
Loper. 6. .Stejihen. died in infancy. 7. Ste- 
phen Northrup, one of the first settlers of 
Solon, New York, where he died in his nine- 
ty-seventh year. 8. John (3), see forward. 9. 
Nathan, ordained a minister of the Baptist 
church in July, 1814. 10. Betsey, married 
John Nash. 

(VII) John (3), eighth child of John (2), 
and Sarah (Northrup) Peck, was born in 
Stanford, New York, September 11, 1780. 
died December 15, 1849, in New York City, 
being there on a temporary visit. He moved 
with his father to the Chenango Valley in 
1795- He studied for the ministry and early 
commenced preaching. In 1804 he settled at 
Cazenovia, New York, as pastor of the Bap- 
tist church, continuing until his death. He 
was a distinguished minister of the Baptist 
church, and eminent for his devotion to pas- 
toral duty, his fervid eloquence and his con- 
servative theological tendencies. He married, 
August 20, 1801, Sarah Ferris, at Norwich, 
New York, born May 7. 1784, died in Caze- 
novia, New York, September 21, 1847. She 
was a daughter of Israel Ferris, born at 
Cireenwich. New York. October 25, 175 1. died 
at Whitewater, A\'isconsin. January 2, 1844. 
He ser\ed in the revolution in Captain Abra- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



195 



ham Mead's company. Ninth Regular Com- 
pany Militia, Colonel John Mead, of Green- 
wich. He appears by the payroll to have 
been discharged from service, January 11, 
1777 (Connecticut Men in the Revolution). 
He resided after the war in Dutchess, Che- 
nango and Yates counties. New York. He 
married, about 1775, Ruth Meade, born May 
27, 1757. daughter of Jonathan and Sarah 
Meade, of the town of North East, Dutchess 
county. New York. Jonathan Meade was 
first lieutenant in Captain Huested's company, 
Sixth Regiment (Charlotte Precinct), Dutch- 
ess county militia, Colonel David Suther- 
land (Archives, page 282). He was an early 
signer of the Association. Israel Ferris was 
a son of Japhet and Hannah (Peck) Ferris, 
granddaughter of Samuel Peck (see genera- 
tion HI), who was thus the great-great- 
grandfather of both Rev. John Peck and his 
wife, Sarah Ferris. Israel and Ruth (Meade) 
Ferris were the parents of thirteen children, 
some of whom rose to eminence, namely : 
Jonathan, Israel, Reuben, Sarah, Sarah (2), 
Abraham, Stephen Gano, Thompson, Israel 
Hubbard, Thompson (2), Ruth, Jesse and 
Ambrose Lattin. Children of Rev. John and 
Sarah (Ferris) Peck: i. Darius, see forward. 
2. Mary, married John Fiske, of Cazenovia, 
New York. 3. John, died in infancy. 4. Rev. 
Philetus B., graduate of Hamilton Literary 
and Theological Institute (now Colgate Uni- 
versity ) ; ordained a minister of the Baptist 
church in 1839; settled pastor of the Baptist 
congregation at Owego, Tioga county, New 
York, continuing until 1847, when he sud- 
denly died October 6. He married Nancy 
Morse. 5. Julia, married Rev. W^illiam M. 
Pratt. 6. Rev. Linus M., entered Hamilton 
College in 1838, graduated with highest hon- 
ors in 1841 ; teacher, lawyer and preacher; 
was settled over the church at Hamilton, New 
York, until July, 1847, when he was suddenly 
carried off at Cazenovia, New York, by the 
same malignant disease that proved fatal to 
his brother, Philetus B. Peck. They died 
within a few hours, both had the same fu- 
neral obsequies and were borne together to 
their last resting place. He married Cordelia 
C. Kendrick, of Hamilton, New York. 

(\TII) Judge Darius Peck, eldest son of 
Rev. John (3) and Sarah (Ferris) Peck, was 
born in Norwich. Chenango county. New York, 
June 5. 1802, died October 27, 1879. He pre- 



pared for college under Rev. Daniel Hascall 
and Zenas Morse, principal of Hamilton Aca- 
demy, New York. In October, 1822, he en- 
tered the sophomore class of Hamilton Col- 
lege, New York, by which he was graduated 
in August, 1825 ; studied law with Hon. Am- 
brose L. Jordan and William Slosson, in the 
cities of Hudson and New York; was admit- 
ted to the bar of the supreme court of the 
state of New York in August, 1828, and in 
1 829 began the practice of law in Hudson, 
New York, where he continued until his death. 
In February, 1833, he was appointed by the 
governor, and confirmed by the senate of the 
state of New York, recorder of the city of 
Hudson, then a judicial officer as well as a 
member of the common council of that city, 
which office he held until April, 1843. Fo'' 
several years he was superintendent of schools 
and master in chancery. In April, 1843, ^^ 
was appointed by the governor and senate a 
judge of the court of common pleas of Co- 
lumbia county, New York, and in November, 
1855, was elected county judge of that county, 
and in 1863 and 1867 re-elected, presiding 
over the courts of Columbia county for a term 
of twelve years. He was a learned lawyer 
and an able, impartial judge. His associates 
of the bar respected him, and when called to 
preside over them held their friendship and 
highest esteem. Judge Peck was deeply inter- 
ested in the collection and presen'ation of 
family history. He compiled and published in 
1887 "A Genealogical Account of the De- 
scendants in the Male Line of William Peck." 
He spent the leisure part of several years on 
the work, and it is largely from this work 
that this record is compiled. "Tho dead he 
speaketh." 

Judge Peck married, September 12, 1836, 
Harriet M. Hudson, of Troy, New York, born 
November 17, 1813, died April 18, 1863. Chil- 
dren, all born in the city of Hudson, New- 
York; I. John Hudson. 2. Horace Robin- 
son, born December 9, 1839 ; graduated 
from Hamilton College in 1859; admitted 
to the New York bar in 1863, settled in 
Hudson, New York, where he continued in 
the practice of his profession until his death, 
.•\pril 29, 1907. Married, November 17, 1867, 
.Anna Van Deusen, of Greenport. New York. 
Child : Bayard Livingston, born August 16, 
1869. 3. Sarah Lucretia, born March 19, 1842, 
died October 25, 1876; educated at Troy Fe- 



196 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



male Seminary; married October 19, 1859. 
Martin Hoflfman Philip, of Claverack, New 
York. Children: i. Katharine Maud, born 
September 13, i860; ii. Harry Van Ness, born 
August 9, 1862, an attorney of New York 
City; iii. Laura Johnson, born December 10. 
1863! 4. Willard, born March 2, 1844; grad- 
uate of Hamilton College in 1864; admitted 
to the New York state bar in 1867, settled 
in Hudson, New York, where he continues 
the practice of his profession. He married. 
Tune 16. 1869. Mary Langford Curran. of 
Utica. New York. Children : i. Harriet Hud 
son, born April 2, 1870, died April 5, 1870; ii. 
Philip Curran, February 7, 1874: an attorney 
in New York City; iii. 'Darius, May 5, 1877; 
an attorney of New York City; iv. Mary 
Langford, November 29, 1881. 5. Nora, Sep- 
tember 16, 1846; educated at Troy Female 
Seminary, married, June 18, 1873, Frederick 
Folger Thomas, of San Francisco, California, 
where she resided ; children : i. William Shep- 
ard, born March 23, 1874, now a mining en- 
gineer of California ; ii. Maud Angeline. Feb- 
ruary 10, 1876; iii. John Hudson. July 16. 
1878, now a practicing architect of San Fran- 
cisco; iv. Nora, September 22, 1880; v. Fred- 
erick F.. October 26, 1885, a lawyer of Berke- 
ley, California. 6. Theodosia, October 24, 
1848, died August 23. 1849. 7. Emma Wil- 
lard, May 9. 1852 ; educated at Troy Female 
.Seminary; married. February i, 1897, Justice 
Samuel Edwards, of the supreme court, born 
April 24, 1839. 



Elon Huntington Hooker, who 
HOOKER recently laid aside active busi- 
ness for a few months to be- 
come chairman of the Finance Committee and 
National Treasurer of the Progressive Party, 
is a very successful young business man with 
a rarely forceful personality which has im- 
pressed itself upon all who have come to 
know him in his business and social worlds. 
A splendid persistence, backed up by a broad 
intellectuality and magnificent phvsical pow- 
ers have enabled him to win out in his busi- 
ness career and to command the confidence 
of a wide circle of the shrewdest business 
men of the country. His associates and ac- 
quaintances have learned that when he starts 
out to do a thing that thing is very apt to be 
done, no matter what the difficulties and op- 
position. 



Mr. Hooker is new in the political world, 
but is already making himself felt in his work 
for the Progressive party, because of his un- 
remitting industry and enthusiasm, his power 
of convincing, and the confidence which his 
personality and record inspire in everyone he 
deals with. He became a worker for Theo- 
dore Roosevelt because he admires the man 
and believes in his principles. Mr. Hooker 
is a civil engineer as well as a business man. 

The Hooker family has long been settled in 
Hartford. Connecticut, and in Rochester. New- 
York, and is one of the oldest in the United 
States, dating back to the early history of 
New England, where Thomas Hooker, of 
whom Mr. Hooker is a lineal descendant, 
founded the city of Hartford and the colony 
of Connecticut. According to John Fiske, the 
.American historian, Thomas Hooker, by origi- 
nating and outlining the constitution of Con- 
necticut, became the real designer of the 
framework of our present federal constitu- 
tion. 

(I) John Hooker was of Devonshire, Eng- 
land. He had a brother Roger, and a sister 
Mary, who married John Russell, of Leices- 
tershire. Children of John Hooker: John, 
lived in Somersetshire ; Thomas, see forward ; 
Rev. Zachary, rector of St. Michael's, Cath- 
ays, Cornwall. 

(H) Thomas, son of John Hooker, was of 
Devonshire. He married and had children : 
A daughter, who married Dr. George .Alcock. 
of London; Rev. Thomas, see forward; Dor- 
othy, married John Chester, of Leicestershire. 

(HI) Rev. Thomas (2) Hooker, son of 
Thomas ( i ) Hooker, was the immigrant an- 
cestor of the Hooker family here dealt with, 
and was born at Marfield, Leicestershire. Eng- 
land, July 7, 1586. Cotton Mather in his 
Magnalia says of him : "He was born of 
parents that were neither unable nor unwill- 
ing to bestow on him a liberal education ; 
whereunto the early, lively sparkles of wit 
observed in him did much to encourage them; 
his natural temper was cheerful and courte- 
ous ; but it was accomplished with such a sens- 
ible grandeur of mind, as caused his friends, 
without the help of astrology, to prognosticate 
that he was born to the considerable." Re- 
garding his education and conversion, Sprague 
says : "He was educated at Emmanuel Col- 
lege. Cambridge, of which in due time he 
became a fellow. He acquitted himself in 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



197 



this office with such ability and fidelity as to 
secure universal respect and admiration. It 
was while he was thus employed that he be- 
came deeply impressed with the importance 
of the eternal realities, and after a protracted 
season of bitter anguish of spirit, he was en- 
abled to submit without reserve to the terms 
of the Gospel, and thus find peace and joy in 
believing. His religious experience in the 
very commencement seems to have been un- 
commonly deep and thorough ; and no doubt it 
was partly owing to this that he became so 
much distinguished in after life as a counsel- 
lor, comforter and guide to the awakened and 
desponding." He frequently preached at 
Cambridge and for some time in London and 
its vicinity. In 1826 he became a lecturer and 
assistant to the Rev. Mr. Mitchell at Chelms- 
ford, and among his hearers were noblemen 
and others of high standing in English society. 
He was accustomed once a year to visit his 
native county, and was once asked to preach 
in the great church of Leicester. One cf the 
chief burgesses of the town was greatly op- 
posed to his preaching there, and not being 
able to hinder him, he set persons fiddling in 
the churchyard with a view to disturbing him. 
But Mr. Hooker was able to retain command 
of his audience, and at last even the fiddler 
went to the door to listen, and the story goes 
on to say that his conversion followed. 

In 1630 a spiritual court which held its ses- 
sions at Chelmsford silenced Mr. Hooker for 
nonconformity. Although he was in accord 
with the doctrines of the English church, there 
were certain forms of worship which he could 
not practice, and on this ground he was for- 
bidden to minister to the people. He contin- 
ued, however, to live near Chelmsford, and 
was employed in teaching a school at a place 
called Little Braddow, having John Eliot, 
afterwards the famous Indian apostle, in his 
family as an usher. A petition signed by 
forty-seven ministers of the established church 
was sent to the spiritual court asking to have 
Mr. Hooker established, but it did no good. 
After a short residence in retirement under 
the patronage of his friend, the Earl of War- 
wick, he determined to seek a home in Hol- 
land, and his steps were watched by his per- 
secutors, he being followed even to the shore, 
but the ship fortunately got off to sea before 
his pursuers arrived. Mr. Hooker remained 
in Holland for three years and was at first 



employed as an assistant to Mr. Paget, at 
Amsterdam. On account of a misunderstand- 
ing with him, Mr. Hooker removed to Delft, 
and was associated with the Rev. Mr. Forbes, 
a Scotch minister. Two years later he ac- 
cepted a call to Rotterdam to assist the Rev. 
Dr. William Ames. Dr. Ames is said to have 
remarked that he never met a man the equal 
of Mr. Hooker as a preacher or as a learned 
disputant. 

Mr. Hooker decided to go to New Eng- 
land, but wished to return to England first, 
as the times were supposed to be a little more 
tolerant. Upon his arrival there, however, he 
found that his enemies were still active, and 
he was obliged to live in concealment until 
the time of his departure from England to 
America. He left England about the middle 
of July, 1633, from the Downs, on the ship 
"Griffin." Such was his peril that he and his 
friend, Mr. Cotton, were obliged to remain 
in concealment until the ship had put out to 
sea. He arrived at Boston, Massachusetts, 
September 4, 1633, and on October 11, was 
chosen pastor of the church at Newtown 
(Cambridge). He remained there to the great 
satisfaction of the people for two and a half 
years. In June, 1636, he joined the company 
of those who went to make a settlement at 
Hartford, Connecticut, and from this time was 
identified with all the most important move- 
ments of the colony. He was one of the 
moderators of the first New England synod 
held at Cambridge, in the case of the cele- 
brated Ann Hutchinson. He published many 
books and sermons between 1637 and his 
death. He fell a victim to a violent epidemic 
disease and died July 7, 1647, a great loss 
to the community. The Rev. Thomas Hooker, 
according to family tradition, married a sister 
of John Pym, who was an intimate friend. 
Children : Rev. John, about 1636 returned to 
England and there married and settled in the 
established church at Maseworth, Bucks; 
Joanna, born about 1615, died April, 1616; 
Mary, born about 1618, married the Rov. 
Roger Newton, first pastor of Farmington, 
later of Milford, Connecticut; Sarah, born 
about 1630, married the Rev. John Wilson, of 
Medfield ; a daughter, who married and be- 
came a widow ; Samuel, see forward. 

flV) Rev. .Samuel Hooker, son of the Rev. 
Thomas (2) Hooker, was born in 1633. He 
was educated at Harvard College, from which 



198 



SOUTIIKRX XEW YORK 



he was graduated in 1653. He succeeded the 
Rev. Roger Newton, his brother-in-law, and 
was the second pastor of the church at Farm- 
ington, where he was ordained in July, 1661. 
He was on a committee of four in 1662 to 
treat with the New Haven colony in reference 
to the proposed union with Connecticut un- 
der one colonial government. .A.11 the de- 
scendants of the Rev. Thomas Hooker, bear- 
ing the name of Hooker, are also his de- 
scendants. He was a fellow of Harvard, and 
on account of his earnestness and piety was 
called the "fervent Hooker." He had a habit 
of committing his sermons to memory and 
was a powerful and effective preacher. He 
died at Farmington, November 6, 1697. He 
married, September 22, 1658, Mary Willctt, 
of Swansea. ^Massachusetts, afterwards of 
.Seakonk, Rhode Island. Her mother was 
Mary (Brown) Willett. Mary (Willett) 
Hooker married (second) August 10, 1703, 
tile Rev. Thomas Buckingham, of Saybrook, 
Connecticut. Children of Mr. and Mrs. 
Hooker: i. Dr. Thomas, born June to, 1659: 
married, 1686, Mary (Smith) Lord, widow 
of Richard Lord. 2. Samuel, born May 29. 
1661 ; married, June 28, 1687, Alehitable Ham- 
lin, of Middletown, Connecticut, born No- 
vember 17, 1666. resided at Hartford. 3. 
William, born May 11, 1663, merchant at 
Fannington; married, 1689, Susannah Black- 
leach, widow of John. 4. Hon. lohn, born 
February 20. 1664-1665, died February i, 
1746. 5. Hon. James, born October 27, 1666; 
resided at Guilford, Connecticut, and served 
as deputy to the general assembly. 6. Roger, 
of Hartford, born September 14, 1668, died 
unmarried. 7. Nathaniel, see forward. 8. 
Mary, born July 3, 1673; was the third wife 
of the Rev. James Pierpoint, of New Haven, 
antl was the mother of Sarah, who married 
the celebrated Rev. Jonathan Edwards. 9. 
Hezekiah, born November 7, 1675, died in 
1686. 10. Daniel, born March 25, "1679. died 
in 1742. It. Sarah, born May 8, i68i ;'mar- 
ried the Rev. Stephen Buckingham, of Nor- 
walk, Connecticut. 

(V) Nathaniel, son of the Rev. Samuel 
and Mary (Willett) Hooker, was born in 
Farmington, Scj)tcmber 28. 1671. He was a 
notcfj merchant and a prominent man in Hart- 
ford, his place of business being on the main 
street, a piece of property which had been 
the building lot of his father-in-law. who gave 



lialf of his lot, extending from the second 
l)urial ground to the Little River, to Mr 
Hooker when he married. Mr. Hooker rep- 
resented Hartford in the colonial assembly for 
several years before his death, which occurred 
November 11, 171 1. His widow married (sec- 
ond) John Austin, a noted merchant of Hart- 
ford. ' She died at Hartford in 1753, ten years 
after the death of her second husband. By 
her second husband she had two children, one 
of whom died young. Nathaniel Hooker mar- 
ried, December 28, 1698, Mary, daughter of 
the Hon. Nathaniel and Sarah ( Boosey I 
Standley, of Hartford, Connecticut, born in 
that city, October 8, 1677. She had been be- 
trothed to Roger Hooker, a brother of Na- 
thaniel, who died in 1698. Children: i. Mary, 
born at Hartford, December 3, 1699, "i'*-"'' 
January 2, 1765. 2. Alice, born at Hartford. 
November 12, 1701. 3. Sarah, born at Hart- 
ford, November 7, 1704. 4. Abigail, born at 
Hartford, baptized in 1707, died at Norwich, 
Connecticut ; became the third wife of the 
Rev. Benjamin Lord. 5. Nathaniel, see for- 
ward. 

(VT) Nathaniel (2), youngest son of Na- 
thaniel ( I ) and Mary ( Standley ) Hooker, 
was born in 1710, baptized October 8, 1710, 
died at Hartford, Connecticut, January 27, 
1763. He was a prominent man in colonial 
affairs, captain of the militia, a merchant of 
Hartford, and represented the town in the 
colonial assembly during three sessions. lie 
left a large estate. He married Eunice, born 
in Hartford, January 26, 1709, daughter of 
Governor Joseph and Eunice (Howell- Wake- 
man) Talcott, of Hartford. Children: Na- 
thaniel, born at Hartford, December 5. 1737; 
Eunice, 1740; James, see forward; Mary, born 
in 1744, died at Hartford, Connecticut, Au- 
gust 27. 1763; Horace, born .Vugust 24. I74''>. 

(VH) James, son of Nathaniel (2) and 
Eunice (Talcott) Hooker, was born at Hart- 
ford, August 15, 1742, and died at Windsor, 
Connecticut, December 10, 1805. He was a 
merchant of Hartford and Windsor, having 
with his brothers succeeded to the business of 
his father at Hartford, and establishing a bus- 
iness at Windsor. The Windsor firm became 
Ilooker & Chaffee, consisting of James J-Took- 
er. silent partner, Horace Hooker, his brother, 
and John Chaffee, a brother of James Hook- 
er's third wife. Before the revolutionary war 
]h\< w.-i'i one of the largest and most l1nnri<h- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



199 



ing mercantile houses of New England, and 
transacted much business for tlie colonial gov- 
ernment. James Hooker was commissioned a 
captain and all the members of the firm were 
devoted patriots and gave freely of their 
means for the assistance of the colonial cause 
and at the end of the war were in serious 
financial embarrassment. Subsequently their 
heavy losses by the French and Spanish spoli- 
ations caused their failure, and the dissolution 
of this famous firm scattered its members. 

James Hooker married (first) January 6, 
1763. Hannah, a daughter of Alexander and 
Hannah Allin, of \\'indsor, born July 14, 
1743; (second) April 30, 1777, Dolly Good- 
win, who died in 1784: and (third) November 
7, 1784, Mary, daughter of Dr. Hezekiah 
Chaffee, of Windsor, Connecticut ; she died 
at Schenectady, 1846. Children by first mar- 
riage : Alexander Allin, born in Windsor, 
November 30, 1763, died March 20. 1781. 
Children by the third marriage : Hannah, 
born September 4, 1785; Dolly Goodwin, July 
30, 1787: Alexander Allin, October 30, 1789; 
James, July 12, 1792: Horace, see forward; 
Mary ChaiTee, born March 3, 1796; Eliza, 
February 10, 1798, died at Meriden, Connec- 
ticut, March 21, 1877; Henry Thomas, born 
July 13, 1803, died at Syracuse. New York, 
October i, 1893, married Mary Brown Cobb, 
July 5, 1838. 

(VIH) Horace, son of James and Mary 
(Chaffee) Hooker, was born at Windsor, 
Connecticut, July 5, 1794, died November 3, 
1865. Like his progenitor he had the spirit 
of the pioneer, and the glowing accounts of 
the Genesee country attracted him to western 
New York, where so many Hartford and 
Windsor families had settled. He lived for 
a short time at Bristol, near Canandaigua, 
where he engaged in mercantile business with 
his brother, Alexander Allin, and later he 
went to Carthage, near Rochester, to co-oper- 
ate with his brother-in-law. Judge Strong, in 
developing what was supposed to be the future 
city of Genesee. He was for twenty years 
engaged in active commercial enterprises, and 
through all his business vicissitudes he re- 
mained a courtly gentleman of the strictest 
integrity and high moral character, a power 
in the community in which he lived. He mar- 
ried, September 3, 1822, Helen, daughter of 
Erastus and Chloe (Bissell) \\'olcott, of 
Windsor, Connecticut, born March 9, 1794. 



died April 4, 1840. Mrs. Hooker was a great 
granddaughter of Governor Roger Wolcott, 
and came from the long line of Connecticut 
and Massachusetts governors of this name. 
Children: I. Julia Wolcott, born at Roches- 
ter, June 10, 1823. 2. Henry Edward, Sep- 
tember 4, 1824. 3. Frances, August 21, 1826, 
died April 20, 1906, at Skaneateles, New 
York ; was unmarried, and engaged in liter- 
ary pursuits. 4. James Wolcott, born May 10, 
1828. 5. John Chaffee, June 30, 1830, died at 
Rochester, January 7, 1832. 6. Charles M., 
born November 9, 1832. 7. Thomas, March 
27, 1836, died at Rochester, July 31, 1836. 8. 
Horace B., see forward. 

(IX) Horace B., son of Horace and Helen 
(\\'olcott) Hooker, was born at Rochester, 
New York, December 7, 1837. He was a 
lieutenant (acting captain) in the First Mis- 
souri Engineers during the civil war. He 
married, November 14, 1861, Susan Pamelia, 
born August 18, 1841, daughter of Elon and 
Annjeannette (Cole) Huntington, of Roches- 
ter, New York. These Huntingtons were 
prominent in the early history of the United 
States, one of the family being governor of 
Connecticut and president of the colonial con- 
gress. Children of Mr. and Mrs. Hooker: 
Albert Huntington, born at Rochester, No- 
vember 2'5. 1865; a son, not named, born and 
died July 12, 1867; Frances Margaret Hunt- 
ington, born June 10, 1868: Elon Huntington, 
see forward ; a daughter, not named, born 
and died September 6, 1871 ; Harry Mix, born 
July 18, 1872 ; Paul, February, 1875 • Horace 
\\'illard, November 2, 1876; Jeanette Hunt- 
ington, December 24, 1881 ; Thomas, May 4, 
1883, died September 12, 1884, at Rochester. 

(X) Elon Huntington, son of Horace B. 
and Susan Pamelia (Huntington) Hooker, 
was born in Rochester. New York, November 
23, 1869. He received his early education in 
the public schools of Rochester and continued 
his technical training in the night schools of 
the Mechanics Institute for a period of sev- 
eral years. He then entered the University 
of Rochester, from which he was graduated 
in the classical course with the class of 1891. 
His vacations were spent in field engineering 
under the able training of Emil Kuichling, 
the well known hydraulic engineer. He was 
a member of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity 
at Rochester, and was prominent in athletics, 
being a member of the football team and a 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



tennis player of intercollegiate rank. He was 
also manager of the University Glee and 
Banjo Club. He worked his way througli 
college. After his graduation at Rochester he 
went to Cornell University as a resident grad- 
uate and covered the civil engineering course 
in two years. There he was a formidable 
worker, who alternated his studies with pe- 
riods where he earned enough funds to get 
through his engineering course. He managed, 
while contiiuiing his course at Cornell, to 
find time for original investigation along sci- 
entific lines and to wrest from the faculty, in 
addition to his regular engineering degree, a 
degree as Doctor of Philosophy, lie has also 
the degrees of Bachelor and Master of Arts 
from Rochester. His success at Cornell won 
him a traveling fellowship, which allowed him 
to go abroad to continue his hydraulic studies 
at the Zurich Polytechnicum and the Ecole 
des Fonts and Chaussees, at Paris. 

Returning to this country, Mr. Hooker 
spent several years in engineering work in the 
field, and was one of a commission of con- 
tracting engineers who inspected the Panama 
and \icaraugua canal routes in 189S. His 
first personal contact with Theodore Roose- 
velt came when the latter was governor of 
New York and ajjiiointed Mr. Hooker deputy 
superintendent of public works, in which po- 
sition he shared the responsibility for the 
operation and maintenance of the state canals 
and roads, and was esjiecially engaged in the 
investigation of the expenditures under the 
preceding nine million dollar improvement to 
the Erie Canal System. In 1901 Mr. Hooker 
resigned to engage in timber, mining and rail- 
road enterprises in the southwest. Two years 
later he organized and became president of 
the Development and Funding Company, 
building and operating engineering and indus- 
trial enterprises. Shortly afterwards he and 
his associates formed the Hooker Electro- 
chemical Company, a concern which has a 
large manufacturing plant at Niagara Falls. 
New York, and produces caustic soda and 
chloride of lime by electrolysis of rock salt. 
The business cm])loys nine thousand horse 
power and has now been in operation, day and 
night, for about eight years, and has proved 
a great engineering success as well as a very 
profitable investment. It is generally admit- 
ted by specialists here and abroad that the 



Hooker plant is higher in efficiency than any 
plant of the same kind now in existence. 

Mr. Hooker is a man of high ideals of a 
practical kind, which bring with them a rea- 
sonable hope of realization. His friends say 
of him that he is ready always to listen to 
advice and to gain whatever advantage there 
may l>e in the suggestions of his associates, 
giving them the credit both financially and 
otherwise for what they have contributed. He 
has devoted some of his time to writing pam- 
phlets that have had an important intluence 
in their field. He is the author of: "Storage 
Capacity in Lakes and Reservoirs." 1894; 
"Some References on River Hydraulics." 
1895 ; and "The Suspension of Solids in 
Flowing Water." i8q6. In politics he was a 
Republican until the Chicago convention 
which nominated Taft, then he cast his lot 
with the Progressive party. Mr. Hooker is 
a memljer of the Cornell Association of Civil 
Engineers, the Sigma Xi Society, the Lake 
Mohonk Arbitration Conference and the Na- 
tional Municipal League. Among his New 
York clubs are : The Century, LTniversity, 
.Alpha Delta Phi, Cornell and Seawanhaka- 
Corinthian Yacht Club. He has business of- 
fices at 40 Wall street. New York City. 

While he was taking advantage of his 
European fellowship, Mr. Hooker met in 
Rome, Blanche, daughter of the late D. M. 
Ferry, one of the most prominent bankers 
and men of Detroit, Michigan. Miss Ferry 
had just been graduated from Vassar Col- 
lege, of which institution, Dr. James M. Tay- 
lor, an uncle of Mr. Hooker, is president. Mr. 
Hooker and Miss Ferry were married in De- 
troit, January 25, 1901, and they have four 
daughters. They live in an artistically con- 
ceived, old-fashioned house at Greenwich, 
Connecticut, which bears the marks of the 
refined taste of the present owners, who had 
it rebuilt to suit their own individualilv. 



In many cases the family of 
BUCKLEY Buckley is probably derived 

from the name of the hamlet 
of Buckley in Lancashire, which gave resi- 
dence and name to a family descended in 
England from John De Buckley, whose broth- 
er Geoffrey was Dean of \Vhalley in the 
reign of King Stephen. This John had a son 
GeofTrey, whose son Geoffrey was slain at 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



the battle of Evesham in the year 1265. Adam 
de Buckley attested deeds in 1339 and 1359, 
and another John in 1370 and 1390, this lat- 
ter being probably son of a Robert Bockeley 
and married Alice Wolfenden. Elias Buckley 
in 1434 might be a son of John and Alice 
Buckley, and was father of Rafe who mar- 
ried Katherine, the surname of the wife re- 
maining unrecorded. Thomas Buckley, wit- 
ness to a deed May 18, 1507, was probably a 
descendant. James Buclcy, of Bucley, of this 
family, it appears November 12, 1512, mar- 
ried Alice Howarth, of Howarth, and had 
issue : Thomas, and Catherine, who married 
Thomas Chadwike. This Thomas Bucley at- 
tested deeds, January i, 1534-35, and again 
May 16, 1561, August 16, 1580, and October 
22. 1 58 1. He married Grace, daughter of 
Arthur Ashton, of Great Clegg. James Buck- 
ley, who was another witness of the deed in 
1581, was probably his son. Of the same 
family was Lawrence Buckley, who with one 
Edmund Ashton in 1567 was sued by Sir 
John Byron (ancestor of the poet) and oth- 
ers, the inhabitants of Rochdale, in Lancash- 
ire, about the right of way over property at 
Butterworth and other common rights. Two 
years later Barnards Buckley, apparently his 
brother, had to establish his right to his in- 
heritance by suit at law against Roger Gart- 
side and John Holte, and lost part of it, con- 
sisting of land at Castleton. This Barnards 
was probably a cousin of Catherine Buckley, 
of Chedale, aunt of Sir Richard Buckley, 
Knight, who made her will November 16, 
1559, in which she mentions by name her 
brothers, Thomas, Robert and '\\'illiam, the 
latter deceased. William Buckley died in the 
early part of Queen Elizabeth's reign, pos- 
sessed of lands at Quicke and Suddleworth in 
Yorkshire, and Abell, his great-grandson, be- 
came the heir general of the family in the 
reign of King Charles the First. Robert 
Buckley appears to have been the oldest of 
Catherine Buckley's brothers and died appar- 
ently without issue in 1557. possessed of 
Messury, Terr. Bosc, etc., at Buckley Manor 
and Hundersfelde in Lancashire. Sir Richard 
Buckley, Knight, living in 1619, who married 
Annie, sister of Sir Thomas Wilsford. was 
his descendant. The Buckleys are also nu- 
merous in Ireland, the name in this case being 
a translation or anglicized form from Mac 
Ficheaill (mac, "son", and ficheaill, Gaelic. 



"buckle"'), the name Mac Ficheaill or Buck- 
ley being derived from Gillacaemghin na 
Ficheaill, son of Bhaltair or Walters or Wal- 
ter, who is one hundred and eighteenth link 
on the pedigree stem of the Ui Tuathail fam- 
ily or clan, anciently chiefs of Hy-Muirea- 
daigh, afterwards Kings of Leinster and 
J'rinces of Imaile. The Buckleys, Viscounts 
of Cashel, were a branch of this ancient fam- 

( I ) John Buckley, the immigr;uit ancestor 
of the Buckley family in America here dealt 
with, was living in Leipsic, Germany, where 
he was drafted against his will into the Hes- 
sian army that was sent to this country during 
the revolutionary war to aid the British. At 
the battle of Saratoga, when General Bur- 
goyne surrendered, he was captured and sent 
to Boston, where he escaped and settled in 
New Hampshire at Jaflfray. The time of his 
coming to this country would be about the 
year 1777, and he was probably then a little 
over twenty years old. He married, about 
the year 1784, Margaret Dunlap, and had 
children among whom was John Jr., men- 
tioned below. 

(H) John (2), son of John (i) and Mar- 
garet (Dunlap) Buckley, was born at Jaffray, 
New Hampshire, May 3, 1786, died at Marl- 
boro, New York, June i, 1870. He spent his 
youth in his native town, and received his 
education in the public schools of the same 
place. When he was old enough he learned 
the wheelwright and machinist trades, and in 
1805 he was employed by Almy & Brown, of 
Providence, Rhode Island, where he remained 
for three years. In 1809 the Pleasant Valley 
Cotton Manufacturing Company was organ- 
ized in Dutchess county. New York, and he 
was engaged to superintend the construction 
of the water wheel and running gear. Later 
he was invited to join the Cornwall Cotton 
Manufacturing Company, chartered in 181 1, 
where he became a stockholder and superin- 
tended the building of their wheel and ma- 
chinery. In 18 1 5 he purchased a carding and 
spinning mill, and a small farm in Marlboro, 
where he commenced carding and spinning 
wool for the farmers of Orange and Dutchess 
counties. In 1822 he enlarged the mill and 
took his brothers-in-law, James and John 
Thorne, and the mill was again enlarged and 
was known as the Marlboro Woolen Factory, 
making broadcloths and satinettes. Their 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



products were regularly exhibited at the fairs 
in New York, and in 1823 they received a 
premium of a silver pitcher for the best piece 
of blue broadcloth manufactured from Amer- 
ican wool. The firm was dissolved in 1830, 
Mr. Buckley continuing until 1855, in which 
year he converted his factory into a cotton 
mill making twine and cotton warp until the 
year 1861, when he retired. A period of about 
nine years elapsed between the date of his 
retirement and the date of his death. He was 
originally a Quaker, then Presbyterian, and 
later joined the Episcopal church at Marl- 
boro, New York. He was an ardent Repub- 
lican in politics. He was a particularly hearty 
supporter of the principles advocated by 
Henry Clay. 

The following is an item from the press 
relating to John (2) Buckley: "The first pub- 
lic sermon of the Protestant Episcopal Church 
of Marlboro was held February 12, 1837, in 
the district school house and among the lead- 
ing persons present were: Edward Arm- 
strong, Thomas Fyfe, John Buckley, Gabriel 
Merritt. Leonard S. Carpenter, and others". 

The following item also refers to John (2) 
Buckley: "Christ Church, Marlboro, was 
consecrated March 26. 1858, by Bishop Hor- 
atio Potter, and was attended by a large num- 
ber of pastors from New York, Brooklyn and 
other towns along the Hudson. After the 
ceremonies were concluded the bishop and 
clergy were hospitably entertained at the 
home of Mr. John Buckley Sr." 

He married, about the year 181 5. Phoebe 
Thorne. The children were: i. Johii |r., born 
at Cornwall, New York. October 23, 1814, 
died at Marlboro, New York, September 27! 
1803; married Catherine Sands, of Cornwall, 
New York, June 17, 1840; there were no chil- 
dren: he passed most of his married life in 
New York; was a money broker and about 
1880 returned to Marlboro, passing the re- 
mainder of his days in the Buckley homestead ; 
clo.sely identified witli Christ Episcopal 
Church, Marlboro, being vestryman from 1850 
to 1859. also 1876 to 1870. 2.' Thomas Town- 
send, mentioned below. 3. Margaret, died in 
1872. 4. William P., mentioned below. 5 
Mercy Townsend, a member of Christ Epis- 
copal Church, Marlboro; still occupies the old 
homestead. 

(HI) Thomas Townsend, second son of 
John (2) and Phoebe (Thorne) Buckley, was 



born July 11, 1817, at Marlboro, New York, 
died February 6, 1887. He attended the vil- 
lage schools of his native town, and at the 
age of fourteen he became a clerk in a gen- 
eral store at Marlboro, later securing a clerk- 
ship in Nevvburg, New York. In the year 
1838 he went to New York and engaged in 
the wholesale dry goods business, and soon 
became largely interested in the importing and 
jobbing trade. In 1874 he retired from active 
business, spending his summers in his native 
town of Marlboro, and the winters in Brook- 
lyn. He was vice-president of the Bank of 
the Republic, receiver for the Atlantic & Pa- 
cific railroad, and director of the Metropolitan 
Gas Company and Home Insurance Company. 
He was a member and patron of the art and 
historical societies. He married, in 1844, 
Amelia A., born December. 1818, died June 
i.^. i<*^93. daughter of William R. Thompson, 
of New York. Children: i. William T.. 
rnentioned below. 2. John D., mentioned be- 
low. 3. Charles R., mentioned below. 

(HI) William F., third son of John (2) 
and Phoebe (Thorne) Buckley, was born in 
1820 at Marlboro. New York, died November 
29, 1902. He was a man of wide business 
experience, clear judgment, strict integrity 
and a high sense of duty. After several years' 
experience in a silk importing house in New 
York he purchased and loaded a vessel for 
San Francisco in 1840 and took out as a part 
of his cargo the timber and machinery of the 
first steamboat which ascended the Sacra- 
mento river. He was afterwards associated 
with the banking firm of Geldermeister De 
Fremery & Company, which built, after disas- 
trous fires had laid the city to waste, the first 
fire-proof structure in San Francisco. Re- 
turning to New York in 1854 he engaged in 
the shipping and commission business, and 
after the civil war established a branch of 
the firm of N. L. and G. Griswold in New 
Orleans. In 1873 he became interested in 
railroads and served at different times as 
director of the Atlantic & Pacific railroad, the 
St. Louis & San Francisco railroad, the Mis- 
souri Pacific railroad, and the Mahopac Falls 
railroad. He was one of the incorporators n\ 
the St. Louis & San Francisco Company, ami 
was for many years its treasurer. In 1875 
lie was chosen to succeed Samuel J. Tilden as 
president of the New York Balana Drv Dock 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



203 



Company, a position he held for many years. 
In 1889 he was one of the incorporators of 
the New York Security & Trust Company. 
Two years previously he had heen elected a 
trustee of the New York Life and at different 
times served as a member of the supervisory 
and agency committee, the finance committee, 
and the loss, auditing and executive commit- 
tee. 

(IV) Wilham T., eldest son of Thomas 
Townsend and Amelia A. (Thompson) Buck- 
ley, was born at Brooklyn, New York, Sep- 
tember 20, 1848, died in January, 1898. He 
was educated at a private school and was 
three years at Columbia College, New York. 
He left college in order to go into the dry 
goods business, becoming in course of time a 
partner in Buckley, Welling & Company. In 
the year 1875 Buckley, Welling & Company 
went out of business and he became a partner 
in Dunham, Buckley & Company, continuing 
in the business until January i, 1898. He 
married, in November, 1870, Frederica R., 
daughter of William C. Fowler. Children : 
I. Margaret Requa, died in infancy. 2. Thom- 
as T., born May 9, 1875. 3. Freida Requa. 
born May 30, 1879, ^i^d in 1888. 

(IV) John D., second son of Thomas 
Townsend and Amelia A. (Thompson) Buck- 
ley, was born March 30, 1850, at Brooklyn, 
New York. He was educated at the Poly- 
technic Institute, Brooklyn. New York. In 
1870 he became engaged in the wholesale gro- 
cery business in New York and continued 
until the year 1898 when he retired. He 
married, September 21. 1887, Mary, daughter 
■of EH A. Bronson, of Geneva, New York. 
There has been one daughter of the marriage, 
Marian Dunlap. 

(I\') Charles Ramsay, third son of Thomas 
Townsend and Amelia A. (Thompson) Buck- 
ley, was born at Brooklyn, New York, ^ilarch 
5, 1852. He was educated at the Polytechnic 
Institute, Brooklyn, and graduated at Colum- 
bia University in the class of 1874. He also 
graduated frnm the Sclmcil of Mines in the 
class of 1877. In addition he spent one year 
at the Columbia Law School. For a short 
time he was engaged in the mining business, 
but is now retired. He married Agnes, daugh- 
ter of Eli A. Bronson, of Geneva, New York ; 
there has been one dsughter of the marriage, 
Isobel Ramsav. 



This is a very old Dutch family, 
ROOSA early identified with the history 

of Southern New York, and still 
has numerous representatives scattered over 
the region. It appears very early in the set- 
tlement at Kingston, and Ulster county owes 
much of its development and progress to the 
industry, intelligence and enterprise of this 
family. 

(I)' Albert Heyman Roosa (whose father 
was Heyman when surnames were unknown 
among the Dutch people) arrived in New 
Netherlands in April, 1660, in the ship "Spot- 
ted Cow"', coming from Gelderland, Holland, 
He was accompanied by his wife, Wyntje Al- 
lard. and eight children. He settled in that 
part of Esopus which is now the town of 
Hurley, Ulster county. New York, and there 
engaged in farming. He participated in the 
first administration of the Lord's Supper at 
Esopus, December 25, 1660. Being possessed 
of considerable means he owned much prop- 
erty and exercised a large influence in the 
community. In the spring of 1661 his name 
was entered on a contract to secure the salary 
of Dominie Bloem at Wiltwyck, now Kings- 
ton. On the organization of the village of 
Hurley he was one of the first three schepens. 
or magistrates, who administered the affairs 
of the community. In 1661 he was one of a 
committee of three to enclose the village of 
Hurley as a means of protection against the 
Indians. He owned lot No. 24, where his 
home was destroyed by the Indians, June 7, 
1663, at which time two of his children were 
carried away captives. He was one of those 
who resented the tuijust treatment accorded 
to the people of the village by the British 
soldiers then quartered there in 1667, and 
because of his vigorous resistance he was 
adjudged guilty of sedition by the court in 
New York and banished from the colony. He 
was, however, restored to favor in 1669 by 
Governor Lovelace, who appointed him one 
of the overseers of New Dorp (Hurley). In 
the same year he was granted the privilege of 
setting up tanning vats and a brewing house. 
He was one of the petitioners for the ap- 
pointment of a minister, who could speak both 
Dutch and English ; served as a mustering 
officer : on April 5, 1670, was a sergeant in 
Captain Henry Pawling's company of militia, 
and in 1673 was captain of a company com- 
posed of men from Hurley and Marbletown. 



204 



SOUTHERN XEW YORK 



He died at Hurley, February 27, 1679, and 
in 1685 his widow was granted three hundred 
and twenty acres of land on account of his 
public service. Children: Arie, Heyman, 
Jan, Albertse, Ikee, Maritje, Neeltien, Jan- 
nitje, Aert, Annatje, Guert. 

(H) Jan Albertse, third son of Albert Hey- 
man and W'yntje (Allard) Roosa, resided in 
Hurley, New York. He married Hillegond 
VVillems \^an Buren. The family came from 
Holland and was known by the name of Wil- 
liams. He was a town officer, October 19, 
1708. 

(HI) Albert Jansen, son of Jan Albertse 
and Hillegond (Williams) Roosa, resided in 
Hurley, New York, where he received deeds 
for land March 24, 1724, and September 27, 
1742. He was elected colonel of the Hurley 
militia, April 5, 1720; fence viewer in 1721 ; 
trustee, 1722-27-32-37. In 1738 his name ap- 
pears on the muster roll of a foot company 
commanded by Captain Cornelis Wynkoop. 
He married, in 1709, Rebecca Schepmoes, bap- 
tized at Kingston, New York, November 6, 
1687, daughter of Derick and Marye (Wil- 
liams) Schepmoes. They had children bap- 
tized at Kingston: Dirck, October 2. 1715: 
Abraham, mentioned below ; Hillegond, died 
young; Zara, December 2, 1722; Hillegond, 
September 5, 1725; Ysaak, May 19, 1728. 

(IV) Abraham, second son of Albert Jan- 
sen and Rebecca (Schepmoes) Roosa, was 
baptized March 23. 1718, in Kingston, New 
York, and probably resided at Hurley, which 
was under the ecclesiastic jurisdiction of 
Kingston. Because of the remoteness of resi- 
dence it is apparent that many members of 
this family were not recorded at Kingston. 
The banns for the marriage of Abraham 
Roosa to Elizabeth Rutsz were published 
June 17, 1744, at Kingston, and they were 
given a certificate July 8, following, but the 
date of marriage is not in the church records. 
She was baptized November 15, 1724, ac- 
cording to the Kingston church records, and 
was born at Rosendaal, daughter of Tacob and 
Lea (Nienwkcrk') Rutsz. The baptism of 
three of their children are recorded at Kings- 
ton. Albert, April 7. 1745; Lea, April 12, 
1747; Jacob. December 31, 1749. It is prob- 
able that their parents removed about this time 
to a remote section of Ulster county, or to 
Orange county. 

(V) Isaac Abrahamsc. son of Abraham and 



Elizabeth (Rutsz) Roosa, was a soldier in the 
revolutionary army. He first was a private 
in the Albany Company Militia, Second Regi- 
ment; he was commissioned September 20, 
I775> <is ensign in the Tenth Company of 
Mamakating Precinct, under Captain John 
Creag and Colonel James McClaughrey. He 
was appointed first lieutenant, November 4, 
1778, in the Hanover Precinct Company, un- 
der Captain William Simrall. 

(\T) John, son of Isaac Abrahamse Roosa, 
was born in Orange county, New York. He 
was buried in Bethel. Sullivan county, New 
York. He married Dolly Duryea. 

(VII) Dr. Isaac Roosa, son of John and 
Dolly (Duryea) Roosa, was born 1792, died 
at Bethany, Wayne county, Pennsylvania, in 
1837. He was a very eminent and successful 
physician and surgeon and rode on horseback 
through a wide region surrounding Bethany 
in the care of his patients. I le married Mary 
Kellogg. 

(VIII) John I^ercival, son of Dr. Isaac and 
Mary (Kellogg) Roosa, was born November 
8, 1823, in Bethany, Pennsylvania, died July 
5, 1902. He was deprived of a liberal educa- 
tion by the death of his father when he was 
less than fourteen years old. It had been his 
father's hope to give him a college training. 
When fifteen years of age he went to Bethel, 
Sullivan county. New York, to reside with an 
uncle, Charles B. Roosa, and was employed as 
a clerk in the latter's store. Being intelligent 
and active he became thoroughly familiar with 
the mercantile business, and in 1853 he opened 
a store at White Lake, New York, where he 
continued in business several years. Later he 
operated a store at Bethel, New Y'ork. which 
he conducted for a period of twelve years, 
and then turned it over to his son, Charles B. 
After spending one year at Walton, New 
York, he removed to Monticello, Sullivan 
county, where he lived retired from active 
business. He married Hannah J., daughter 
of Moses and Elizabeth (Mitchell) Calkin, of 
Cochecton, New York, where her grandfather 
built his first house of hewed pine logs in 
1787. Moses Calkin was born 1785, died 
February 12, 1865. Children of John P. 
Roosa and wife: i. Mary Elizabeth, born 
September 17, 1847; married Rev. E. B. 
Wells, a Presbyterian clergyman, and lived in 
Chase, Kansas ; they had no children, but 
reared an adopted daughter Anna, who be- 




> 





^.X'^ 



i 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



came the wife of Henry Kerr, and resided in 
Oklahoma, having three daughters. 2. Charles 
Baker, born September 23, 1851; succeeded 
his father in business at Bethel, which he 
sold, and removed to Spokane, Washington ; 
he married Charity Sturtevant, of Bethel, in 
1890, and has children : Percival Floyd, 
Charles Baker, Susie Sturtevant. 3. Isaac 
Percival, mentioned below. 4. Frank Judson, 
born March i, 1856; is head of the drug firm 
of Roosa & Radcliff, of Cincinnati, Ohio ; his 
'son, John Percival Roosa, was born in i8g6. 
5. Sarah Curtis, born November 9, 1859 ; mar- 
ried Richard Oakley, of Rlonticello, and re- 
sides in Spokane, \\^ashington ; her son, Rich- 
ard Hamilton Oakley, was born in 1887. 6. 
John Percival, mentioned below. The mother 
of these children now resides in the home at 
Monticello which was purchased by her hus- 
band thirty-six years ago. 

(IX) Isaac Percival, son of John Percival 
(i) and Hannah (Calkin) Roosa, was born 
January 28, 1854, in Bethel, New York, where 
he spent a part of his youth, and where he 
acquired the elementary parts of his education. 
He attended the Monticello Academy and 
graduated from Cornell University in 1S74. 
He was for several years in the foreign freight 
department of the Pennsylvania railroad at 
New York, and in 1886 was appointed deputy 
United States despatch agent in New York 
City. He became despatch agent, October 31, 
1890. 

(IX) John Percival (2). youngest child of 
John Percival (i) and Hannah (Calkin) 
Roosa, was born January 6, 1S62, in Bethel, 
New York, where he spent his boyhood and 
was wont to make himself useful about his 
father's store. Early in life he conceived the 
idea of taking up the profession of law and 
began his studies with Judge Bush at Monti- 
cello. In order to prepare himself thoroughly 
for his life's work he entered Princeton Col- 
lege, and later graduated from Columbia Law 
School, New York. In 1884 he was admitted 
to the bar and immediately took up the prac- 
tice of his profession in IMonticello, where he 
had a distinguished career as a pleader and 
jurist. In 1889 he was elected special county 
judge, and in 1895 was elected district attor- 
ney, succeeding himself by re-election in 1898. 
In 1905 he was elected county judge and sur- 
rogate and was subsequently considered as a 
candidate for judge of the third judicial dis- 



trict to succeed the late Judge Fitts. Al- 
ways taking a keen interest in the prog- 
ress of his home and state, he became 
actively interested in politics and was made 
chairman of the Republican county com- 
mittee in 1891, continuing in this capacity for 
several years. In 1904 he was an alternate 
delegate to the Philadelphia convention which 
nominated William McKinley for president 
and was a regular delegate to the Chicago 
convention which nominated Theodore Roose- 
velt. He participated in many congressional 
district conventions and was always recog- 
nized as a leader in the councils of his party. 
Being much interested in historical matters 
Judge Roosa became an early member of the 
Holland Society of New York, and was iden- 
tified with several societies. He was a mem- 
ber of the State Bar Association of New 
York, serving as a member of its admission 
committee, and was also a member of the 
Princeton Club of New York. He was an 
associate member of the Hook and Ladder 
Firemen of Monticello, president of the Vil- 
lage Improvement Society, and trustee of the 
Sullivan County Society for the Prevention 
of Cruelty to Animals. He served as a mem- 
ber of the board of education, and was two 
terms village president. A man of sympa- 
thetic nature, generous in judgment and purse, 
loyal to his friends, cool and judicious in 
business judgment and a gentleman at all 
times, he was very popular among all classes 
of people in his home town. He died at his 
home in Monticello, February 22, 1910, and 
his untimely death was regretted by the entire 
community. For some years his health had 
been failing, but he bravely struggled against 
physical weakness, continuing his practice un- 
til a short time before his death. 

He married, June 25, 1890, Caroline, daugh- 
ter of John P. and Mary Jones, and great- 
granddaughter of John P. Jones, founder of 
the village of Monticello. 



The family name is said to 
SEABURY have been originally Sed- 

borough, and to have be- 
longed to a Somersetshire family, which 
though not conspicuous in English history 
appears to have been of good standing'. 
Weaver, in his "Visitations of Somerset", 
gives four generations of this family. They 
are associated with Porlock, Frome, and other 



I 



206 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



parts of that county. A hamlet of the name 
of Seaborough is on the southerly border of 
Somerset, near to Devon and Dorset, and a 
surname of this form appears in 1667. Bol- 
ton, in his "History of the Church in West- 
chester County" ('New York, 1855, pp. 79, 
80). in an account of the family affirms its 
identity with that of Scdborough, and gives 
its arms as: Argent a fcsse engraillcs betiveen 
three ibexes passant sable. In E. de Ver- 
mont's "America Heraldica" these arms are 
depicted, and included among those of fam- 
ilies settled in this country before 1789. They 
are in use in various branches of the Seabury 
family. 

The name appears in the western world, 
first in 1638, in the records of an English 
company chartered for the settlement and 
plantation of Providence Lsland in the West 
Indies, and soon after, in 163Q, in New Eng- 
land. The name has in its history had per- 
haps more than the usual variations in spell- 
ing : Seabery, Saberry, Sebery, Sibery, Sea- 
bree, Sebree, Sedbery and Seaburry, are actual 
instances of variation. 

(I) John Seabury and Grace, his wife, ap- 
pear in Boston in 1630. he having, according 
to the town records, with leave bought a house 
and small plat of land there, and being in 
November of that year "Allowed for an In- 
habitant." He is described in that record as 
a ".Seaman." . In the church record of the 
admission of his wife Grace to membership. 
May 15, 1642, he is described as a planter. 
He is supposed to have been the person who 
under the same name was a resident in the 
Providence Plantation in 1638, and who, be- 
ing dissatisfied with his treatment by the local 
authorities, although he was sustained by the 
government and company resident in England, 
departed from that island. It is notable that 
the John Seabury. of Boston, appears there 
within a year from the departure from Provi- 
dence Island, and that after residing in Bo.ston 
a few years he went to the West Indies with 
his wife Grace, residing in Barbadoes until 
his death about 1659. 

During his residence in Boston, the town 
records show the birth of Samuel, son of John 
and Grace Seabury, December to, 1640. 'The 
baptiMii of this Samuel is shown by the church 
records to have been on the 22nd of May, 
1642, where he is described as "being about a 
ycare & half old." It appears from records 



of a suit brought by this Samuel Seabury, 
in 1662, in relation to the Boston property, 
that his father had before that date died in 
Barbadoes, and had left beside Samuel, an- 
other son, John, and daughters. No subse- 
quent record of John or his sisters in Barba- 
does has appeared. All the known descend- 
ants of John and Grace Seabury, of Boston, 
in 1639, trace through their son Samuel, 
above-mentioned. 

(II) Dr. Samuel Seabury, son of John Sea- 
bury, according to Winsor, came from Bostofi 
and settled in Duxbury, Massachusetts, before 
1660. He was a physician and surgeon, and 
a man eminent and influential in the early 
history of that town, where he spent the re- 
mainder of his life, dying August 5, 1681, in 
his forty-first year. His name was written 
Seabury, Seaberry and also Saberry ; and his 
will was signed "Sanuiel Saberrey." In the 
family descriptions he is called, in distinction 
from other Samuels, Dr. Samuel Seabury, of 
Duxbury. He married (first) November 9, 
1660, Patience, daughter of William and Eliz- 
abeth (Partridge) Kemp; children: Samuel, 
born April 20, 1666; John, born in 1674; also 
of this marriage there were several daughters, 
the only one of whom to marry was Hannah, 
wife of John Partridge, through whom many 
of the name of Partridge trace to Dr. Samuel 
-Seabury. He married (second) April 4, 1677, 
Martha, daughter of William Pabodic and his 
wife. Elizabeth Alden, daughter of John and 
Priscilla (Mullins) Alden. Children: Jos- 
eph, born June 8. 1678 ; Martha, September 
23, 1679, married Joseph Sawyer, through 
whom many descendants of that name trace 
to Dr. Samuel Seabury. 

It appears from the foregoing that the 
name of Seabury, after the time of Dr. Sam- 
uel Seabury, is carried on in three main lines 
of descent from him. After a brief general 
account of each of the heads of those three 
lines, will be given, more in detail the de- 
scendants of John, the head of the second of 
the three main lines. 

(Ill) Dr. Samuel (2) Seabury, the fifth of 
the name counting from John the emigrant, 
and the third child of Dr. Samuel (i) and 
Patience (Kemp) Seabury, was born in Dux- 
bury, Massachusetts, April 20, 1666. He lived 
in that place somewhat more than the first 
half of his nearly a century of life. His fa-, 
ther's will gave him the surgical books and 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



207 



instruments which he had used as a doctor, 
and also gave to him his landed property in 
Duxbury. He made extensive additions to 
this, acquiring land in other parts of Massa- 
chusetts and in Connecticut. In 1695 ^l^ 
deeded to his brother John the property, some 
eighty acres, at the Brick Kilns, which was 
part of the inheritance from his father. Dur- 
ing his residence in Duxbury he was often 
engaged as agent of the town ; represented it 
in the general court of the colony, and served 
as town treasurer. Winsor notes his having 
succeeded to his father's position as physician, 
and speaks of him as a prominent man in the 
town as treasurer and representative, and also 
as a prominent member of the church, and an 
ensign in militia. In 1727, being then at the 
end of his sixty-first year, he sold his farm in 
Duxbury, and removed to North Yarmouth, 
Maine, where he resided until his death, No- 
vember 10, 1763, in the ninety-eighth year of 
his age. He was prominent in that place 
throughout his residence, and acquired a large 
landed property there. He acted as moderator 
in the formal re-organization of the settle- 
ment as a town in 1733. and previous to that, 
in 1730, was the first of eight inhabitants who 
under their pastor, Ammi R. Cutter, organ- 
ized a Congregational church there, of which 
congregation he was deacon and elder. He 
is commonly spoken of for this reason as 
Elder Samuel Seabury. He married (first) 
in his twenty-third year, December 13, 1688, 
Abigail Allen, who died March 31, 1733; he 
married (second) in his seventy-third year, 

September 27, 1738, Margaret • , widow of 

Stephen Larrabee, who died May 18, 1754, 
there being no issue by this second marriage. 
By the first marriage he had twelve children, 
of whom five lived to maturity and left issue, 
viz.: Benjamin, Samuel, Barnabas, Abigail, 
Patience. The daughter, Abigail, was mar- 
ried to her cousin, David Seabury, son of 
John, of the third generation, of which mar- 
riage there have been many Seabury descend- 
ants ; and the daughter. Patience, was mar- 
ried to Dr. Gilbert Winslow, whence came 
many Winslow descendants from the Seabury 
stock. The sons, Benjamin, Samuel and 
Barnabas, have many descendants ; those of 
Benjamin in Connecticut, New York and else- 
where; those of Samuel at Duxbury, and 
those of Barnabas (who removed with his 
father to North Yarmouth) in Maine. It is 



to be observed that this Maine branch, in 
whatever states its members may since have 
settled, is the oldest branch of the family, 
since they are descended from the oldest son 
of Dr. Samuel Seabury. The number of those 
descendants is very greatly increased by the 
marriage of Elder Samuel Seabury's daughter 
Abigail to David, son of John Seabury, as 
above noted. These, however, though de- 
scended from the oldest son of Dr. Samuel, 
are so descended through a female line, and 
their line of descent from David Seabury 
properly classifies them as belonging to that 
younger branch of the family which derives 
from Dr. Samuel's second son, John. 

(Ill) Lieutenant Joseph Seabury, the 
eleventh of the name counting from John 
the emigrant, and the youngest son of 
Dr. Samuel (i), though the first child of 
second marriage with Martha Pabodie, 
was born June 8, 1678, and is known as 
Lieutenant Joseph Seabury. He settled in 
Tiverton, Rhode Island, where he built a 
house which has remained in the hands of 
several generations after him. His descend- 
ants are very numerous in Rhode Island, Mas- 
sachusetts and elsewhere. Many of them have 
been eminent, and the care of some of them 
for the preservation of the family history has 
been very noticeable. A good deal of the 
family lore has come from the records of Tiv- 
erton and Little Compton, the home places of 
the Rhode Island branch. Lieutenant Joseph 
Seabury died August 22, 1755. and was buried 
at Little Compton. He married (first), Sep- 
tember 25, 1 701, Phoebe Smith, born in 1679. 
died April 21, 1715, widow of John Smith and 
daughter of Lieutenant William Fobes and 
Elizabeth Southworth, his wife. Children : 
Samuel, born June 5, 1702; Martha, February 
7, 1704; Joseph, December 2. 1705; Benjamin. 
January 20, 1708; Sion, March 27, 1713; 
Mary, April 17, 1715. He married (second) 
Mary Ladd, born in 1699, died in 1734. daugh- 
ter of William and Elizabeth (Tompkins) 
Ladd. Children: Phoebe, born March 2, 1723- 
24; Hannah, February 7, 1724-25; Gideon, 
May 16, 1726; John, November 26. 1727; 
Elizabeth, February 2, 1729; Sarah, Decem- 
ber 4, 1732; Ichabod. January 18, 1734. 

With what now immediately follows, about 
the other brother, John, is shown the earliest 
known history of the family and indicates its 
three main divisions, derived respectively from 



208 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



the first, second and third sons of Dr. Samuel 
Seabiiry, of Duxbury, Massachusetts. 

(Ill) Deacon John Seabury, the tenth of 
tliat name counting from John the emigrant 
and the eighth child of Dr. Samuel and 
Patience (Kemp) Seabury, was born at Dux- 
bury, Massachusetts, in 1674. He received 
by the deed of gift previously mentioned, from 
h'is brother Samuel, very probably as an equit- 
table share of the father's estate devised to 
the eldest son, the house of his father and 
some eighty acres in Duxbury, in 1695, which 
was the year of his attaining his majority. On 
December 9, 1696, he married Elizabeth, 
daughter of David and Mary (Southworth) 
Alden, the said David being the son of John 
and Priscilla (Mullins) Alden. It is to be 
noted that this is the second connection of 
Seabury and Alden. The descendants of Dr. 
Samuel Seabury, through his younger son. 
Tohn, trace to John Alden through his grand- 
daughter, Elizabeth, and Dr. Samuel Seabury 's 
descendants through his youngest son, Joseph, 
trace to John Alden through his daughter, 
Elizabeth, whose daughter (Martha Pabodie) 
was Dr. Samuel Seabury 's second wife. 

John Seabury removed froin Duxbury to 
Stonington, Connecticut, and thence to Gro- 
ton. opposite New London, in the same state. 
Here he spent the remainder of his life well 
established both in civil and religious associa- 
tions. He is frequently mentioned in various 
concerns by Hempstead in his diary. He was 
a deacon in the Congregational Society in 
Groton. and is commonly spoken of as Deacon 
John Seabury. His death took place while he 
was on a visit to his son. Rev. Samuel Sea- 
bury, M. A., rector of St. George's Church. 
Hempstead, December 17, 1759, in the eighty- 
sixth year of his age, as his tombstone in the 
churchyard there records. 

The children of Deacon John and Elizabeth 
(Alden) Seabury were: David, born January 
16. 1699; John, January i, 1700. died in in- 
fancy; Patience, May 5. 1702: John, May 22. 
1704; Samuel, see forward; Mary, November 
II, 1708; Sarah, March 16, 1710-11; Na- 
thaniel, July 31, 1720. Two of the daughters 
of this family. Patience and Mary, married 
and had children. Of Sarah, the third daugh- 
ter, appears no record. Patience married 
three times, (first) Joseph Latham; (second) 
Renj.nmin Starr; (third) Francis Griswold. 
and is said to have issue by each marriage. 



Mary married Jonathan Starr, and from that 
marriage there are very many Seabury de- 
scendants in the Starr family. Four sons of 
Deacon John Seabury married and had issue. 
David, as before noted, married his cousin, 
Abigail Seabury, of the Maine line, and there 
are many who trace through him to Deacon 
John, second son of Dr. Samuel Seabury, 
and through her to Elder Samuel, first son 
of Dr. Samuel Seabury. John, son of Deacon 
John, resided in Groton, and died in 1744. 
Hempstead speaks of him as an iim-holder, 
and of his father, by way of distinction, as 
"Deacon Seabury" and "Old Mr. Seabury." 
He also mentions his marriage to Esther, 
daughter of Captain James Rogers and widow 
of Benjamin Shepley. Three children of this 
marriage have not been traced. Nathaniel, the 
youngest son of Deacon John Seabury, mar- 
ried Michal, and left two sons, Nathaniel 

and David, the latter of whom is of illustrious 
memory, as having been one of the devoted 
garrison of Fort Griswold, all of whom were 
treacherously slaughtered by the British under 
Benedict Arnold, and wliose name is engraved 
on the column there erected. He married 
Elizabeth Chester, and many of his descend- 
ants are traceable to the present time. The 
fourth son and fifth child of Deacon John and 
Elizabeth (Alden) Seabury, with whose line 
this notice is especially concerned was Sam- 
uel Seabury. 

(IV) Rev. Samuel (3) Seabury, son of 
Deacon John and Elizabeth (Alden) Seabury, 
was born at Groton, Connecticut, July 8, I70(5, 
died at Hempstead, June 15, 1764. He received 
his education partly at Yale College and partly 
at Harvard, whence he graduated in 1724, 
receiving later the degree of M. A. from Yale. 
To distinguish him from other Samuels and 
otlier clericals, he is called Rev. Samuel Sea- 
bury, M. A. He was for a few years a Con- 
gregational minister, serving in Maine and in 
Connecticut, but conforming to the Church 
of England, received Episcopal ordination in 
1730 in London, England, from the bishop 
of that see. Returning to this country as a 
missionary of the English Society for Propa- 
gating the Gospel, he was one of the founders 
and the first rector of the Church of St. 
James, in New London, Connecticut, which 
position he held up to the time of his being 
made rector of St. George's Church. Hemp- 
stead, in 1742. He removed thither about 



SOUTHERN' NEW YORK 



209 



1743, and held that position until he died. Dur- 
injj his residence in New London, and later in 
Hempstead, he was assiduous in missionary 
work in surrounding places, and thus became 
the founder of several additional parishes, both 
in Connecticut and in New York. He served 
regularly while living in Hempstead two other 
parishes at distances involving a forty-mile 
ride on horseback for the services held in a 
day. He went also on invitation into Dutchess 
county, where he held the first church of Eng- 
land services, and organized Trinity Church, 
Fishkill. New York. He was a man of 
extraordinary energy and faithfulness, and 
added to his pastoral labors by the practice of 
medicine and the teaching of a school which 
he kept in his own house. His only publica- 
tions were a sermon, preached in England, and 
a pamphlet written in defense of attacks made 
upon him for encroaching upon the neighbor- 
hood of ministers not of the Church of Eng- 
land. 

He married (first), about 1727, Abigail 
Mumford, born September 3, 1710, died in 
1731, daughter of Thomas and Hannah (Rem- 
ington) Mumford; by whom: Caleb, born 
February 27, 1728; Samuel, see forward. He 
married (second) Elizabeth Powell, who sur- 
vived him, and their children were five sons 
and three daughters. The sons, of whom Dr. 
Adam Seabury was the eldest, remained for 
the most part in Hempstead and have a worthy 
and respected posterity ; of the daughters, one, 
Elizabeth, married Dr. Benjamin Tredwell, 
and another, Abigail, married Gilbert Van 
Wyck. Both the Tredwell and Van Wyck de- 
scendants are very numerous, and through 
their marriages include many other names scat- 
tered throughout the United States and Can- 
ada. Of the sons of the first wife, Caleb, the 
elder, the name of whose wife is unknown, 
is said to have left two sons. Caleb and John. 
Nothing is known of the son Caleb ; but the 
son John was a man of character and position, 
who resided in \'ermont. and served in the war 
of 181 2 with the rank of colonel. He mar- 
ried Mary . and afterwards Dorothy Har- 
ris, and his progeny is fully set forth in the 
book of Harris Genealogy by N. H. Harris. 

(V) Bishop Samuel (4) Seabury, son of 
Rev. Samuel (3) and Abigail (Mumford) 
Seabury, was born at Groton, Connecticut, 
November 30, 1729, died in New London. 
Connecticut, February 25, 1796. His boyhood 



was spent with his father in the place of his 
nativity, as well as in New London and 
Hempstead, whence he entered Yale College, 
graduating in 1748. He afterwards received 
from that college the degree of M. A., and 
later (1777) from the University of Oxford 
the degree of Doctor of Divinity. He studied 
medicine at the University of Edinburgh, 
Scotland, in 1751 or 1752, and in 1753 was 
ordained in London both deacon and priest. 
Returning as missionary of the Society for 
Propagation of the Gospel, he had charge for 
a year or so of the church in New Brunswick, 
New Jersey, and in 1757 was collated by Gov- 
ernor Sir Charles Hardy to the rectorate of 
Grace Church, Jamaica. New York, and in 
1766, by mandate of Governor Sir Henry 
Moore, was inducted rector of .St. Peter's, 
Westchester, New York, and there resided and 
officiated until the troubles of the revolution 
caused the discontinuance of his ministrations 
in that place. Adhering to the legitimate gov- 
ernment, which he regarded as essential to 
the preservation of the church, he was con- 
spicuously involved in controversies with the 
revolutionary party from the time of his first 
charge in New Brunswick until he was kid- 
napped from his parsonage in Westchester by 
a band of patriots under Captain Sears, in 
November, • 1775, by whom he was taken on 
horseback to New Haven, where he was im- 
prisoned for about six weeks, until released 
on demand of the president of the provincial 
congress in New York and allowed to return 
home. The animosity against him was par- 
ticularly intensified by his authorship of what 
are known as the Farmer Pamphlets, from his 
signature of A. W. Farmer. His continued 
molestation made his residence at home im- 
possible, and he went within the British lines 
in New York. Here he resided during the 
war. serving as chaplain of the King's .Amer- 
ican Regiment by commission of Sir Henry 
Clinton, officiating as missionary at St. An- 
drew's Church, on Staten Island, and for the 
better support of his family practicing med- 
icine in the city. At the close of the war he 
was elected. March 25. 1783, by the Church 
of England clergy in Connecticut as bishop 
of the church in that state, and in June fol- 
lowing sailed for England, seeking consecra- 
tion. The English bishops, though opposing 
no personal objection to the applicant, did 
not feel themselves free, on account of their 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



state connection, to consecrate him, and he 
sought and obtained, November 14, 1784, con- 
secration at the hands of three bishops of 
the Scottish church, who were of the same 
Episcopal lineage as the English, but whose 
connection with the state had long been sev- 
ered. He returned to Connecticut in 1785; he 
resided in New London and discharged the 
duties of the Episcopate and of the rectorate 
of St. James's Cluirch for about eleven years, 
until his death. In 1790 the church of Rhode 
Island also came under his jurisdiction. He 
was the first bishop of settled jurisdiction in 
the United States. Two others were conse- 
crated in England, in 1787, and one in 1790, 
and he united with these three in the con- 
secration, in 1792, of Claggett, of Maryland, 
through whom every subsequent American 
bishop of their Communion traces. He was 
the first president of the House of Bishops of 
the Protestant Episcopal Church, and im- 
pressed upon the Liturgy of that church its 
most distinguished characteristic. His bones 
repose beneath an altar tomb in the Church 
of St. James, and there are many memorials of 
him, both there and elsewhere in the United 
States, as also in Scotland and in England. 
His published works are numerous, but apart 
from controversial papers, mostly sermons. 
Two volumes of these were published before 
his death, and one, prepared by him for the 
press, afterwards. A life of him was pub- 
lished by Rev. Dr. E. E. Beardsley, in 1881, 
and a Memoir of him, in 1908, by Rev. Dr. W. 
J. Seabury. 

Bishop Samuel Seabury married. October 
12, 1756, Mary, daughter of Edward and 
X'ioletta TRicketts) Hicks, of Staten Lsland. 
New York. Their children were: Violetta 
Ricketts, Abigail Mumford, Mary, Samuel. 
Edward. Charles, sec forward. All of these, 
except Mary, were married, and the two mar- 
ried daughters left children ; but none of the 
sons had issue, excepting the youngest son, 
Charles, therefore all the descendants of the 
bishop trace through him if of the name of 
Seabury. 

(VI) Rev. Charles Seabury, son of Bishop 
Samuel (4) and Marv (Hicks) Seabury, was 
born at Westchester, New York, May 29, 1770, 
died at Setauket, Long Island, December 29! 
1844- He went to New London when his 
father settled there in 1785; studied under 
tutors, and was ordained deacon by his father. 



in 1793, and priest, by Bishop Provoost, of 
New York, in 1799. He officiated some time 
at Grace Church, Jamaica, Long Island, suc- 
ceeded his father as rector of St. James, and 
so remained until 1814, when he became rec- 
tor of Caroline Church, at Setauket, Long 
Island. New York. Here he resided until his 
death, having charge also of the churches at 
Huntington and at Islip. He was eminently 
the faithful pastor and his works were in the 
hearts of his people. He was, as his father had 
been, a member of the Masonic Order. He 
married (first) June 13, 1799, Anne, daughter 
of Rosewell and Elizabeth (Stewart) Salton- 
stall, of New London. He married (second) 
Elizabeth (Handy) Moscrop, widow of Rev. 
Henry Moscrop. Of this second marriage 
there was no issue; the children of the first 
marriage were five sons, and one daughter, 
who died in infancy. Of the five sons, two 
died unmarried, and the other three. Samuel, 
Charles Saltonstall and Richard Francis, mar- 
ried and left issue. Charles Saltonstall Seabury 
married Ruth Hawkins Mount ; lived at Stony 
Brook. Long Island, and left three sons and 
three daughters. His only male descendant 
bearing the name at present is Edward 
Scratchley Seabury. son of Thomas Shepard 
Seabury, second son of Charles Saltonstall 
Seabury. Richard Francis Seabury married 
(first) Lydia Maria Russell, and (second) 
Catherine Eliza Russell, and had three sons by 
the second marriage, Charles, Richard and 
Samuel, and several daughters, all settled in 
Illinois. Of these, Charles had one son, 
Charles \\'ard Seabury, and Samuel had two 
sons, Edward F. and William Samuel. This 
line is therefore continued in the eldest son 
of Rev. Charles Seabury. 

(VII) Rev. Samuel (5) Seabury, son of 
Rev. Charles and Anne (Saltonstall) Seabury, 
was born at New London, Cotinecticut, June 
9, 1801, died in New York City. October 10, 
1872. His boyhood was spent in New London 
until in his fourteenth year he went with his 
father to Setauket, Long Island. He had scant 
facilities, but with an unquenchable thirst for 
learning, acquired it in large measure, and 
early began to teach others, starting for him- 
self when about twenty years old a school for 
boys in Brooklyn. He was ordained by Bishop 
Hobart. of New York, deacon, in 1826, and 
priest, in 1827. He had several pastorates on 
Long Island, and was professor in St. Paul's 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



College, at Flushing. About 1833 he became 
editor of the Neiv York Churchman, making it 
a distinguished leader in church journalism 
until about 1850. In 1838 he was founder 
and first rector of the Church of the Annun- 
ciation in the City and Diocese of New York, 
holding that rectorate until 1868. From 1862 
to his death, in 1872, he was professor of 
Biblical Learning and Interpretation in the 
General Theological Seminary in New York 
City. He was for years a distinguished and 
useful member of the standing committee of 
the New York Diocese. He received from 
Columbia College the honorary degrees of 
M. A. and D.D. Besides his editorial and homi- 
letic writings, which were of extraordinary 
volume and power, his published works were 
numerous. Chief of these in book form were 
a "Life of Augustine, Bishop of Hippo," "The 
Continuity of the Church of England in the 
Sixteenth Century," "American Slavery Dis- 
tinguished from the Slavery of English Theo- 
rists," and "The Theory and Use of the 
Church Calendar." 

He married (first) May 17, 1829, Lydia 
Huntington, daughter of Gurdon and Betsey 
(Tracy) Bill, who died April 16, 1834, leaving 
two daughters, Anne Saltonstall, who married 
Rev. Dr. William Walton, and Lydia, who be- 
came the wife of Samuel Peters Bell, Esq., of 
which marriage were sons and daughters. He 
married (second) November 17, 1835, Han- 
nah Amelia, born 1807, died 1852, daughter 
of Hon. William and Kezia (Youngs) Jones, 
of Queens covmty. Long Island. The chil- 
dren of this marriage were : William Jones, 
see forward ; Kezia, married James Weeks, by 
whom several sons and one daughter; Mary, 
married Rev. Henry A. Parker, having five 
sons ; Ellen Amelia, married Rev. Charles W. 
Ward, having one son, Charles Seabury Ward, 
now deceased without issue ; Susan, died in in- 
fancy. He married (third") October 17, 1854, 
Mary Anna Schuyler, daughter of Hon. Sam- 
uel and Catherine f -Schuyler) Jones, of which 
marriage was one daughter, Catherine Regina 
Seabury. 

(VIII) Rev. William Jones Seabury, son 
of Rev. Samuel (5) and Hannah Amelia 
(Tones) Seabury, was born in New York 
City, January 25, 1837. He graduated B. .A., 
Columbia College, in 1856; M. A., of the same. 
in 1859; D. D., of Hobart College, in 1874; 
ad eundcm. General Theological Seminary, in 



1885. He was admitted to the bar of the state 
of New York in 1858, and practiced in New 
York City until 1864, when he entered t^ie 
General Theological Seminary, graduating in 
1866; was ordained deacon and priest by 
Bishop Horatio Potter, of New York, in 1866; 
rector of the Church of the Annunciation 
from 1868 to 1898; Professor of Ecclesias- 
tical Polity and Law in the General Theo- 
logical Seminary since 1873; author of "Man- 
ual for Choristers," 1878 ; "Lectures on Apos- 
tolic Succession," 1893 ; "Introduction to the 
Study of Ecclesiastical Polity," 1894; "Notes 
on the Constitution of 1901," published in 
1902; "Memoir of Bishop Seabury," 1908; 
also of many reviews and casual papers ; editor 
"Memoir of Rev. Samuel Seabury, D. D.," 
1873, and of discourses and other papers of 
the same, 1874. (See "Who's Who," A. N. 
Marquis, Chicago). 

Rev. William Jones Seabury married, Octo- 
ber 29, 1868, Alice Van Wyck Beare, born 
June 1, 1848, died February 24, 1904, daugh- 
ter of Thomas Marston and Mary Susan 
(Saltonstall) Beare. The children of this 
marriage were two sons and three daughters: 
Susan Saltonstall, married to Dr. Edmund 
Wallen Bill, having two daughters ; Lydia 
Winthrop, married to William H. P. Oliver, 
having three sons and one daughter, and 
Muriel Gurdon, married to Rev. William O. 
Jarvis, and dying without issue, December 18, 
1907. The sons were Samuel, see forward, 
and William Marston Seabury, see forward. 

(IX) Samuel (6) Seabury, son of Rev. 
William Jones and Alice Van Wyck (Beare) 
.Seabury, was born in New York, New York, 
February 22, 1873. After graduating from 
the school of Wilson & Kellogg, he devoted 
himself directly to the study of law, and was 
first entered as a student in the ofifice of the 
late Stephen P. Nash, at the same time at- 
tending a course of night lectures for those 
engaged in office duty by day. In i8go he 
entered the first class, which graduated from 
the New York Law School, graduating LL. B., 
in 1893, and afterwards as a graduate studr^nt 
completed the course for the LL. M.. which 
the school was then not yet authorized to con- 
fer. He was admitted to the New York bar 
in 1894, and practiced in the firm of Seabury 
& Pickford, giving also much time to private 
instruction and preparation of students for 
bar examinations. He was later of the firm 



SOUTH KRX XEW YORK 



of Morgan & Seabiiry. In lyoi, at the age 
of twenty-eight, he was elected a judge of the 
city court of the city of Kew York, and serv- 
ing thus for five years, he was in 1906 elected 
a justice of the sujjrcme court of the state. 
On retiring from the first court named, he 
puhlished "The Law and Practice of the City 
Court of the City of New York," issued by 
Baker, \oorhis & Company, 1907, a volume 
of 1. 417 pages. His other literary labors in 
the way of casual papers as well as judicial 
opinions have been voluminous. He is a 
member of the Manhattan Club of New 
York, the City Club and the Reform Club. 

Judge Samuel Seabury married. June 6, 
1900. Josephine Maud, third daughter of Rev. 
Dr. Thomas Richcy, Professor of Ecclesi- 
astical History in the General Theological 
Seminary, and Emma Cecilia Bacot, his \vife. 
(IX) William Marston Seabury, son of 
Rev. William Jones and Alice Van W'yck 
(Beare) Seabury, was born in New York 
City, March 18, 1878. He was educated in 
part at the W'ilson & Kellogg School, and in 
part under tutors. He graduated from the 
New York Law School, LL. B., in 1S98, and 
was admitted to the bar of the state of New 
York in 1899, at which bar he was engaged 
in active practice until 1910, when ill-health 
compelled him to leave New York. He re- 
moved to Phoeni.x, Arizona, where he has 
since resided. He was admitted to practice 
before the supreme court of the United States 
in January. 1904. Prior to 1910 he appeared, 
especially in litigation of importance, before 
the courts of New Jersey and Illinois. He 
was regularly licensed to practice before all 
the courts of .Xrizona. in. 1910, and before 
the courts of California, both state and fed- 
eral, in 191 1, and before the commerce court 
at W^ashington, D. C, 1912. He is a member 
of the .\merican Bar .Association, the Associa- 
tion of the Bar of the City of New York, the 
New York State Bar .Association, the Arizona 
State Bar Association, and a member of the 
Society of Medical Jurisprudence. He is a 
member of the Maiihattan Chili, the Down 
Town Association, the Church Club and the 
Knickerbocker Whist Club, all of New York : 
the Society of Colonial Wars, the St. Nich- 
olas Society, the Society of Mayflower De- 
scendants, the Huguenot Societv of America. 
the Sons of the Revolution and Sons of the 
American Revolution. 



William Marston Seabury married, Novem- 
ber 10, 1900, Katharine Emerson, daughter of 
Rev. Henry Emerson Hovey (some time rec- 
tor of the historical St. John's Church, Ports- 
mouth, New Hampshire) and Sarah Louise 
Folsom. his wife, both of notable colonial de- 
scent. Children : Katharine Lispenard, born 
April I, 1902; Etheldreda Winthrop, March 
5, 1904; Muriel Gurdon, May 3, 1910. 

Note — Abstracted by permission, from Biograph- 
ical Record of Descendants of John Seabury. Bos- 
ton and Barbadoes, 1639-1659. now being published 
by \V J. Seabury. 



This family is of Welsh origin 
DAVIES and was first known under the 
name of Davies in 1581, when 
Robert ap David of Gwysany assumed it, and 
received confirmation of the family arms and 
grant of crest and motto. From the best in- 
formation that can be obtained, it appears that 
John Davies, the immigrant, was the only son 
of Thomas Davies, fourth son of Robert 
Davies of Gwysany Castle, in the jiarish of 
Mold, Flintshire, England. The family for 
years has ranked among the first of Xorth 
Whales. They derived an unbroken descent 
from the famed Cymric Efell, Lord of Eylwys 
Eyle, who lived A. D. 1200, son of Madoc ap 
Meredith, Prince of Powys Fadoc, sixth in 
descent from Merwyn, King of Powys, third 
son of Rodic Maur. 

(I) John Davies, the immigrant ancestor, 
was born in England, in Kingston parish in 
1680, and came to America in 1735 with his 
wife, Catherine Spenser. He settled in the 
western part of Litchfield county, Connecticut, 
and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of 
land from Thomas Lee for one hundred and 
fiiiv pounds, within the present town of Wash- 
ington. W'ithin fifteen years after his arrival 
he was owner of a large and valuable tract 
containing nearly a thousand acres of the besf 
land in Litchfield county. In religion he was 
Episcopalian, being one of the founders of the 
Episcopal church at Litchfield. On April 4. 
1747, he conveyed to Mr. Samuel Cole, as trus- 
tee for the church, a tract of fifty-two acres 
of land in Litchfield, to be held for the use and 
benefit of the minister of the church. At his 
request the church was named .St. Michael's, 
and the first service held April 23, 1749. In 
1747 Mr. Davies gave to his son a tract of four 
hundred and thirty acres, and in 1750 he gave 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



213 



to his grandsons, John, Thomas and William, 
one hundred and twenty acres of land. His 
wife died several years before he did, but the 
exact dates are unknown. He had only one 
child, John. 

(H) John (2), son of John (i) Davies, 
was born in England, in 171 1, died May 19, 
1797, aged eighty-six years. He was educated 
at the University of Oxford, and in 1734 mar- 
ried Elizabeth Brown, who died about 1739. 
He married (second) in England. 1744, Mary 
Powell, who died December 15, 1801, aged 
seventy-five years. He made two or more 
voyages to America before he finally settled 
here in 1747 on the land given him by his 
father. As a member of the Episcopal society 
in Litchfield he was influential. Like his 
father, he did not appear to have much interest 
in taking part in public atTairs. During the 
French and Indian war, 1757, he purchased a 
large tract of land in Saratoga county, New 
York, and went there to take possession, but 
was kept from his purpose by hostile Lidians, 
and returned to Connecticut in 1758. He and 
his family were Tories, and the property of 
his sons John and \\'illiam was confiscated, 
and John was fined and imprisoned for a year 
in Litchfield jail for giving aid to the royal 
cause. His young son David narrowly escaped 
death for the same reason, but was pardoned 
on enlisting in the continental army during 
the war, it is written, although his name does 
not appear on the war rolls. After the sepa- 
ration of Birch Plains of "Davies Hollow" 
from the township, the family withdrew from 
the church and built one principally at their 
own expense near their homes. Children, by 
first wife, born in England: John, mentioned 
below; Thomas, born January 2, 1737; Will- 
iam, born 1739, died in infancy. Children, by 
second wife, born in England : William, born 
January 29, 1744; Mary, March 17, 1745, died 
young; James, 1746, died in infancy; Walter, 
June 22, 1747. Born in America: Catherine, 
born July 20, 175 1 ; Elizabeth, July 3, 1753; 
.•\nn, November 18, 1755 ; James John, Decem- 
ber 31, 1757; David, March 14, 1759; Rachel, 
.\ugust 20. 1761 : George, February 12, 1764: 
Thomas. May 30, 1766. 

(IH) John (3), son of John (2) Davies, 
was born at Kingston, county of Hereford, 
England, June. 1735, and was brought to 
America by his father when young. In 1750 
his grandfather conveyed to him a tract of 



land, and in 1758 his father gave him sixty 
acres. During the revolution he was im- 
prisoned for aiding England's cause, as well 
as being deprived of his property. He was 
active in the organization of the Church of 
St. John, founded by his father. In 1793 or 
1794 he opened a store in the town of Wash- 
ington, in partnership with his son Thomas 
John. They also purchased cattle in the coun- 
try which they sold in New York. This enter- 
prise was successful until the summer of 1798, 
when there was an epidemic of yellow fever in 
New York, and the cattle drove sent there 
was an entire loss to him. This last blow 
seems to have discouraged him, and he died 
April 18, 1799, aged sixty-four. He married, 
in 1763, Eunice Hotchkiss, of New Haven, 
who died March 29, 1824, aged seventy-nine. 
Children : Elizabeth, Thomas John, Eunice, 
Esther, all born before 1774. 

(IV') Thomas John, son of John (3) Davies, 
was born at Davies Hollow, November, 1767. 
He lived near his father. As the rest of the 
family had been, he was an Episcopalian, and 
in August, 1796, he was elected chorister. In 
1798 he met with reverses in business and 
determined to start again on the shore of 
Black Lake, St. Lawrence county. New York. 
In 1800 he removed his family there and made 
a home in the wilderness. Soon many families 
were settled near, and Mr. Davies always had 
a leading part in the community. In politics 
he was a Democrat and for ten years held the 
office of sherifif of St. Lawrence county, and 
served for several years as county judge. Two 
sons, Charles and Thomas, he sent to the 
United States Military Academy at West 
Point. He died April 18, 1845, aged seventy- 
eight, and was buried on his own grounds at 
Black Lake. He married, December 29, 1792, 
Ruth Foote, daughter of Captain John Foote, 
of \\'atertown, Connecticut, who died Septem- 
ber 21, 1852. Children: Belvidcre, wife of 
Cieorge Ranney ; John Foote, Charles, Henry 
E., mentioned below; Thomas Alfred, and 
Eunice Ruth. 

iV) Henry Ebenezer, son of Thomas John 
Davies. was born at Black Lake, February 8, 
1805. At the age of fourteen he entered the 
family of the late Judge Alfred Conkling, at 
Canandaigua, to prepare for the profession of 
the law. On becoming of age he was admitted 
to the bar in Albany county, April, 1826. He 
began his professional career in Buffalo, theo 



214 

a small village on the western frontier. His 
first important case was between the owners 
of uplands who wished to extend warehouses 
into the river and shut oiif ancient rights of 
wav and by the aid of old residents, includmg 
the Seneca Chief, Red Jacket, establishing the 
fact that the right of way had existed from 
time immemorial, Mr. Davies won his case and 
his victory resulted in his election in the fol- 
lowing year as city attorney. In the winter of 
1S29-30 he removed to New York City and 
soon afterward formed a partnership with his 
uncle. Samuel A. Foote, and the firm contin- 
ued until 1848. when Mr. Foote retired. 
.■\mong the clients of the firm were various 
large corporations, including the Erie Rail- 
road Company. Mr. Davies next entered into 
partnership with Hon. William Kent, and the 
firm lasted until 1853. His next partner was 
Henry ]. Scudder, son-in-law of Prof. Charles 
Davies." When Mr. Davies was elected a ju.s- 
tice of the supreme court in 1855, James C. 
Carter, who had been a clerk of the firm, was 
admitted to partnership and the firm became 
Scudder & Carter. 

Mr. Davies was always a Whig in politics 
and was an able public speaker and cam- 
paigner. In 1840 he was elected assistant 
alderman of the City of New York from the 
Fifteenth Ward and in 1842 was chosen an 
alderman. At this time, he was chairman of 
the committee in charge of celebrating the in- 
troduction of Croton water in the city. In 
1850 he was appointed corporation counsel, 
and he held the office for three years. One of 
the most important services he rendered in this 
office was in successfully defending Mayor 
Cornelius W. Lawrence in suits for damages 
caused by the blowing up of buildings to 
check a conflagration, upon order of the 
mayor. After he retired from this office he 
made, at the request of the common council, 
a compilation of the statutes relating to the 
city with its ancient and modern charters. In 
the summer of 1855, he accompanied abroad 
Millard Fillmore, former President of the 
United States, whose friendship he had 
formed in early life, continuing until his death. 
In the same year he was elected to the bench 
of the supreme court. During his term of 
office he presided at two celebrated murder 
trials, those of Cancemi and Burdcll. and in 
the general term concurred in the decision 
that slaves brought into the state became free. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



In the fall of 1859 he was elected justice of 
the court of appeals for eight years, during the 
last two of which he was chief justice. He 
wrote the opinions of the court in many most 
important cases, such as that of Kortright vs. 
Cady (21 N. Y. 343). establishing the point 
that tender of the amount due on a mortgage 
destroys the lien thereof : People vs. The 
Canal Appraisers (33 N. Y. 461 1, establishing 
the law relating to navigable streams ; Dealfield 
vs. Parish (25 N. Y. 9"), discussing the mat- 
ter of testamentary capacity. Probably no 
opinion ever caused him more thought and 
study than that written in Metropolitan Bank 
vs. Van Dyck (27 N. Y. 400), sustaining the 
legal tender acts of the nation. He gave to 
the government unfaltering support during the 
civil war, and his conviction that the consti- 
tution conferred extraordinary powers on the 
government in time of war found expression 
in his opinions, especially in the legal tender 
case. At the end of his term, he declined re- 
election and resumed his practice in partner- 
ship with Judge Noah Davis until the latter 
was re-elected to the bench in 1872. and after- 
ward with his son, Julian Tappan Davies. He 
was counsel for the Mutual Life Insurance 
Company and other large corporations, but de- 
voted himself mainly to chamber practice and 
to service as referee in important cases. The 
day before he was stricken with his last illness 
he sat for many hours as one of the commis- 
sioners to determine the feasibility of con- 
structing the Broadway Arcade Railroad. He 
was a director of the Institution for the In- 
struction of the Deaf and Dumb, and during 
the last year of his life its president. In 1870 
he became dean of the Law School of the Uni- 
versity of the City of New York and contin- 
ued in this ofifice as long as he lived. He re- 
ceived the honorary degree of LL. D. from 
the university and also from Amherst Col- 
lege. 

"Judge Davies was conspicuous." wrote his 
son, Henry Eugene Davies, in the Davies gene- 
alogy, "during his long and busy life for sterl- 
ing integrity and devotion to the interests 
committed to his charge. His capacity for 
labor was prodigious and sustained by a con- 
stitution of iron that gave him enormous 
powers of endurance. During the Cancemi 
trial, after five days spent until a late hour in 
presiding, at half-past seven on a Fridav even- 
ing he commenced to write his charge. He fin- 



SOUTHERX NEW YORK 



ished it as he was summoned to breakfast at 
eight o'clock the next morning, having labored 
all the night without intermission for sleep 
or refreshment. From this, and from other 
similar herculean labors, he never suffered any 
inconvenience or felt that he had sustained a 
strain, until some two years before his death, 
when age slowly claimed him as its own. Yet 
he retained great vigor until the day when he 
was fatally attacked, some two weeks only 
tefore his death. ***!,., person he was 
strongly and heavily built, Jhough of medium 
•stature. He possessed the powerful body 
with large organs and short limbs, character- 
istics of his Welsh ancestry. His head was 
large, with a brain fully developed, and a 
countenance full of benignity, though stern in 
such times as called for an exhibition of 
•strength. He was genial in manner and 
friendly with all men. His sole pleasure was 
the professional one of whist. Temperate in- 
•deed, almost abstemious in his habits, simple 
in his tastes, earnest in his professional duties, 
the two leading motives of his life were devo- 
tion to duty and love of his family. True 
to the church of his ancestry, and following 
their lead, he gave to St. Luke's Church at 
Matteawan, in Dutchess county, the land upon 
which its edifice is erected. Under the shadow 
■of its eaves he rests — wife, children and grand- 
children reposing around him. The memory 
of his pure, strong, loving spirit is the most 
precious heritage of his living descendants.'' 
He died in the city of New York, December 
17, 1881. 

He married Rebecca Waldo Tappan, born 
in Boston, 181 5, died February 24, 1884, 
daughter of John and Sarah (Salisbury) Tap- 
pan. John Tappan was born July 26, 1781, son 
■of Benjamin (5), (Benjamin (4), Samuel (3), 
Peter (2), Abraham (i) Tappan), married, 
September 30, 1805, Sarah, daughter of Sam- 
uel Salisbury, granddaughter of John, and 
great-granddaughter of Nicholas Salisbury. 
Elizabeth (Sewall), wife of Samuel Salisbury, 
was a daughter of Samuel (6), (Rev. Joseph 
(5), Samuel (4), Henry (3), Henry (2), 
Henry (i), Sewall). Elizabeth (Quincy) 
•Sewall, wife of Samuel, was a daughter of 
Edmund and Elizabeth (Wendall) Quincy. 
Sarah (Salisbury) Tappan died August 28, 
1839, after having eleven children, and he 
married (second). September 22, 1841. Mrs. 
Hannah (Pomroy) Edwards. John Tappan 



was sent by the United States government to 
London as a delegate to the International Con- 
vention of Peace in 1843. Children of Mr. and 
Mrs. Davies: i. General Henry Eugene, born 
in New York City, July 2, 1836; entered the 
service as captain in 1861 and rose to the 
rank of major-general in 1865, resigning Jan- 
uary I, 1866; lawyer in New York City; au- 
thor of Davies' Genealogy; public adminis- 
trator 1866-69 in New York City; assistant 
district attorney 1870-73 ; died September 6, 
1894 ; married, August 10, 1858, Julia Rich. 2. 
William Gilbert, born March 21, 1842; a law- 
yer; married, December 15, 1870, Lucy C, 
daughter of Hon, Alexander H. Rice. 3. 
Julien Tappan, mentioned below. 4. Theodore, 
October 22. 1847; was in the diplomatic serv- 
ice; journalist; died March 15, 1S75. 5. 
Francis Herbert, September 15, 1849; married, 
April 27, 1876, Cornelia Scott, daughter of 
Henry S. Rokenbaugh ; died February 27, 
1906. 6. Helen, June 9, 1851. 7. Lucy, March 
7, 1853; married, April 21, 1875, Dr. Sam- 
uel Swift, died February 4, 1897. 

(\T) Julien Tappan Davies, son of Hon. 
Henry E. Davies, was born in New York City, 
September 25, 1845. He attended the schools 
of his native city and the private school of Dr. 
Reed at Walnut Hill, Geneva, New York. He 
entered Columbia College in 1862 and was 
graduated in the class of 1866. In the sum- 
mer of 1863, while a student in college, he 
joined the Twenty-second Regiment of New 
York State Militia, and took an active part in 
the Pennsylvania campaign of the Civil War, 
ending at the Battle of Gettysburg. On leav- 
ing college he devoted himself to the study of 
law in the office of Hon. Alexander W. Brad- 
ford. Under the will of Judge Bradford, Mr. 
Davies succeeded to part of his law practice, 
and soon afterward became associated with 
his father. Judge Davies, who retired from the 
bench of the Court of Appeals, January i, 
1868. With these fortunate connections he 
established an active and prosperous profes- 
sional career and gained a deservedly high, 
reputation as one of the leading lawyers of 
New York City. In politics he is a Repub- 
lican. In religion a member of the Episcopal 
church. He has been for many years counsel 
for the elevated railways of New York ; has 
been since i88i a trustee of the Mutual Life 
Insurance Company of New York. His office 
is at 34 Nassau street. New York. He is nov,- 



2l6 



SOUTHKRX NRW YORK 



n partner in the firm of Davies, Auerbach, 
Cornell & Barry. 

He married, April 22, 1869, Alice, born Jan- 
uary 12, 1847, daughter of Hon. Henry H. 
Martin, a descendant of Captain John Mar- 
tin, of Woodbur)', Connecticut. Children: 
lulicn Townsend, born February 20, 1870; 
Alice, died in 1885. aged fourteen; Helen, died 
in 1877, aged five; Thoma,s Alfred, died in 
1877, aged four; Ethel, born March 19, 1876; 
Frederick Martin, born September 12, 1877; 
Cornelia Sherman, born October 21, 1882. 



The surname Brinck- 
BRINCKFRHOFF erhofif is Dutch in 

origin, and is com- 
posed of the two Dutch words, "Brenger," 
messenger, and "Hof," court, the name in 
its original meaning referring to a "messenger 
of the court." The name therefore in the 
land of its origin may be found in the form 
of Brengerhof, as well as in the form prev- 
alent here in America. The family is said 
to be of Flemish extraction, and was anciently 
located in the city of Ghent, in the Nether- 
lands, wliere its members are mentioned as 
free-born citizens, or patricians, of the city, 
and among whom Andries Brinckerhoff, sen- 
ator and syndic in 1307, is particularly noticed 
in the annals of those times. From Ghent the 
family extended itself in the sixteenth century 
in Holland. Friesland and Lower Saxony, in 
which provinces the Brinckerhoft"s became 
established, their descendants enjoying much 
distinction there at the present day. The name 
is spelled in America Brinckerhoff and P.rin- 
kcrhoff. and in some manuscripts written 
Blinkerhoff, in one instance Van Blyncherhoff. 
The Flushing branch of the family (descend- 
ants of .Abraham, son of Joris Dircksen Brinc- 
kerhoff, the immigrant) for the most part use 
the "c". The Bergen branch (descendants of 
Hendrick. son of Joris Dircksen Brinckerhoff ) 
have almost entirely omitted it. .'\mong the 
families of the name residing in Holland the 
"c" has never been known, and probably it is 
an .American innovation. The family has a 
coat-of-arms, the symbolic meaning of which 
is thus described by James Riker: The 
armorial bearings, the original escutcheon of 
the family, denotes in the color blue, fidelity ; 
in the white of the shield, the honors of 
•knighthood: the wings sigrnifying promptness 
in state affairs, and the "flower hills" in the 
knights shield faithfulness and honesty. The 



family has a numerous progeny in every gen- 
eration, differing in that respect from fam- 
ilies like that of Stuyvesant, which in the first 
four generations was represented by a single 
male member. Branches of the family have 
spread into different states, even to the far 
West, though the bulk of its members are 
still in the neighborhood of New York. All 
of the name in America are said to be de- 
scended from one patriarchal ancestor, the 
immigrant, Joris Dircksen Brinckerhoff, of 
New Amsterdam. and Brooklyn. 

(I) Joris Dircksen Brinckerhoff, the first 
American ancestor of the Brinckerhoff family, 
was born in the Netherlands about 1609, died 
in Brooklyn, January 16, 1661. He arrived 
in New Amsterdam (now New York) in 1638, 
coming from the county of Drent or Drenthe 
in the United Provinces, and having lived 
some time in Flushing, a seaport in Zealand, 
before his departure. After spending a short 
time in New Amsterdam, then a small com- 
munity of a few hundred souls, he settled in 
Brooklyn, where he obtained a grant of land 
by brief dated March 23, 1646. He was a man 
of worth, and was an elder of the Brooklyn 
church at the time of his death, the first edi- 
fice of which he was greatly instrumental in 
planning and erecting. He married, in Hol- 
land, Susannah Dubbels, whom he brought 
with him to America, and who survived him 
many years. His children were: i. Derick. 
who was slain by the Indians and left no 
issue. 2. Hendrick. who settled on the east- 
ern bank of the Hackensack river in New 
Jersey, where he bought a tract of land, June 
17, 1685, not long surviving the purchase; 
married Claesie Boomgaert and left sons, Cor- 
nelius, Derick and Jacobus, whose descend- 
ants, now considerably scattered, write their 
name Brinkerhoft' ; of the three sons above 
named, Cornelius, the eldest, settled at Com- 
munipaw, and died in 1770. leaving sons, Hen- 
drick and Hartman, who were the ancestors 
of the Brinkerhoff family of Bergen ; Derick 
and Jacobus bought the paternal estate ; the 
former had descendants at Hackensack and 
.Schraalenburgh. 3. .Abraham, mentioned he- 
low. 4. Aellie. married William Van Cou- 
wenhoven. 

(in Abraham, son of Joris Dircksen and 
.Su.sannah (Dubbels) Brinckerhoff, was born 
at Flushing. Holland, in 1632. died at Flushing 
Bay, I ong Island, in 1714. He obtained. .April 
13. i6')i. ;i patent for thirty-two morgens of 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



217 



land at Flatbush, but located at Flatlands. At 
Flatlands he became an elder of the church, 
and was chosen magistrate in 1673. He mar- 
ried Aeltie, daughter of jan Stryker, and sis- 
ter to the wife of Cornelius J. Berrien. About 
the time of that event Mr. Berrien went to 
Newtown and Mr. Brinckerhoff removed 
there also, having bought a large farm on 
Flushing meadow. Children : i . Joris Abra- 
ham, mentioned below. 2. John. 3. Derick, 
married, in 1700, Aeltie, daughter of Jan 
Cowenhoven ; he became a farmer at Flushing, 
where he enjoyed a commission as justice of 
the peace. 4. Garret, settled in Flushing, hav- 
ing descendants. 5. Ida, married John Mon- 
fort. 6. Susannah, married Martin R. 
Schenck. 7. Sarah, married (first) Jacob 
Rapelje, (second) Nicholas Berrien. S- l\Iary, 
married Theodorus Van Wyck. 9. Lammetie, 
married Johannes Cornell. 

(UI) Joris Abraham, eldest son of Abra- 
ham and Aeltie (Stryker) Brinckerhoff, was 
born at Flatbush, Long Island, March i, 1664, 
died at Flushing Bay, Long Island, March 27, 
1729. He succeeded to the paternal estate on 
Flushing Bay, and acquired several other 
farms, which he distributed among his sons. 
Early in life he joined the Flatlands church. 
He married Annetie, daughter of Teunis 
Coevers and Sarah (Rapa-lye) Bogaert. born 
at Albany, New York, and reputed the first 
white female child born in the colony, a grant 
of land at the Wallabout being bestowed on 
her in honor of the event. Children: i. Sarah, 
born December 18, 1691 ; married Rem 
Adrianse. 2. Susannah, born March 4, 1693. 
3. Abraham, born December 10, 1694. 4. Teu- 
nis, born March 29, 1697. 5. Isaac, born April 
26, 1699. 6. Aeltie, born April 13, 1704: mar- 
ried Cornelius Rapalye. 7. Neettie, born July 
22, 1706. 8. Hendrick, mentioned below. 9. 
Antie, born October 4, 1712; married Abra- 
ham Rapalye. 

(IV) Flendrick, son of Joris Abraham and 
Annetie (Bogaert) Brinckerhoff, was born at 
Flushing Bay, Long Island, January 2. 1709, 
died there in 1777. He succeeded to the home- 
stead there and lived on it all his life. He was 
a pious and exemplary man, an elder in the 
Dutch church at Newtown, and was magis- 
trate for several years. He married Lammetie, 
daughter of Daniel Rapalye. Children: i. 
George, born in 1732; married, in 1733, Ida 
Monfort. and had issue: Hendrick Lammetie 



and Abraham. 2. Daniel, married Ann Mon- 
fort. 3. Johannes, mentioned below. 4. Abra- 
ham, married Sarah Onderdonk. 5. Teunis, 
married Catherine Rapalye. 6. Isaac, married 
Annetie Bennet. 7. Aeltie, married Richard 
Cooper. 

( \' ) Johannes, fifth son of Hendrick and 
Lammetie (Rapalye) Brinckerhoff, was born 
at Flushing Bay, Long Island, in 1736, died 
at New Hackensack, New York, November 23, 
1764. He removed from Long Island to Dutch- 
ess county, engaging in business at New 
Hackensack. On a visit to New York City he 
contracted yellow fever and died at the early 
age of twenty-eight. He married Sarah, 
daughter of Abraham Brinckerhoff, a pious 
and exemplary woman, who with her babe 
returned after her husband's death to the 
paternal home, and afterwards married Elbert 
Adriance. The only child of Johannes was 
Flendrick, mentioned below. 

(VI) Hendrick (2), son of Johannes and 
Sarah (Brinckerhoff) Brinckerhoff, was born 
at New Hackensack, New York, in 1763, died 
at the homestead of his stepfather, Elbert 
Adriance, at Flushing, 1807. He inherited the 
farm and the extreme portion of the Creed- 
more Range was taken from this land. He 
married Elizabeth, daughter of Rem Hege- 
man. Children: i. Elbert Adriance, men- 
tioned below. 2. Sarah, married Abraham 
Snediker. 3. Ida, married Isaac T. Reeves. 
4. Eliza, married David Hendricksen. 5. Alet- 
ta, married Jason Beebe. 

(VH) Elbert Adriance, son of Hendrick 
(2) and Elizabeth (Hegeman) Brinckerhoff, 
was born in Flushing township, near the pres- 
ent site of Creedmore, in 1786, died at Jamaica, 
Long Island, March 5. 1875. He was brought 
up on his father's farm, and was a merchant 
in New York City for many years. He was 
an officer in the Middle Dutch church, and 
an elder in the Collegiate Dutch church of 
New York for several years. He married 
Elizabeth, daughter of John Nostrand, their 
only son being named after his grandfather, 
John Nostrand, mentioned below. 

(VIII) John Nostrand, son of Elbert 
Adriance and Elizabeth (Nostrand) Brincker- 
hoff, was born in Flushing township, Long 
Island, near the present site of Creedmore, 
November 16, 1808. He was graduated from , 
the University of Pennsylvania in 1829, and 
shortly after entered commercial life. He was 



2l8 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



in business with his father in New York City, 
the firm being that of E. A. Brinckerhoff «& 
Son, but delicate health forced a retirement 
to the country. Afterwards he resided at 
Jamaica, Long Island, and became connected 
with the Union Hall Academy of that place, 
continuing from 1S35 to 1865, the latter half 
as principal. He retired from all active duties 
in 1865. He removed to Englewood, New 
Jersey, in 1875, and there continued to reside. 
He married Mary M., daughter of Robert 
Adrain, LL. D., an eminent mathematician, 
who died August 10, 1843. 

(IX) Elbert Adrain, son of John Nos- 
trand and Mary M. (Adrain) Brinckerhoff, 
was born at Jamaica, Long Island, November 
29, 1838. He was educated in the academy 
of which his father was principal. He was in 
business in San Francisco for a time and set- 
tled in New York City in 1861. He retired 
from active business in 1890. He is vice- 
president of the Merchants' National Bank ; 
director of Barrett, Nephews & Company (old 
Staten Island Dyeing establishment), the 
United States Cotton Duck Corporation, the 
Consolidated Cotton Duck Company, the 
Mount Vernon-Woodbury Cotton Duck Com- 
pany, and the J. Spencer Turner Company, of 
which he is vice-president. Mr. Brinckerhoff 
is a Presbyterian in religion ; he is a trustee of 
the Presbyterian Hospital, vice-president of 
the -American Bible Society, trustee of the 
American Seaman's Friend .Society, and a 
member of the St. Nicholas Society and the 
Holland Society. Mr. Brinckerhoff belongs 
to the Down Town and Rockaway Hunt clubs. 
He married, April 22, 1869, Emily A., daugh- 
ter of Colonel Washington R. Vermilye, of 
New York City. Their children are: Emily 
v.. Mary E., Elbert A., Elizabeth L., Mar- 
garet. Helen M., Janet. 

Henry Morton, son of Peter Remsen and 
Helen (Morton) Brinckerhoff, was born at 
Fishkill-on-Hudson, New York, April 20, 
T868. He is an electrical engineer and was 
graduated from the Stevens Institute of Tech- 
nologv' in 1890. After graduation he was with 
Thomson-Houston Electric Company at Bos- 
ton, and engaged in the construction of the 
West End street railway. He became assist- 
ant engineer in the power house, LUica, New 
York. Belt Line street railway, and was fore- 
man in charge of the cars equipment with the 
General Electric Company in Boston and on 



the Coney Island & Brooklyn railway. He 
was assistant electrical engineer of the Intra- 
mural railway at the World's Columbian Ex- 
hibition (first third rail electrical railway in 
the United .States) in 1893. He was elec- 
trical engineer of the Metropolitan West Side 
elevated railway, Chicago, in 1894, equipping 
it as the first large ele\-ated city railway oper- 
ated by electric traction, later becoming assist- 
ant general manager and general manager of 
the same road until 1906, when he came to 
New York City and engaged in practice as 
electrical associate of General William Bar- 
clay Parsons, civil engineer. Mr. Brincker- 
hoff is a member of the American Institute of 
Electrical Engineers and the Western Society 
of Engineers. 

Henry Waller, son of Commodore Isaac and 
Mary (iordon (Waller) Brinckerhoff, is also 
eminent among the descendants of Joris 
Dircksen Brinckerhoff in this generation. He 
was born at Ossining, New York, May 22, 
1845, and was educated at the Cambridge 
(Massachusetts) Latin School, Harvard Col- 
lege, from which he was graduated with the 
degree of A. B. in 1866, and from Lawrence 
Scientific School. He has been civil engineer 
of the United States navy yard. New York ; 
Jersey City Water Works, West Shore rail- 
road ; Sixth Avenue elevated road; Brooklyn 
Bridge : New York Steam Company, and the 
Tehuantepec Ship railway. He has been man- 
aging editor of the Engineering Record, of- 
fice engineer of the Broadway cable road, and 
in 1889 made the earliest report on the failure 
of the South Fork dam that destroyed Johns- 
town. Pennsylvania. In 1864 he served three 
months in the Twelfth Unattached Company, 
Massachusetts Vohmteer Militia. He married 
Edith Adelaide Barry, who died April 19, 
1897. and his children are: Henry Gordon, 
married Alys Swift : Edith Winship, married 
the Rev. Winthrop B. Greene, died July 12, 
1900; Florence Emilie, married Herbert G. 
Han ford. 



The patronymic. Morris, is 
MORRLS usually given as being Welsh 

in origin, and though it is quite 
likelv that many or most hearing the name 
of Morris may have had an origin in the 
ancient principality of the Britons, it is certain 
that the name in other cases has had a dif- 
ferent origin. In the case of those of Welsh 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



219 



descent, the name is traced back to Rhys, 
sometimes called Rhys Fitzgerald, brother of 
Rhys, Prince of Geventland. In 1171, in con- 
junction with Richard Strongbow, the Nor- 
man, Rhys Fitzgerald, or Rhys, the son of 
Gerald, led an expedition into Ireland. This 
was the beginning of what is called in history 
the "Norman Invasion" of Ireland, occurring 
more than a century after the Norman Con- 
quest of England. The real conquest of Ire- 
land did not occur until the reign of Henry 
VIII., four centuries later, the Normans who 
had until that time entered Ireland having 
intermarried with the Gaelic or Milesian Irish 
and settled in the country with the Gaelic 
as Milesian lords of clans. There were, how- 
ever, several encounters between the incoming 
Norman Welsh and the Milesian Gaels in 
several of the principalities of the island, and 
owing to his achievements in these engage- 
ments Rhys received the appelation of "Maur" 
ir Welsh or Brithonic Celtic, and "Mor" in 
Gaelic Celtic, both kindred words meaning 
"The Great." Rhys, The Great, thus became 
Maur-Rhys or Mor-Rhys, and in course of 
time his descendants prefixing the name with 
Fitz, Mac, and O, to indicate their descent 
according to the Celtic fashion, and later 
'' dropping the prefixes, were at first called Fitz 
iMr.urice, AlacMaurice, and O'Maurice. and 
later simply Maurice, Morris and Morrison. 
These, however, are not the only forms of 
Morris, for the name is found in historv vari- 
ously spelled Morys, Moerys, Moris, Morris. 
Morice, Moryce. etc., and as compounded with 
\arious initial expressions as De Mont-, Clan-, 
and others besides those given above. Lower 
says that the name can in many cases be traced 
to an origin on the continent or mainland of 
Europe, in many cases coming from the north 
of Africa, and particularly Morocco. Burke, 
in his "History of the Landed Gentry of 
England," says: "This name (Morris), 
originally Maur-ryce or Mawr-rhys was 
changed to Maurice, Morrice and Morris, 
Mars and Mavors. The Welsh Mawr-rwyce 
— meaning in English "warlike" or "power- 
ful" — was a title applied to such of the ancient 
chieftains as were prominent for valor." The 
name Morris is common in Ireland and is in 
most cases the anglicized patronymic of a fam- 
ilv of purely Milesian origin, the ancient form 
of the name in Gaelic being MacMuiros or 
O'Muirfeasa, later transformed in English to 



Morrisey, Morris, Morishy, MacMorris, Mor- 
rison. Donoch, brother of Diarmuid, who is 
No. Ill on the MacDermott (Princes of Cool- 
avin, a title still borne by The MacDermott) 
pedigree, v\'as the ancestor of this Morris fam- 
ily. 

( I ) \\ illiam Morris lived in the first half 
of the seventeenth century in Monmouthshire, 
Wales, on an estate called Tintern, situated 
near the historic Tintern Abbey. Children: i. 
Colonel Lewis, inherited Tintern estate ; was 
second in command of the parliamentary 
troops at the seige of Chepstowe Castle in 
1648, and in memory of his achievements at 
that time the present crest and motto were 
added to the family arms ; he removed to Bar- 
bados and later to New York City. 2. Will- 
iam, inherited property in Denham, Wales ; 
was a parliamentary officer under Cromwell ; 
died at sea. 3. Thomas. 4. Richard, mentioned 
below. 

(II) Captain Richard Morris, son of Will- 
iam Morris, of Tintern, was born in Mon- 
mouthshire, Wales, died in "Bronck's land" 
(Bronx) near New York City, in the autumn 
of 1672. He served with distinction in the 
parliamentary army under Cromwell. He fol- 
lowed his brother Lewis to the Barbados, and 
after a short stay there removed to New 
York City, where August 10, 1670, he pur- 
chased from Samuel Edsall "a certain tract 
or parcel of land formerly in the tenure of 
Jonas Bronck's, commonly called by the In- 
dians by the name of Ranackque, and by the 
English Bronck's land, lying and being in the 
maine lothe east and over against Harlem 
town." He married, in the Barbados, Sarah 
Pole, who died about the same time as her 
husband. 

(HI) Hon. Lewis Morris, son of Captain 
Richard and Sarah (Pole) Morris, was born 
in "Bronx-land," New York, October 15, 
1 67 1, died at his country seat, Kingsbury, 
near Trenton, New Jersey, May 21, 1746. He 
was brought up and educated by his uncle. 
Colonel Lewis Morris, whose heir he became. 
In 1697 he procured from Governor Fletcher 
a royal patent erecting "Bronxland" into a 
manor under the title of the "manor of Mor- 
risania." and as such it continued until the 
revolution. He was first lord of the manor, 
and became one of the most distinguished and 
influential men of his times in America, hold- 
ing among other high offices those of chief 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



justice of New York and governor of New 
Jersey. He married. November 3, 1691, Isa- 
bella, daughter of Hon. James Graham, at- 
torney-general of New York, and a descend- 
ant o'f the Grahams of the isles of the same 
family as the earls of Montro.se. She died 
April' 6, 1752. Children: Lewis, mentioned 
below; Robert Hunter, mentioned below; 
Mary, married Captain Vincent Pearse ; Eu- 
I)hen'iia, married Captain Matthew, son of Sir 
lohn Morris; Anna, married Edward An- 
trill, of Ross Hill, Raritan, New Jersey; Ara- 
bella, married James Graham ; Margaret, mar- 
ried Isaac W'iliets; Elizabeth, married Colonel 
Anthony White; Sarah, married Michael 
Kearney ; Isabella, married Richard Ashficld ; 
John : a child, died young. 

(IV) Lewis (2), son of Hon. Lewis (1) 
and Isabella (Graham) Morris, was born at 
Trenton, New Jersey, September 23, i6g8, 
died at ilorrisania manor house, July 3, 1762. 
He was the sole heir to and second lord of 
the manor of Morrisania. When twenty-four 
years of age he became a member of the 
council of Governor Burnett, under Governor 
Montgomery, Burnett's successor. He ques- 
tioned the legality of certain proceedings of 
the executive, and in 1730 was suspended for 
"Disrespectful" conduct. In 1732 and for the 
succeeding eighteen years he was elected and 
re-elected to the assembly to represent the 
borough of Westchester. He was zealous and 
prominent in opposing the government on the 
issue of Van Dam's salary, the removal of 
Chief Justice Morris, and the course of Zen- 
ger's Journal. During his father's absence in 
England, 1734 to 1736, he took his place in 
the popular leadership, and after Cosby 's 
death was a vigorous antagonist of the suc- 
ceeding lieutenant. Governor Clark. In 1737 
he was speaker of the assembly. He was also 
judge of the high court of oyer and terminer, 
and of the high court of admiralty. He mar- 
ried (first), March 17, 1723, Tryntje, born 
in New York City, April 4, 1697. died March 
II, 1731, daughter of Dr. Samuel Staats. He 
married (second), November 3, 1746. Sarah, 
daughter of Nicholas Gouverneur, and niece 
of his first wife. Children, four by first mar- 
riage: I. Mary, born November i, 1724; mar- 
ried. May 9, 1743, Thomas Lawrence Jr., of 
Philadelphia. 2. Lewis, born April 8, 1726, 
died January 22, 1798; signer of the Declara- 
tion of Independence. 3. Staats Long, born 



August 27, 1728, died in 1800; married (first) 
Lady Catherine, Dow-ager Duchess of Gor- 
don, daughter of William, second Earl of 
Aberdeen, and widow of Cosmo, the third 
Duke of Gordon; married (second) Jane 
Urquhart. 4. Richard, mentioned below. 5. 
Josabella, or Isabella, born February 3, 1748. 
6. Sarah, married V. P. Ashficld. 7. Gouver- 
neur, born January 30, 1753. 8. Euphemia. 
married Samuel (Jgden. 9. Catherine, born 
January 30. 1757. 

(IV) Hon. Robert Hunter Morris, son of 
Hon. Lewis (i) and Isabella (Graham) Mor- 
ris, was born at Trenton, New Jersey, about 
1700. died at Shrewsbury, New Jersey, Jan- 
uary 27, 1764. He inherited his father's lands 
in New Jersey, and his career was identified 
with that j)rovince and with Pennsylvania. In 
1738 he was appointed by his father, then 
governor, a member of the New Jersey coun- 
cil, and later became chief justice of the state. 
He served as governor of Pennsylvania from 
October 3, 1754, ta August 20, 1756, mean- 
time retaining his commission as chief justice 
of New Jersey, in which latter position he 
continued until his death. He was unmar- 
ried. 

(V) Richard (2), son of Lewis (2) and 
Tryntje (Staats) Morris, was born at Morris- 
ania, August 15, 1730, died at Scarsdale. .\pril 
II, 1810. He was appointed high judge of 
the court of admiralty, an office which had 
previously been held by his father, retaining 
this position under the crown until 1776, when 
he resigned, for the reason that his political 
principles would not permit him to continue 
in it. On July 31 of the same year he was 
unanimously appointed by the New York 
state- convention as judge of the admiralty 
court under the provisional government then 
existing; and on October 22. 1779, he was 
elevated to the chief justiceship of the state 
of New York, successor to John Jay, and be- 
ing the second to act in that capacity, in 
which he served until 1790. He was one of 
the nine delegates elected for New York 
county in 1788 to the famous Poughkeepsie 
convention, which was called for the con- 
sideration of the federal constitution, to 
whose ratification, under very difficult circum- 
stances, he contributed by his abilities and 
influence. Judge Morris owned estates in 
W'estchester county at Mount Fordham and 
in the present town of Scarsdale. His fine 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



country seat of Mount Fordham was burned 
by the British during the revolution. He mar- 
ried. June 13. 1759, Sarah, daughter of Henry 
Ludlow. Children: i. Lewis Richard, mar- 
ried (first), in 1786, Mary Dwight ; (second) 
Theodora Olcott; (third), in 1801, Ellen 
Herst. 2. Robert, mentioned below. 3. Mary, 
married AVilliam Popham. Two other daugh- 
ters who died in infancy. 

(\T) Robert, son of Richard (2) and Sarah 
1 (Ludlow) Morris, was born June 28, 1762, 
died at Mount Fordham, February 22, 1851. 
He inherited the fine estate of Motmt Ford- 
ham in Westchester county, New York, and 
was a succ_essful merchant in New York City. 
For a time he was resident at Claverack, Co- 
lumbia county, New York. He married, 
ALarch 11, 1786, Frances, daughter of Isaac 
Ludlum, of Goshen, New York. Children : 
I. Mary, died young. 2. Julia, born Septem- 
ber 13. 1788, died January 16, 1874: married 
William B. Ludlow. 3. Mary, born Decem- 
ber 25, 1790, died May 24, 1869; married 
James A., son of Alexander Hamilton, the 
statesman. 4. A daughter, died young. 5. 
Richard Robert, born April 22, 1794, died No- 
vember 22, 1874; married Martha Lynn Tay- 
lor. 6. James L., born August to, 1796, died 
January 27, 1878. 7. Frances \\"., born March 
24, 1799. 8. A daughter, died young. 9. Rob- 
ert Ilunter, born February 15. 1802. 10. Will- 
Ham Lewis, born June 13, 1804. 11. Lewis 
Ciouverneur, mentioned below. 

(\'n) Lewis Gouverneur. youneest" son of 
Robert and Frances (Ludlum) Morris, was 
born at Claverack, Columbia county. New 
\ ork, during a temporary residence of his 
parents there, August 19, 1808. died at his 
residence. Mount Fordham, Morris Heights. 
New York City. September 19, 1900. He was 
privately educated and lived at the home of 
his parents, inheriting the Mount Fordham 
estate. An enthusiastic agriculturist, he cle- 
voted his attention particularly to the im- 
provement of the breeds of cattle in America, 
imnorted many valuable animals, and prob- 
ably did as much towards increasing the value 
of the live stock of the countrv as anv other 
man of his times. At the time of the con'^truc- 
tion of the Croton Acqueduct Mr. Morris took 
the leadershin in the m"v°ment of the citi- 
zens in the lower part of Westchester county 
aeainst the proposal of the commission to 
carry the acqueduct across the Harlem river 



on a low bridge, which would have perma- 
nently destroyed the navigation of that stream. 
He was appointed in 1840 inspector of the 
fourth division of the New York state mil- 
itia, with the rank of colonel. At the break- 
ing out of the civil war he was active and 
prominent in support of the national govern- 
ment, serving as a member of the war com- 
mittee. He received the appointment of col- 
onel of volunteers. August. 1862. and was in- 
strumental in recruiting the One Hundred and 
Thirty-fifth Regiment (later the Sixth New 
York Heavy Artillery), which was com- 
manded by Brigadier-General William H. 
Morris, son of the poet, George P. Morris, but 
not a member of the Morrisania family. He 
was president of the New York State Agri- 
cultural Society and a member of the Royal 
Agricultural Society of England. He married 
Emily, daughter of Jacob and Margaretta 
( Kuntze) Lorillard. She died in 1850. Chil- 
dren: I. Fordham, born July 23. 1842. 2. 
Francis, mentioned below. 

(VHT) Francis, son of Lewis Gouverneur 
and Emily (Lorillard) Morris, was born July 
13, 1844. died February 12. 1883. He was 
graduated from the United States Naval 
Academy at Annapolis ; was in the naval serv- 
ice of the L^nited States during the civil war. 
rising to the rank of commander; was present 
at the attack on Fort Fisher and was subse- 
quently executive officer of the "Tennessee". 
He married Harriet H.. daughter of Henry 
and Josephine (Homer) Bedlow. Children: i. 
Alice P.. married Frank S. B. Cheesman. 2. 
Lewis Gouverneur, mentioned below. 

(IX) Lewis Gouverneur (2) son of Fran- 
cis and Harriet H. (Bedlow) Morris, was born 
at Newport, Rhode Island, June 4. 1883. He 
was graduated from Harvard University in 
1906, and after leaving college took up resi- 
dence in New York City, engaging in the 
brokerage business, being a member of the 
New York Stock Exchange. He is a Repub- 
lican in politics, and a member of the Epis- 
copal church. He is a lieutenant in the Eighth 
Regiment C. A. C. and belongs to the Union 
Club. Harvard Club, Society of Colonial 
Wars and the Badminton Club. He married, 
at New York City, April 20, 1908, Alletta 
Nathalie Lorillard. daughter of James Muh- 
lenberg and Alletta (Remsen) Bailey. There 
has been one child. Alletta Nathalie, born 
April 2, 1912. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



There are two well-known fam- 
TAPPAN ilies of long American descent 

bearing this name, which is 
also used in the form of Tappen. The prob- 
ability is that both names have a Dutch origin. 
It has been claimed by members of the Mas- 
sachusetts family that the surname was origi- 
nally written Topham, or De Topham, and 
was assumed from a place of that name in 
Yorkshire, England. The family of Topham 
anciently possessed the greater part, it is said, 
of the vale of Coverdale, in Yorkshire, and 
Richard Topham, from whom there has been 
a continual male succession, held the lordship 
and property of Caldburgh, in Coverdale. dur- 
ing the time of Henry V., 1420. The earliest 
mention of the family in the registry of the 
archbishop of York is found in the will of 
John Topham, of Yorkshire, dated May i, 
1403. In England, it has been claimed, the 
name is spelled Tophan, Topham, Toppan and 
Tappan ; while in America the three spellings 
Tappan. Tappen and Toppan are in common 
use. Of this a writer says : "It is, however, 
more probable that the English family of Tap- 
pan was brought by the family from the 
Netherlands rather than that it changed the 
Saxon patronymic of Topham into Tappan. 
No other branch of the Tophams is known 
to have made such an alteration, and it is 
difficult to conceive of an English family dis- 
carding or modifying their own name to 
'Dutchify' it." The name of all the Tappans. 
Tappcns and Toppans is therefore very likely 
Dutch in origin. To complicate the problem 
still further, there was in the New Netherland 
a Elemish family from Luxembourg, which 
spelled its name Tapin, Tappin or Tappen, and 
pronounced it Tappan. and in later years one 
of the offshoots spelled it to conform with the 
pronunciation. "The Massachusetts race has 
been pre-eminent for intellectuality, philan- 
thropy and practical Christianity; the Luxem- 
bourg for professional attainments ; while the 
Knickerbocker stock has gained renown by its 
sturdy, manhood, its high character, public 
spirit and mental attainments." 

It seems probable that a number of the 
Tappans crossed over from the Netherlands 
to England during the religious troubles of 
the seventeenth century, and that those who 
came here through Great Britain, and the 
others who came direct from Holland were re- 
lated. From the time of Henry VIII. to 



Charles I. there was a small but constant 
migration of Hollanders into England. They 
belonged mostly to the artisan class, and had a 
considerable reputation as builders and weav- 
ers. The New York Tappans were at any rate 
artisans of great ability. In the old records 
they are referred to as weavers, glazemakers, 
shipsmiths and builders. The family came to 
New York or New Amsterdam about 1630, 
and after remaining a brief time in Manhat- 
tan went to Fort Orange, where it settled and 
remained for many years. It then broke 
asunder, the main line removing to Kingston, 
where it became distinguished in matters of 
the state and nation. The junior line remained 
in the neighborhood of Albany, and sent out 
some of its meinbers to the west, so that the 
family is now prominent in many states. 

(I) Jurian Teunisse Tappan, glasemaecker, 
the immigrant ancestor of the Tappan and 
Tappen family of New York, was born in 
Holland about 1600. died at Albany, New- 
York, in 1677. -^ tradition of the family says 
that he came here from Wales. Jurian T. Tap- 
pan when he came to this country about the 
year 1630 must have brought considerable 
property with him from the old world, as he 
appears to have been in easy circumstances, 
if not affluence, from the first. He was pop- 
ular with the people and on terms of %varm 
friendship with the patroons and leading mer- 
chants. A devout member of the Dutch church, 
during the inclement winters he devoted a cer- 
tain niunber of his hours every week to visit- 
ing and caring for the sick poor. The same 
kindly spirit actuated him in his dealings with 
the Indians, who called him "The Good 
Chief." From 1654 to 1677 '^^ ^'^^P'^ '^'^ '""• 
In the latter part of his life he seems to 
have operated largely in real estate, buying, 
selling and exchanging village lots and farms 
upon a scale indicating the possession of 
large means. In 1670 he exchanged a house 
and lot in Albany for the farm of Cornells 
Cornclise Viele at Schenectady, which he sold 
in 1672. In 1671 he took title to a bouwery 
between Wynant's and Poesten Kills, which he 
sold the next year for six hundred beaver skins. 
He married a daughter of Wybrecht Jacobse, 
and they made a joint will in 1661. At that 
time they had no children living. Children: 
Tunis, mentioned below : Jurian. 

(II) Tunis, son of Jurian Teunisse Tap- 
pan, was born at Albany, New ^'nrk, about 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



22J 



1635, and appears to have died before 1661. 
He probably had sons, Tunis and Christopher. 
The Tunis Tappan who settled in Kingston 
and there married, in 1695, Sarah Schepmoes, 
was undoubtedly a grandson of Jurian Teu- 
nisse Tappan, of Albany. Schoonmaker's 
"History of Kingston" states that he was the 
son of Jurian and the father of Christopher. 
The Kingston church records give a very full 
account of the family of Tunis Tappan, of 
that town, who married Sarah Schepmoes, in 
1695. They had children, baptized at Kings- 
ton from 1696 to 1707, but there is no Chris- 
topher among them, and the Christopher of 
the next generation was born long before the 
marriage of Tunis Tappan and Sarah Schep- 
moes. He was presumably a brother of Tunis, 
of Kingston. 

(HI) Christopher, said to have been a son 
of Tunis Tappan, is said by the family rec- 
ords to have been born at Albany in 1661. 
He settled at Esopus, where he died August 
7, 1740. It is said that he had brothers, Tunis 
and Peter. He married, at Esopus, recorded in 
Kingston, April 21, 1715, Cornelia Vas, born 
in Holland, daughter of Dominie \^as. Only 
one child is recorded in the Kingston church 
records, Petrus, mentioned below. 

(IV) Peter (Petrus), son of Christopher 
and Cornelia (Vas) Tappan, was baptized at 
Kingston, January 29. 171 6, and resided in 
Esopus. He married (recorded in Kingston), 
July 2, 1736, Tjatje Wynkoop, the family says, 
daughter of Cornelius Wynkoop. The latter 
has numerous children recorded at Kingston, 
but no daughter of this name. There were 
numerous other Wynkoops in Kingston, but 
none had a daughter of this name recorded. 
She may have been born and baptized at Eso- 
pus, but this is improbable, as nearly all the 
Esopus people were recorded in Kingston at 
that time. Children : Christoffel. baptized 1737, 
died young: Peter, 1738, died young: Corne- 
lia. 1740, died young; Christoffel, mentioned 
below; Cornelia, baptized November 25, 1744: 
Petrus. June 24, 1748. Cornelia became the 
wife of Governor George Clinton. Peter (Pet- 
rus), who was a physician, was first lieutenant 
in Captain John Schenck's company, Dutchess 
county militia, under Colonel Jacobus Swart- 
wald, February 19, 1776, and was surgeon of 
the hospital department from 1776 to T780. 

(V) Christopher (Christoffel), third son of 
Peter (Petrus) and Tjatje (Wynkoop) Tap- 



pan, born at Esopus, baptized June 17, 1742, 
in Kingston, died at Kingston, August 3, 1826. 
He was a member of the New York provincial 
congress from 1775 to 1777. He was a man 
of marked ability, became prominent in early 
life, and during a long career held many of- 
fices of honor and importance. Chief among 
these was membership in the first, third and 
fourth provincial congresses, where he took 
strong ground in favor of colonial liberty and 
independence. He was a trustee of Kingston,, 
being chairman of the board, a magistrate and 
president of the board of magistrates. From 
1759 to 1812 he was deputy county clerk, and 
clerk from 1812 to 1821. His home was de- 
stroyed on the burning of Kingston by the 
British during the revolutionary war. At this 
juncture he displayed a gallantry and patriot- 
ism worthy of notice. When the attack be- 
gan it was evident that there was no hope of 
a successful resistance, and there was barely 
enough time for its citizens to save the private 
property. Christopher had before him the 
alternative of preserving either the public rec- 
ords or his own personal belongings, includ- 
ing family heirlooms, deeds, and other evi- 
dences of wealth. He did not hesitate, but 
took his own horses and wagons to the court 
house and removed the public records to safe- 
ty, leaving his home to the torch of the foe. 
Aiter the evacuation he rebuilt the family 
home, constructing it with stone and brick, 
and making it as nearly fireproof as the re- 
sources of that century would permit. Here 
he kept open house, as had been the habit of 
his father and mother. The mansion was the 
favorite resting place of Governor George 
Clinton, who was Christopher's brother-in- 
law, as well as of the state and national 
leaders. In the time of the revolution he was 
major of Colonel Charles De Witt's regiment. 
Ulster county. New York, minute-men, enter- 
ing it December 21, 1775. He married. May 
9, 1761. Anatje, daughter of Tobyas and Lea 
(Leg) Wynkoop, baptized November 11, 1744, 
at Kingston. Children, baptized at Kingston: 
Petrus (Peter), mentioned below: John, bap- 
tized 1766; Cornelia, March 6. 1770; George, 
April 13, 1772; Catharina and Anatje, twins, 
August 28, 1774, (the first died in infancy) : 
Catharina, December 8. 1776: Christopher, 
January i, 1784. John, born 1766, died April 
30, 183 1. He received a good education and 
studied law, being finally admitted to the bar. 



224 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



He did not, however, follow the profession his 
father had mapped out for him, but took to 
literature and journalism. He began to con- 
tribute to the press even before he attained 
his majority, entered journalism and became 
a popular and influential editor. Hi.s best 
remembered work was done while he was 
editor and proprietor of the Plebeian, which 
afterwards became the Ulster Gazette. The 
paper was anti-Federalist and throuojh its ei)i- 
grammatic and art^umentative force exerted a 
great influence upon the political arena in the 
early part of the nineteenth century. The 
family records also note a daughter Polly. 
horn 1762, and another daughter, died in in- 
fancy, born 1763. 

(VI") Peter (2"), eldest son of Christopher 
and Anatje (Wynkoop) Tappan, was bap- 
tized November 4, 1764, at Kingston. He 
entered the military service when about six- 
teen years old, on the staff of his uncle, Ma- 
ior-General and Governor George Clinton. .\\. 
the age of seventeen, on August 21, 17S1, he 
was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 
second regiment of the continental artillery, 
commanded by Colonel John Lamb, in which 
regiment he served with the continental armv 
until the end of the war. He settled in New 
York City, where he died in i<S46 and was 
buried in the vault belonging to the family of 
his daughter-in-law, wife of Henry P. Tapnan 
(who was a Livingston), in the churchyard of 
the old First Presbyterian Church at Fifth 
avenue and Twelfth street. On account of 
the anger of the mob during the Draft Riots 
of July, iRfi^, against the family friends, Ar- 
thur and Lewis Tappan, Abolitionists, and 
against all persons of the name, living or dead, 
the coffin was taken from the vault after mid- 
night and conveyed secretly to Greenwood 
cemetery where it was deposited in the Tap- 
pan plot. The name plate was removed from 
the coffin and has recently been placed in the 
same plot. He married, at Kingston, Febru- 
arv- if., 17R6. .Ann De Witt, baptized Novem- 
ber i,S, 1764. at Kingston, daughter of Colonel 
Charles and Rlnndina (Du liois) De Witt. 
Children, baptized at Kings'ton : Blandina, 
June 24. 1787; Anna Maria, January 2, 1789: 
Cliristopher Peter (not recorded at Kinp-s- 
•on); Cornelia, October 4. 170.S: Charles De 
Witt. June 24, 1708; Sarah Du'Bois, January 
II, 1801; Ilcnrv Philip. July 27, 180s. Two 
of the sons. Cb,^rI(^^ Do Witt and Henry 



Philip, were clergj'men, the former born May 
25, 1798, and the latter April 16, 1805. 

(VII) Christopher Peter, eldest son of 
Peter (2) and Ann (De Witt) Tappan, was 
born September 20, 1791. in Kingston. He 
removed with his father to New York, resid- 
ing in the latter part of his life in Brooklyn, 
where he died January 6. 1877. He married, 
March 17, 1814, Mary Hurd. Children: Har- 
riet, .A.nn, Maria, De ^^'itt, Sarah, Kate, Mary, 
Christopher. 

(\TII) Dr. De Witt Tappan. son of Chris- 
topher Peter and Mary (Hurd) Tappan. was 
born July 16, 1822, in the city of New York. 
After attending Professor Anthon's school in 
old New York, he joined the class of 1844 at 
Yale University. After one year at that in- 
stitution, he returned to New York and later 
graduated at the College of Physicians and 
Surgeons, now the medical department of 
Columbia University. He engaged in the 
practice of medicine for a few years only, in 
New York and on Long Island, and died at 
Dosoris in the town of Oyster Bay, August 
10, 1887. He married, April 21, 1851, Mar- 
garet, daughter of John Butler (z) and Eliza 
Townsend (Coles) Coles, of Dosoris, Long 
Island. 

(IX) John Butler Coles, son of Dr. De 
Witt and Margaret (Coles) Tappan, was born 
April 4, i860, at Dosoris, where he grew up 
and attended the local schools. In 1876 he 
entered Yale University, from >j-hich he was 
graduated in 1880, and in the latter year be- 
came a student at the Columbia University 
Law School, of New York City, graduating 
in 1882. In the latter year he was admitted 
to the bar and has since been continually en- 
gaged in the practice of law in New York 
and Long Island, having an office on Wall 
street. New York, being now head of the legal 
firm of Tappan & Bennett. Mr. Tappan is a 
man of strong individuality and has taken an 
interest in public matters, uniformly from the 
point of view of the individual citizen, and 
not as an office-seeker or office-holder. He 
has become allied with various organizations, 
in whose work and principles he feels an in- 
terest. He is a member of the .Association of 
the Bar of the City of New York, the New 
York State Bar Association, New York Coun- 
ty Lawyers' Association. Nassau County Bar 
Association, American Bar Association. In- 
ternational Law .Association of London, 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



American Economic Association, American 
Scenic and Historic Preservation Society, 
American Society of International Law. 
American Society for Judicial Settlement of 
International Disputes, Board of International 
Hospitality, Civil Service Reform Association, 
Navy League of the United States, New York 
Peace Society, Sons of the Revolution, and 
other kindred bodies. Among the clubs with 
which he holds affiliation may be mentioned 
the Yale, Nassau Country, Reform, Republi- 
can, Sewanhaka Corinthian Yacht, Whitehall, 
City Graduate Club of New Haven, Psi Upsi- 
lon. Glenwood Country, Hempstead Harbor, 
Huntington Country, Economic of New York. 
Piping Rock Racing Association. He was one 
of the founders of the National Progressive 
party and represented that party on the New 
York electoral ticket in the presidential cam- 
paign of 1912. He resides during part of the 
year near Glen Cove, in the town of Oyster 
Bay, and during the remainder of the year in 
the city of New York. He married. May 21, 
1885, Caroline A., daughter of James and 
Caroline (Valentine) Titus, of Glen Cove. 



Coldwell and Caldwell are 
COLDWELL different forms of the same 

surname. "The name Cald- 
well," says a writer, bearing the patronymic, 
"is a pleasant treasure ; for there is a tradition 
yet told in England and Scotland that a little 
company, centuries ago, discovered a well of 
remarkable coldness. They pitched their tents 
and later took up a continuous abode near it. 
They were ever after called Cold-wells or, as 
it has since been evolved, the Caldwells". The 
Patronymica Brittanica asserts that the name 
means "cold well", and says that the name is 
derived from localities in various counties in 
England bearing it. Another writer suggests 
that Caldwell is a synonym of wisdom and 
authority ; as the word Cold-wold in the Scot- 
tish dialect of English was the Hazel-wood 
cr the divinity rod, which hung for a long 
time in Bavarian court rooms as a symbol of 
authority and justice. The baton of officers 
and the schoolmasters' rods were of hazel in 
olden times. 

The Caldwells appear in England in the 
reign of William the Conqueror; they were 
prominent in later centuries in Ayrshire, Scot- 
land, and their names are recorded as borne 
by immigrants from England, Ireland and 



Scotland, in the early days of New England's 
story. In the Domesday Book of England 
what would appear to be the same name is 
spelled Caldeuuelle. The name has been com- 
mon for centuries in England, Ireland, Scot- 
land and France, though of course few of the 
families bearing it have any connection with 
each other. Thus many of the Caldwells of 
Ireland and Scotland were originally Mac- 
Cawells, the Gaelic form of the name being 
Mac Cathmhaoill, from Cathmhaoill, ninth in 
descent from Farach. brother of the monarch, 
Murtogh Mor, son of Earca, who is ninetieth 
on the stem of the House of Heremon. Many 
of the Caldwells or Coldwells of Britain and 
Ireland have the right to bear arms. The 
Coldwells or Caldwells here dealt with, as far 
as their origin can be traced, appear to be of 
Yorkshire stock, England, this line finding its 
way to America only in the nineteenth century. 
(I) Jonathan Coldwell or Caldwell, the im- 
mediate progenitor in England of the family 
here dealt with, was born at Staleybridge, 
Yorkshire. England, about the year 1790, and 
died at the same place. He probably was en- 
gaged to some extent in farming, but the evi- 
dence points to the probability that he was 
engaged by regular occupation in the iron 
trade. He married, probably about 1812, but 
the maiden name of the wife remains unre- 
corded. Children : John, mentioned below ; 
Jephtha, Abel, Joseph. 

(II) John Coldwell, eldest son of Jonathan 
Coldwell or Caldwell, was born at Staley- 
bridge, Yorkshire, England, about 1814, died 
at Matteawan. New York. He was by occu- 
pation a grinder, and was engaged in the iron 
trade. He came to America in 1841 with his 
family and settled in Matteawan, New York, 
where he was engaged by Mr. Rothery as a 
file grinder. He continued in this sort of work 
for a number of years, but finally left it to 
engage in the grocery business, in which he 
continued until his death. He and his wife 
were buried in the Methodist cemetery of 
Matteawan, New York. He married, about 
1837, at Staleybridge, Yorkshire, England, 
Hannah, daughter of a Mr. Ardron, who 
lived in the same neighborhood. Children: 
Thomas, mentioned below ; Samuel ; John ; 
Joseph; Sarah, married William W'arwick; 
Ellen, married John Myers ; Anne, married 
James Terwilliger. 

(Ill) Thomas, eldest son of John and Han- 



226 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



nah (Ardron) Coldvvell, was born at Staley- 
bridge, Yorkshire, England, September 28. 
1838, died at Newburg. New York. July 28. 
1905. He became one of the pioneers m 
America among manufacturers in one impor- 
tant line of industry. He was so essentially 
American and was so long engaged in useful 
labor on this side of the sea that no one ever 
took him as being foreign born. "I am gen- 
erally taken for an American", he once said, 
"and a Yankee at that. My mother came 
from an old Lancashire family of farmers, 
and owned a small estate in that county, 
which had been in the family from the time 
of Cromwell. My father's family were of 
humbler origin and belonged to Lancashire. 
They were somewhat noted for their genius 
and love of liberty, several useful inventions 
having emanated from members of his fam- 
ily. Their love of liberty, and what they 
considered the oppression of the English laws, 
led them to emigrate to America in 1841. and 
no more enthusiastic and loyal citizen ever 
claimed .America as his home than my father". 
Thomas Coldwell was only three years old 
when he arrived in America in company with 
his parents in 1841. As soon as he was old 
enough to learn anything he was put to work. 
The family having settled at Matteawan, New 
York, he found employment in the cotton fac- 
tory there when he was eight years old at a 
dollar a week. At the age of eleven he was 
placed with John Rothery, a file-maker, to 
learn the trade of file cutting. He was with 
him for several years, but did not like the 
business and begged his father to put him 
where he could learn to be a machinist. He 
worked with his father at grinding for three 
years, and then, as his father was leaving the 
business, he was bound apprentice for three 
years "to learn the art, trade and mystery of 
file forging". He stayed at the file business 
only two years and for three years after 
assisted his father, who had gone into the 
grocery business, by clerking for him. In 
1861 he took a contract from the Washington 
Iron Works of Newburg to grind and finish 
the brass work for use on gun carriages. 
About the time the gun carriage contract work 
was finished this company took a large con- 
tract for building freight cars and he secured 
a job in the car works, running a lathe, and 
turning car axles. This was his first real 
work as a machinist, and he bent every energy 



to make the most of his opportunity, and was 
so far successful that in six weeks he had 
entire charge of all the wheel and axle work, 
and a few weeks later took all the work by 
contract. 

About that time he made a file cutting ma- 
chine, which was his first real invention of 
any kind. He interested the Eagle File Com- 
pany of Middletown in it, and they purchased 
a one-half interest for $500.00. But the cut- 
ting machine was not a great success, but it 
led him to invent a file stripping machine, 
which was a great success, and on which he 
took out his first patent. In 1865 he returned 
to his old home at Matteawan, New York, 
and later entered the employ of H. N. Swift, 
and while with him he made the only lawn 
mowers made in this country. The idea of 
making a lawn mower was suggested to him 
by Henry Winthrop Sargent, of Fishkill-on- 
the-Hudson, who owned an English mower 
which Swift had often repaired for him. 
Thomas Coldwell made many improvements 
in tools for Swift and among other things 
invented the revolving cutter grinder, which 
is now used in every lawn mower factory in 
the country. He had a fellow workman named 
George L. Chadbom, and between the two 
of them they made a lawn mower and named 
it "Excelsior". They interested L. M. Smith 
and Charles J. Lawson, hardware men of 
Newburg, New York, in their new machine 
and they formed a copartnership with them. 
They made but one size machine, sold for 
thirty dollars, and in 1870 they organized the 
Chadborn and Coldwell Manufacturing Com- 
pany, with a capital of $4,000.00. Thomas 
Coldwell was the president, and he held that 
position for over twenty years, in fact, until 
he left the company. The first year they 
made over three hundred mowers, and the 
following year about one thousand. About 
this time they bought out Swift's lawn mower 
business as well as several other businesses in 
the same line that had not prospered. In 1876 
Mr. Coldwell went to Europe to introduce the 
company's mowers. His trip was very suc- 
cessful and he placed the company's mowers 
with a large firm having houses in both Lon- 
don and Paris, and four years later they estab- 
lished their own house in London and Mr. 
Coldwell spent the "lawn mower season" in 
Europe pushing the trade. The principal 
event in connection with the English business 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



was the international trial of lawn mowers 
held at Liverpool in iS86, which Mr. Coldwell 
attended. At this exhibition twenty-two dif- 
ferent makes of lawn mowers were entered, 
principally from the United States and Eng- 
land. Mr. Coldwell worked both the horse 
and hand mowers at the trial, the result of 
which was that he carried off both first premi- 
ums. "I felt", he says, "that it was the proud- 
est day of my life when I cabled the result 
to the factory and friends at home". 

In 1891 he sold out his interest in the Chad- 
born and Coldwell Manufacturing Company 
as he had a desire to have a business he could 
control, and he also wished to introduce some 
new inventions in lawn mowers and also some 
improved machinery for manufacturing the 
same. He therefore at once organized the 
Coldwell Lawn Mower Company. They built 
a new plant, and stocked it with the best tools 
and machinery. The panic of 1893 affected 
the new company, but in the following year 
they had great success which continued in the 
years that followed, during which the plant 
had to be repeatedly enlarged. They could 
finally turn out twelve hundred hand mowers 
a day besides a large number of horse and 
motor mowers. They also had a large foreign 
trade and exported mowers to nearly every 
civilized nation in the world. 

Thomas Coldwell married, in i860, Jose- 
phine Terwilliger, of Stormville, New York, 
born June 27, 1837, and now living at New- 
burg, New York. Children: William H., 
mentioned below ; Jennie, married E. C. Ross : 
Harrv T., mentioned below. 

(IV) William H., eldest son of Thomas 
and Josephine (Terwilliger) Coldwell. was 
born May 6, 1863, at Stormville, Dutchess 
county. New York. He attended the Academy 
at Newburg and Eastman's Business College 
at Poughkeepsie. On completion of his 
studies he organized the Coldwell Wilcox 
Manufacturing Company of Newburg, of 
which he is now the vice-president. In i8qi 
he became representative in Europe for the 
Coldwell Lawn Mower Company which he 
and his father had newly organized. In 1897 
they bought out the Chadborn and Coldwell 
Manufacturing Company, a transaction which 
considerably extended their business. \\'illiam 
H. has held all the offices within the gift of 
the corporation, having gone through the dif- 
ferent grades, finally becoming president on 



the death of his father. He is the inventor 
of the motor lawn mower, now in use the 
world over. He is a member of the Republi- 
can Club of New York, the Hardware Club, 
the City Club, the Powellton, the Elks' Club, 
and also belongs to the Masonic order. He 
has been alderman at large several years and 
has also been supervisor of the fourth ward 
for a like number of years. He has been alms 
house commissioner and is now park commis- 
sioner in the city of Newburg. He married, 
at Newburg, December 24, 1885, Emma C, 
daughter of Henry T. and Mary E. (Chap- 
man) Pierce, of Newburg. Children: Theo- 
dora, born at Newburg, New York, in 1887; 
Kenneth Pierce, born at Newburg, New York, 
in April, 1889. 

(IV) Harry T., son of Thomas and Jose- 
phine (Terwilliger) Coldwell, was born at 
Newburg, New York, January 15, 1876. He 
was educated at the Academy at Newburg, 
and was also for two years at St. Giles' School, 
London, England. He did not, however, fin- 
ish his schooling in England for on his return 
he entered the Sigler Preparatory School at 
Newburg. On leaving school he entered the 
Coldwell Lawn Mower Company, of which 
he has since held all the offices, with the ex- 
ception of that of president, and is now secre- 
tary and director. He is a member of the 
Masonic order and a Shriner, member of the 
City Club of Newburg, of the Friars' Club, 
New York, and of the Newburg Yacht Club. 
He is president of the Stonybrook Real Estate 
Improvement Company, was alderman of the 
fourth ward, Newburg. an office which he 
filled for two terms. He married. June 29, 
1898, Mary A., daughter of William Holt, of 
Lancashire county, England. There has been 
one son of the marriage, Thomas, born at 
Newburg, New York. 



The surname Crawford ap- 
CRAWFORD pears to be of Scottish ori- 
gin, and has been derived 
by one authority from a parish of the same 
name in Lanarkshire, Scotland, and several 
other places in North Britain. This may have 
been the origin of the name as borne by fam- 
ilies of Anglo-Saxon or Norman descent on 
the paternal side. In some cases, however, 
the family name of Crawford, which is known 
in the three kingdoms of England, Ireland and 
.Scotland, almost equally well, is the transla- 



228 



SOUTHERN' NEW YORK 



tion or transmutation of a name that was 
purely Gaelic, but which for convenience had 
to take an EngHsh form, as the more modern 
displaced the more ancient tongue of Eire and 
Alba. In a great many cases the name appears 
to have been derived from the family of Sir 
Roger de Craufurd, a knight from Normandy, 
who was the sheriff of Ayrshire in 1291, and 
who himself seems to have been the common 
ancestor of many of the branches of the fam- 
ilv bearing the name to which he belonged. 
The name in its Norman form was anciently 
written Craufuird. There is another tradition 
to the effect that the first bearer of the name 
was one Mackornock, who signalized himself 
at an engagement by "water of Cree in Gallo- 
way, by discovering of a Foord, which gave 
a signal advantage to his party". Hence he 
got the name of Cree-Foord or Craufurd. 
According to Burke's "Work on tieraldry" 
there are something like twenty-one families 
in the British Tsles bearing this name, who 
have tlie right to bear arms. One of these 
shields is described heraldically : Quarterly, 
1st and 4th, gu. a fesse erm. in base two 
swords saltireways ppr. hilted and pommeled 
or., a bordure wavy ar. 2nd and 3rd, sa. three 
lions heads erased or. Crest : A sword erect in 
pale having on the point a pair of balances all 
ppr. Motto: Quod tibi hoc alteri. 

(I) Quintan Crawford, the immigrant an- 
cestor of the Crawford family here under 
consideration, was born in Edinburgh, Scot- 
land, 1675, died at New Castle, Westchester 
county. New York, 1748. He was a manu- 
facturer of woolen goods and materials of a 
similar kind. He emigrated to .Vmerica in 
the early part of 1701 and landed in New 
Amsterdam, purchasing a large farm in New 
Castle, which in those days was known as 
North Castle, and there settled. He married, 
in the early part of the year 1717, Dorothy 
McDonald. Children : John, see forward : 
Feli.x, Uriah, Israel, Tamathy. 

(II) John, eldest son of Quintan and Doro- 
thy (McDonald) Crawford, was born about 
1693, probably died in New Castle. He mar- 
ried and had a number of children, among 
them being .Samuel. 

(III) Samuel, son of John Crawford, was 
known as "The Patriot", and was born at 
White Plains, New York, October 12, 1736. 
When he had grown to manhood he purchased 
a farm of ninety-six acres located on the west 



side of the town of Scarsdale, adjoining the 
farm of Jonathan Griffin Tompkins, border- 
ing on the Bronx river and what is now known 
as Hartsdale. This he made his permanent 
residence. In the spring of 1775, when the 
country was all aflame against the outrages 
of Cireat Britain he, with James Varian, or- 
ganized a company of soldiers from among 
the young men living in the towns of White 
Plains and Scarsdale. and on February 14, 
1775, he was elected lieutenant of said com- 
pany which was attached to and formed a part 
of Colonel Joseph Drake's regiment of minute- 
men. He was deputy from ^^^estchester coun- 
ty to the provincial congress for the years 
1775-76-77. In May, 1775, he was a commit- 
teeman from the town of Scarsdale for the 
purposes of the war of the revolution. When 
the news reached White Plains from Phila- 
delphia, declaring independence from the 
mother country, the state convention was in 
session. It was moved that the colony of 
New York be a free and independent state, 
which resolution was seconded by Samuel 
Crawford (birth of state of New York). On 
November 18, 1777, he, with a detachment of 
his company, was surprised by a detachment 
of British soldiers near Stephen Ward's tav- 
ern, which was located at the forks of the 
Albany post road and the road to Tuckahoe 
depot to town of East Chester, now known as 
Gifford's Park. .Samuel Crawford and sev- 
eral others were killed and thrown into a hole 
in the ground opposite this tavern without a 
shroud or coffin. (An account of this burial 
can be found in the National Magazine of the 
year 1853). 

Samuel Crawford married, in Tarrytown, 
New York, January 29, 1759, Jane Requa. 
Children: Elijah, born November 4, 1759, 
died September 28, 1840: John, February zi, 
1761, died March 7, 1851 ; Esther; Mary; 
Samuel, see forward ; Joseph, November 8, 
1776; Rachel. 

(IV) Samuel (2), son of Samuel (i) and 
Jane (Requa) Crawford, was born April 4, 
1774, in White Plains. New York, died Octo- 
ber t8, 1813. He married on City Island, West- 
chester county. New York, (now the borough 
of the Bronx, New York) August 12, 1797, 
Anna Horton, born July 10, 1778, in New 
York City, died January 17. i860. Children: i. 
James, born June 25, 1798, died October 5, 
1855 ; married, January 23, 1822, Phoebe 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



229 



Hvatt, born September 9, 1796, died February 

7, 1883. 2. Elisha, see forward. 3. Rachel, 
born February 23, 1803, died October 19, 
1871 ; married, April 15, 1820, John S. Ellison, 
born June 12, 1798, died August 3, 1870. 4. 
John, born August 4, 1805, died September 
2S. 1880; married, November 5, 1820, Mar- 
garet Tompkins, born November 25, 1802, 
died July 24, 1888. 5. Margaret Ann, born 
May 4, 1808, died August 15, 1876; married, 
February 18, 1829, Daniel Devoe, born Feb- 
ruary 5, 1804, died December 6, 1869. 6. 
George Washington, born July 8, 1812, died 
January 9, 1890; married, May 17, 1837, Mar- 
garetta M. Moore, born January 10, 1819, 
died November 26, 1888. 

(V) Elisha, second son of Samuel (2) and 
Anna (Horton) Crawford, was born in White 
Plains, New York, December 6, 1800, died 
September 8, 1877. He married, September 
12, 1822, in Greenburg, Westchester county. 
New York, Judith, born March 20, 1798, died 
February 19, 1843, daughter of James and 
Elizabeth (Underhill) Tompkins. Children: 
I. Joseph, born December 24, 1823, died Oc- 
tober 22, 1850; married, July 12, 1844, Esther 
Jackson, born October 12, 1823, had one child, 
Joseph Jr., born May 14, 1846, died August 
16. 1878. 2. Samuel, born June 26, 1825. died 
December 14, 1906: married, November 27, 
1854, Augusta Smith Hanna, born October 9, 
1831 ; children: i. Ada Louise, born July 26, 
1855: ii. Stella Augusta, September 11, 1856; 
iii. Willard Lee, May 5, 1859, died December 

8, 1859; iv. Joseph Everhard, born September 
23, i860, married, November 21, 1890, Mary 
EHzabeth Clough, born August 15, 1865, and 
had children: Mildred, born August 13, 1891, 
Genevieve, born December 4, 1893, died April 
12, 1894, Girard, born June 9, 1896, died July 
7. 1898; V. Clara Tompkins, born June 21. 
1864. married, October 17, 1888, Frederick 
Maxson. born June 13, 1862, and had chil- 
dren: Frederick Raymond, born June 12, 
1890, and Harold Crawford, born October 6, 
1892. 3. Ann Elizabeth, born May i, 1827, 
died April 29. 1003 ; married, February 12, 
1846. James H. Olsen. born April 4, 1826. was 
killed "at ALnlvern Hill. July i. 1862; children: 
i. Emma, born October 29, 1846, married, July 
10. 1863. George Barnett, born December 23, 
1839; ii. Fanny, born June 13, 1855, died Sep- 
tember 29, 1887: married (first! October 15, 
1872, Thomas Browne, born October 4, 1845, 



died November 4, 1874, and had one child, 
Albert, born July 26, 1873; married (second) 
July 8, 1880, Thomas de Codezo, born August 
6, 1849, died October 11, 1887, and had, Elsie, 
bom December 9, 1884. 4. William Henry, 
born May 20, 1829, died August 30, 1830. 5. 
James Ray Tompkins, born June 26, 1831, 
died March 24, 1894. 6. Frances Araminta, 
born July 11, 1833, died April 18, 1890; mar- 
ried, October 9, 1856, Daniel H. Little, born 
August 21, 1837, died May 8, 1892; children: 
i. (Chester H., born September 24, 1857 ; ii. 
Laura F., born November 18, 1859, died Jan- 
uary 26, 1862; iii. Elisha Crawford, born Oc- 
tober 8, 1861, died April 17, 1882, married D. 
Franklin, who died November 7, 1891 ; iv. 
Ophelia A., born December 10, 1863. married, 
December 23, 1885, Loron M. Burdick, born 
October 18, 1856, and had children: Hazel L., 
born January 12, 1887, Mildred E., September 
20, 1892, and Loraine C, born December 22, 
1894; V. Charles W., born June 25. 1866, died 
May 9, 1900; vi. Lillie F., born September 22, 
1870, married, July 10. 1889. Frank M. Dunn, 
born February 12, 1863, and had children : 
Viola L., born August 10, 1890, Helen L., born 
August 7, 1894. 7. John Washburne, born 
October 9, 1835, died March 27, 1877; mar- 
ried, May 5, 1864, Jennie H. Gedney. born 
May 7, 1842; children: i. Lincoln, born Febru- 
ary '27, 1865, died August 28, 1876; ii. Elisha, 
born June 18, 1869; iii. John, born April 23, 
1872. 8. Franklin, born November 21. 1837, 
died February 13, 1907; married. November 
II. 1865, Henrietta K. Smith, born February 
13, 1846; children: i. Eva, born December 22, 
1869, died February 17, 1871 ; Edwin. October 
25. 1871 ; Mabel, April 14, 1873, died August 
13, 1878. 9. Sarah Margaret, born February 
18. 1839: married (first) October 17. 1861, 
Walter M. Covert, born September 27. 1837, 
died Mav 22, 1874. and had one child, Howard 
E., born September 27, 1865. died March 28, 
1878; married (second) Robert J. Ellis, born 
December 16, 1827. and had children: i. 
Harriet C. born May 21. 1874: ii. Emilv TT.. 
May 2. 1880, died July 10. 1880: iii. Rob rt 
C. born August 31. 1877. 10. George R.. see 
forward. 

(YD Georare R., youngest son of Elisha and 
Tudith (Tompkins) Crawford, was born in 
White Plains, New York, June 21, 1841. 
After being graduated from the Lockswood 
Military Academy in 1859, he entered the 



230 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



store of A. Rankin & Company, No. 96 Broad- 
way, dealers in Scotch woolens and hosiery. 
In 1862 he engaged in the fire and life insur- 
ance business with his father, under the title 
of E. Crawford & Son. On October 19. 1864, 
he was elected secretary of the Westchester 
Fire Insurance Company, which position he 
held until January 10, 1879. when he was 
elected to the presidency, an office he has filled 
very capably up to the present time (1913)- 
On May 16, 1861, with a number of other 
young men, he organized the Union Hook 
and Ladder Company of White Plains, New 
York. December 10, 1867, he was elected a 
member of the Clinton Hook and Ladder 
Company, No. i, of Mount Vernon, New 
York. March 4, 1869, he was elected assist- 
ant foreman of said company, and in 1870 was 
chosen as foreman, and on April 20, 1877, he 
was elected chief of the Mount Vernon Fire 
Department. October 16, 1905, he was ap- 
pointed fire commissioner of the city of Mount 
Vernon, New York. He was initiated a mem- 
ber of Huguenot Lodge. No. 46, Free and 
Accepted Masons, of New Rochelle, New 
York, February 8. 1866; was demitted to 
Hiawatha Lodge, No. 442, Mount Vernon, 
New York ; exalted in Nepperham Chapter, 
No. 177, Royal Arch Masons. Yonkcrs, New 
York, July i, 1868; demitted to Mount Ver- 
non Chapter of the Royal Arch Masons, Au- 
gust 19, 1868. He was knighted in West- 
chester Commandery, No. 42, Knights Tem- 
plar, of White Plains, August 19. 186S. He 
became a charter member of Bethlehem Com- 
mandery, No. 53, Knights Templar, New Ro- 
chelle. New York, and was elected first gen- 
eralissimo. April 12, t888. He was elected 
eminent commander, June 3, 1895; '^ member 
of Mecca Temple. Ancient Arabic Order 
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, June 3. 1895; a 
member of Wauregan Encampment, O. D.' O., 
Mount \'emon. New York, October 29, 1890; 
became a member of the Ancient and .Accepted 
Scottish Rite, Northern Jurisdiction, Febru- 
ary 17, 1896. He is a member of the Empire 
State Society of Sons of the American Revo- 
lution, through Lieutenant Samuel Crawford, 
his lineal ance.stor. He is a life member of 
the Bethlehem Ciolf Club, at Bethlehem, New 
Hampsliirc. and holds membership in the 
Methodist Episcopal church of White Plains. 
Mr. Crawford married, in Brooklyn. New 
York, May 24, 1864, Lucretia, born 'Septem- 



ber 10. 1844, in Long Branch, New Jersey, 
daughter of James and Rebecca Anna (Wool- 
ley) Creig, whose marriage occurred in 1843. 
Mr. (irieg was a clothing merchant. Children : 
I. Mabel, born March 27, 1866, died August 
21, 1867. 2. George Beaumont, born March 
16, 1869; married, October 27, 1886, Ella F. 
Tichenor, born December 15, 1866, and has 
one child. Morrell Tompkins, born October 
12, 1899. 



\'arious origins have been at- 
CLINTON tributed to this name. It has 
been described as Saxon, Nor- 
man-French, Welsh and Irish in origin, and 
the truth seems to be that the name has really 
at least two dififering origins. It appears as 
the family name of the Earls of Lincoln in 
England ; but it is well known also in Ireland 
and Scotland, in those two countries it is as- 
serted to have a purely Gaelic origin. Lower, 
the British authority on surnames, says of it : 
"The Duke of Newcastle derives from Rcin- 
baldus, who came hither at the Conquest, and 
assumed his stirname, Glimpton (anciently 
written Clinton), county Oxford, part of the 
possessions granted to him for his services." 
The name is known in Ireland and Scotland 
under the forms Clinton. Mac Clinton and Mac 
Clinlain ; and in these cases is said to be a 
contraction of the Gaelic terms Mac-giolla- 
Finton. Mac stands for "son ;" giolla means 
"votary" or "devoted ;" and Finton stands for 
"St. Fintain." The meaning of the terms 
Mac-gioUa-Finton. therefore, is "the son of 
the votary of St. Finton." This, it is claimed, 
has been contracted into the form IMacCIinton, 
just as Malcolm is a contraction of the terms 
mac-maoil-Colum. meaning the "son of the 
votary of St. Columba." It was the custom 
in the old days throughout Gaeldom to take 
a saint's name with "Giolla" or "Maoil," both 
having the same meaning of votarv or de- 
votee, prefixed to it as a mark of respect. 
These names subsist to the present day, in 
every case considerably modernized, however, 
in the way of contraction. Still another form 
of Clinton is found in the patronvmic "De 
Clinton." which seems to argue a different and 
a Norman origin. It is difficidt to distinguish 
the origin of each of these names in a par- 
ticular case, but the Clintons, whose first 
American ancestor came from Ireland, are de- 
clared to have belonged to the same family as 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



231 



the British Earls of Lincohi, a member of 
the family having apparently settled in Ire- 
land some generations previous to the sailing 
of the first American ancestor with his family 
to America. 

( I ) Charles Clinton, immigrant ancestor of 
the Clinton family, was born in county Long- 
ford. Ireland, in 1690, and died in what is now 
called Orange county, New York, November. 
'9' '^77Z- He spent his youth and early man- 
hood in Ireland, leaving the island when he 
was verging on his fortieth year. He was a 
dissenter from the church that had been estab- 
lished in the country, and in opposition to the 
ruling powers in Ireland, so he resolved to 
emigrate to America. With a party of friends 
and relatives he chartered the vessel "George 
and Anne" of Dublin, and sailed May 20. 
1720, for Philadelphia, where they proposed 
to form a colony. Emigration in those days 
was a risky proceeding, not only because of 
the possible unseaworthiness of seagoing 
craft, but because of the autocratic powers 
possessed by the captains of vessels, whose 
conduct to their passengers and crews often 
left a great deal to be desired. When the 
vessel bearing Charles Clinton and his family 
and friends were well out at sea, the captain 
formed a plan to starve the passengers in his 
care for the purpose of possessing himself of 
their property, and for the purpose also, it is 
said, of preventing their immigration to 
America. The result was that a large per- 
centage of the passengers died, and among the 
deceased were a son and daughter of Charles 
Clinton. Those that survived were finally al- 
lowed to land at Cape Cod, October 4, 1729, 
having paid a large sum of money for the 
preservation of their lives. A proposal to 
wrest the command of the vessel from the 
captain had previously failed, owing to a want 
of energy among the victims. In the spring 
of 1 73 1 the party settled in Ulster county, 
New York, six miles west of the Hudson. 
and sixty miles north of New York, where 
Mr. Clinton pursued his occupation of farmer 
and land surveyor. He was after^vards jus- 
tice of the peace, county judge, and lieutenant- 
colonel of the Ulster county militia. He was 
made a lieutenant-colonel in Oliver Delaney's 
regiment. March 24. 1758, and served under 
Colonel Bradstreet at the siege and capture 
of Fort Frontenac. He married Elizabeth 
Denniston. Children: i. Alexander, born 



April 17, 1732, died March, 1757; educated 
at Princeton, and was a practising physician. 
2. Charles, born July 20, 1734, died unmar- 
ried, April 30, 1 791 ; he was also a physician 
and surgeon in the army, attaining the rank 
of colonel. 3. James, born in Ulster county, 
New York. August 9, 1736, died in Little 
Britain, Orange county, December 22, 18 12. 
He was provided by his father with an ex- 
cellent education, but his ruling inclination 
was for military life. He was appointed an 
ensign in the Second Regiment of Ulster 
County Militia, and became its lieutenant-col- 
onel before the beginning of the revolution. 
During the war of 1756 between the English 
and the French, he particularly distinguished 
himself at the capture of Fort Frontenac, 
where he was captain under Bradstreet, ren- 
dering essential service by capturing a French 
sloop-of-war on Lake Ontario. The confidence 
reposed in his character may be estimated by 
his appointment as captain-commandant of 
four regiments levied for the protection of 
the western frontiers of Ulster and Orange 
counties. He was appointed colonel of the 
Third New York Regiment, June 30. 1775, 
and in the same year accompanied Montgom- 
ery to Quebec. He was made brigadier-gen- 
eral August 9. 1776, and commanded Fort 
Chester when it was attacked in October, 
1777, by Sir Henry Clinton. After a gallant 
defence by about six hundred militia against 
three thousand British troops. Fort Clinton, 
as well as Fort Montgomery, of which his 
celebrated brother. General George Clinton, 
was commander-in-chief, was carried by 
storm. General Clinton was the last man to 
leave the works, receiving a severe bayonet 
wound, but escaping from the enemy by rid- 
ing a short distance and then sliding down a 
precipice for something like a hundred feet 
to the creek, whence he made his wav to the 
monntain In 177Q he ioined with 1. 600 men 
in the expedition of General Sullivan against 
the Indians, proceeding up the IMohawk to 
the head of Otsego Lake, where he succeeded 
in floating his bateaux on the shallow outlet bv 
damm.ing up the lake and then letting out 
the water suddenly. After an engagement in 
which the Indians were defeated with great 
loss at Newtown (now Elmira\ all resistance 
upon their part ceased, their settlements were 
destroyed, and they fled to the British fort- 
ress of Negara. General Clinton commanded 



232 



SOUTHERN x\E\V YORK 



at Albany during a great part of the war, but 
was present at the siege of Yorktown and 
the evacuation of New York by the British. 
He was a commissioner to adjust the boun- 
dary line between New York and Pennsyl- 
vania, and was a member of the legislature 
and of the convention that adopted the con- 
stitution of the United States. 4. George, 
mentioned below. 

(H) George, son of Charles and Elizabeth 
(Denniston) Clinton, was born at Little 
Britain. New York, July 26, 1739, and died 
in ^\'ashington, D. C, April 20, 1812. On his 
return from a privateering cruise in 1758 he 
accompanied his father and brother James in 
the expedition against Fort Frontenac as a 
lieutenant, and, on the disbanding of the 
colonial forces, he studied in the law office 
of William Smith, and settled in his birth- 
place, receiving shortly afterwards a clerk- 
ship from the colonial governor. .'\dam George 
Clinton, a connection of the family. He was 
elected in 1768 to the New York assembly, 
where he so resolutely maintained the cause 
of the colonies against the crown that April 
22, 1775. he was elected by the New York 
provincial convention one of the delegates to 
the second continental congress, taking his 
seat May 15. He did not vote on the ques- 
tion of independence, as the members of the 
New York provincial congress, which he rep- 
resented, did not consider themselves author- 
ized to instruct their delegates to act on that 
question. They jnirposely left it to the new 
provincial congress, which met at White 
Plains, July 8, 1776. and which on the next 
day passed unanimously a resolution approv- 
ing of the delegates. Clinton was likewise 
prevented from signins: the Declaration of In- 
dependence with the New York delegation of 
July 15. by receiving, on the seventh of that 
month, an imperative call from Washington to 
take post in the Highlands, with the rank of 
general of militia. This accident, which pre- 
vented him from being a signer, he always 
referred to in later days as the saddest event 
of his life. In the spring of 1777 he was a 
deputy to the New York provincial congress 
which framed the state constitution, but was 
again called into the field by congress, and 
appointed March 25, 1777, a brigadier-general 
in the Continental army. Assisted by his 
brotlier James, he made a brilliant, though 
unsuccessful, defence. October 6. 1777, of the 



Highland forts, Clinton and Montgomery 
against Sir Henry Clinton. He was chosen 
first governor of the state April 20, 1777, and 
in 1780 was re-elected to the office, which he 
retained by successive elections until 1795. 
I'rom the period of his occupation of the 
gubernatorial chair until its final relinquish- 
ment he exhibited great energy of character, 
and in defence of the state rendered important 
services, both in a- civil and military capacity. 
In 1780 he thwarted an expedition led by Sir 
John Johnston, Brant, and Cornplanter, into 
the Mohawk Valley, and thus saved the set- 
tlers from the horrors of the torch and scalp- 
ing knife. He was active in preventing en- 
croachments on the territory of New Y^ork by 
settlers belonging to the New Hampshire 
grants, and w\as largely instrumental with 
Timothy Pickering in concluding after the 
war lasting treaties of peace with the west- 
ern Indians. In 1783 he accompanied Wash- 
ington and Hamilton on a tour of the north- 
ern and western parts of the state, on their 
return visiting, with .Schuyler as a guide, the 
High Rock of Saratoga. W'hile on this trip 
he first conceived the project of a canal be- 
tween the Mohawk and Wood creeks, which 
he recommended to the legislature in his 
speech opening the session of 1791. an idea 
that was subsequently carried out to its legiti- 
mate end in the Erie and Champlain canals by 
his nephew, Governor De Witt Clinton, At 
the time of Shay's Rebellion in 1787 he 
marched in person at the head of the militia 
against the insurgents, and by this prompt 
action greatly aided the governor of Massa- 
chusetts in quelling the outbreak. In 17S8 he 
presided at the state convention to ratify the 
federal constitution, the adoption of which he 
opposed, beliving that too much power would 
thereby pass to the federal congress and exec- 
utive. At the first presidential election he re- 
ceived three of the electoral votes ca«t for the 
vice-presidency. In 1792. when Washington 
was re-elected, Clinton had for the same of- 
fice fifty votes, and at the sixth presidential 
election, 1800-1813. he received six ballots 
from New York for the ofificc of president. 
In 1800 he \vas chosen to the legislature after 
one of the most hotly contested elections in 
the annals of the state. He participated in 
the inauguration of General George Washing- 
ton in the metropolis, in Wall street, and 
escorted the president to his elegant "city 




GEORGE CLINTON 

First Governor of New York, serving 1777 95. lSOl-04; was most active as a 
Generol In the Revolution, and Vice-President 1805-12. Born at Little Britain. N. Y., 
July 26, 1739; died at Washington. D. C, April 20, 1812. From the painting by Ezra 
Ames. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



^ZZ 



residence at No. 3 Cherry street." His most 
enduring work is seen perhaps in the two 
old forts on Governor's Island. In 1801 he 
was again governor. In 1804 he was elected 
vice-president of the United States, which 
ofifite he filled until his death. His last im- 
portant public act was to negative, by his 
casting vote in the senate, the renewal of the 
charter of the United States Bank in 181 1. 
He took great interest in education, and in 
his message at the opening session of the leg- 
islature of 179s he initiated the movements 
for the organization of a common school sys- 
tem. As a military man Clinton was bold and 
courageous, and endowed with a will that 
rarely failed him in sudden emergencies. As 
a civil magistrate he was a staunch friend to 
literature and to social order. In private life 
he was affectionate, winning, though dignified 
in his manner, strong in his dislikes, and 
warm in his friendships. The vast influence 
that he wielded was due more to sound judg- 
ment, marvelous energy and great moral force 
than to any specially high-sounding or bril- 
liant achievement. The old state papers show 
that the governor was keenly alive to the 
commercial prosperity of the state. He 
favored all bills which he thought would ben- 
efit the people, and so far as can be seen to- 
day he was progressive almost to radicalism. 
At the same time he had a well-balanced mind 
and a keen knowledge of human nature. He 
never went to extremes and never incurred 
the extremes of opposition. 

He married Cornelia Tappan. of Ulster 
county, and had six children, one of them a 
son George, whose only son died unmarried, 
so that the family name has disappeared in 
that branch of the family. 



The family name of Pell is of 
PELL Saxon origin, meaning remote, and 

when compounded with "ham,'' as 
Pelham f mansion), signifies the mansion far 
away, and such was the intent in selecting a 
name for Pelham Manor. What the Mohegan 
tribe of Indians, the Siwanovs, called this 
particular tract on which the Pell family set- 
tled is unknown. The arms of the Pell fam- 
ily are: Ermine, on a canton azure a pelican 
or, vulned gules. This coat was granted Oc- 
tober IQ, 1504. The gold pelican and azure 
field are also a portion of the charges be- 
longing to the coat. 



(II) John (2) Pell, B. A., at Cambridge, 
1594, was fifth son of John (i) Pell, of Der- 
singliam, Norfolk, England, of the ancient 
family of Pell of Water Willoughby, Lincoln- 
shire. John Pell Sr. was steward, or master 
of the king's cup, and was living in 1597. His 
wife was Margaret Overend, the only daugh- 
ter of William Overend, Esq., and they had 
six sons and three daughters. John Pell, Jr., 
above mentioned, was in holy orders, rector 
of Southwyck, in Sussex county, England, 
died in 1616. John Pell married Mary Hol- 
land, of Kent, and they had two children : 
Thomas, born in 1608, a gentleman of the 
bedchamber to King Charles I., and John, 
born March i, 161 1. 

As it was the elder son who acquired the 
grant of Pelham Manor, much popular inter- 
est centers in Thomas Pell, although having 
no issue the line of descent continues through 
his younger brother, John, whose son in- 
herited the property. It is believed that he 
was born at Southwyck, in Sussex, about 
1608, and the e.xact date of his arrival in 
America is not known ; but it is certain that 
he was one of the first to settle in New Eng- 
land, for his name is associated with Roger 
Ludlow, a member of Rev. John Warham's 
company who first settled at Dorchester, Mas- 
sachusetts, in June, 1630, and removed to 
Windsor, Connecticut, 1635. Following this, 
Ludlow began a plantation at Unquowa, the 
Indian name by which Fairfield. Connecti- 
cut, was known, and Thomas Pell was with 
these ten families in 1635 at that place. His 
name also appears in the colonial records of 
New Haven in 1639 as executor of Richard 
Jewell. It is known of him that on March 
10, 1646, at a general court held in New 
Haven, in recording the names of persons 
seated in the meeting house, the governor and 
deputv occupied the first middle seat and Mr. 
Pell the first seat in the cross ones at the end. 

On November 14, 1654, Thomas Pell, then 
of Fairfield, Connecticut, obtained a ffrant 
from the ancient Indian proprietors, embrac- 
ing all that territory bounded on the ea.st by 
a stream called Stoney brook or river, and so 
running northward as the said brook or river 
runs, eight English miles into the woods, 
thence west to Broncks' river, then down the 
stream of Broncks' river to a certain bend 
in the said river, thence by marked trees south 
until it reaches the tide waters of the Sound, 



234 



SOUTHERN .\EW YORK 



which lyetli between Long Island and the 
main land, together with all the island in the 
sound, &c., &c. This grant was signed by 
the Sachem Ann-hoock and five other Indians. 
A. Dyckman occurs as witness. It was subse- 
quently confirmed in council. He stated be- 
fore a court of assize, in 1665, that he had 
obtained license to make the purchase, from 
the authorities of Connecticut, and that he 
had paid large sums of money for the same. 

In 1654, it was resolved, at a meeting of 
the director-general and council of New 
Nethcrland "that whereas a few English are 
beginning a settlement at a great distance 
from our outposts on lands long before bought 
and paid for, near Vreedland, to send there, 
interdict, and the attorney-general, Cornelius 
van Tienhoven, and forbid them to proceed no 
farther, but to abandon that spot. Done at 
Fort Amstel on the 3th of November, 1654, in 
New Netherlands," on lands "purchased from 
the Indians by the ?Ion. Thomas Pell of Fair- 
field, Connecticut." Despite this move and 
several other protestations from the Dutch of- 
ficials, Thomas Pell continued to settle his 
tract up to the time of the surrender of the 
Dutch in 1664. It is related as a curious fact 
that the two leading sachems of Pelham, 
Ann-hoock nVampage) and Himham or Nim- 
ham. lived to a great age. In 1675 the Indians 
must have been residing on the neck of land 
in consiflcrable numbers, for at a general court 
of assize held in that year it was resolved : 
"that the Indyans at Mr. Pell's or Anne 
Hook's neck be ordered to remove to their 
usual winter quarters, within Hellgate. upon 
this island : and further that all canoes be- 
longing to Christians or Indyans on the north 
side of Long Island to the east of Hellgate 
shall be within three days from the publica- 
tion of this order, brought to the next townes 
and delivered to the constables to be secured 
near the block-house. Any canoes found upon 
the sound after that time to be destroyed." 
It is conjectured that this order was put forth 
in order to prevent the Indians of Long Island 
joining in the warfare made by King Philip 
against the New England colonists. 

One of the favorite burying grounds of the 
river tribe of Indians was located near the 
entrance of Pelham neck, whither they brought 
their dead from as far as Horscneck. Con- 
necticut, and a great many mounds of this 
nature were even recently to be seen on prop- 



erty of George Rapelje bordering the water. 
Two of the largest of the mounds were long 
pointed out as those of the Siwanoys sachems, 
Ann-hoock and Nimham, and when the for- 
mer was opened it was found to contain a 
skelton of great size, by the side of which 
lay the tenant's stone axe and flint spear- 
head. 

A charter for Pelham Manor was granted 
by Governor Richard Nicolls on October 6, 
1666, to Thomas Pell, reading in part as fol- 
lows: 

"Richard NicoUs Esq., Governor. Under his Royall 
Highness the Duke of York, of all his territories in 
America. To all to whom these presents shall come, 
sendcth greeting. Whereas there is a certain tr.-ict 
of land within this government upon the main, sit- 
uate, lying and being to the eastward of Westchester 
bounds, bounded to the westward with the river 
called by the Indians, Aqueouncke, commonly known 
by the English by the name of Hutchinson's river, 
which runneth into the bay lying between Throck- 
morton's neck and Ann Hooks neck, commonly 
called Hutchinson's bay, bounded on the east by a 
brook called Cedar Tree brook or Gravelly brook, 
on the south by the sound, which lyeth between 
Long Island and the main land, with all the islands 
in the sound, not already granted or otherwise dis- 
posed of. lying before that tract of land so bounded 
as is before expressed, and northwards, to run into 
the woods about eight English miles in breadth as 
the bounds to the sound, which said tract of land 
hath heretofore been purchased of the Indian pro- 
prietors, and due satisfaction given for the same. 
Now know ye, that by virtue of the commission 
and authority unto me given, by his Royal Highness. 
James. EHike of York, &c., upon whom by lawful 
grant and pattent from his majesty, th? prouiieto'-y 
and government of that part of the main land, as 
well as of Long Island, as all the islands adjacent, 
among other things is settled, I have thouglit proier 
to give, grant, confirm and ratifv unto Thomas Pell 
of Onckway, alias Fairfield, his majesty's colonv 
of Connecticut, gentleman, his heirs and assigns, all 
the said tract of land bounded as aforesaid, together 
with all the lands, islands, sea-bays, woods, meadows, 
pastures, marshes, lakes, waters, creeks, fishing, 
hawking, hunting and fowling and all other profits, 
commodities emoluments and hereditaments, * * * in 
fee and common socage and bv fealty only, yielding, 
rendering and paying, yearly and every year, unto his 
royal highness, the duty forever, and his heirs, or to 
such governor as shall from time to time be by him 
constituted and appointed, as an acknowledgment, 
one lamb upon the first day of May, if the same 
shall be demanded. Given under my hand and -eal 
at Fort Tames, in New York, on the island of Man- 
hattan, the sixth day of October, in the i8th year of 
the reign of our sovereign. T^ord Charles the second. 
by the grace nf God. of England. Scotland. France 
and Ireland. Defender of the Faith, &c., &c.. S— . 
and in the year of our Lord God 1666." 

Sir Thomas Dongan, lieutenant-governor of 



I 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



235 



the Province of New York, on October 20, 
1687, confirmed by letters patent, under the 
great seal, the whole manor, employing much 
the same description of the territory of the 
tract of Pelliam Manor as in the original char- 
ter; but saying: "I would, in the behalfe of 
his sacred Majesty, his heirs and suckcessors, 
give and grant unto him, the said John Pell 
[he having then inherited the Manor from 
his uncle, Thomas Pell], a more full and firme 
grant and confirmation of the above lands and 
premises." 

The manor was famous for its location 
near to the great seaport ; its fishing in the 
vicinity was unsurpassed the entire length of 
the sound ; bear, wolves and deer were aboun- 
dant. offering inducement for the hunt in 
order to provide both provision and pelf ; In- 
dian wigwams occupied the site which first 
assumed the civilization of manorial grounds 
and later a place of residential activity, and 
innumerable arrow-heads dug up by those 
building there a century later prove that it 
must have been a favorite hunting ground for 
the Indians. The provincial assemblv was 
obliged to take steps to destroy the wild ani- 
mals roving in the locality now laid out as the 
most modern of towns, enacting: 

"Forasmuch as divers inhabitants of this colony 
have suffered many grievous losses in their stock, 
both of sheep and neat cattle, for the prevention of 
which, and encouragement of those who shall de- 
stroy wolves in the said colony, and that the breed 
of wolves within this colony may be whollv rooted 
out and extinguished, be it enacted. &c.. that in the 
county of West Chester, twenty shillings for a grown 
wolf killed bv a Christian, and fen shillings for such 
a wolf killed by an Indian, and half that sum re- 
spectively for a whelp." 

The remains of a wolf pit endured for 
more than a century thereafter in Winter Hill 
burving ground. 

Thom.as Pell had hardly acquired the large 
tract before he sought settlers to occupy a 
portion of it. that he might acquire a sub- 
stantial revenue, like the lords of other manors 
on American soil. He sisrned the following 
grant in i66d. in favor of grantees who re- 
moved from Fairfield, Connecticut: 

"Know all men by these presents, that I, Thomas 
Pell, have granted to Tames Euestis and Philip 
Pinckney, for themselves and their associates, to 
the number of ten families, to settle down at Hutcb- 
insons. that is where the house stood at the meadow 
rnd uplands, to Hutchinson's river, they paving ac- 
cording to ye proportion of the charges which was 
disburst for the purchase, and other necessary 



charges, only liberty to have the disposing of two 
lotts upon the same terms with them, because that 
I might provide them some tradesmen for their 
comfort, as a smith, or weaver, or what else with 
their approbation. Witness my hand, this 24th of 
June, 1664. Thomas Pell." 

This is the covenant made in 1665 for their 
government at Pelham : 

"Articles of agreement betwi.xt us whose names are 
underwritten, A. D. 1665. Imprimis — that we, by the 
grace of God, sett down on the tract of land lying 
betwixt Hutchinson's brook, where the house was. 
until it comes unto that river that runneth in at 
the head of the meadow. 2. That we endeavor to 
keep and maintain Christian love and sivill honesty. 
3. That \ve faithfully counsell what may be of in- 
firmity in any one of us. 4. Plainly to deal one 
with another in Christian love. 5. If any treaspass 
be done, the trespassed and the trespasser shall 
chuse two of this company, and they a third man if 
need be required, to end the matter, without any fur- 
ther trubell. 6. That all and every one of us, or that 
shall be of us, do pay unto the minister, according 
to his meade. 7. That none exceed the quantity of 
fifteen acres, until all have that quantity. 8. That 
everv man hath that meadow that is most convenient 
for him. 9. That every man build and inhabit on 
his home lot Dcfore the next winter. 10. That no 
man maks sale of his lot before he hath built and 
inhabited one year, and then to render it to the 
company, or to a man whom they approve. 11. That 
any man may sell part of his alotment to his neigh- 
bour. 12. That no man shall engrosse to himself by 
buying his neighbour's lot for his particular interest, 
but with respect to sell it if an approved man come, 
and that without much advantage, to be judged by 
the company, i,-?. That all nublic affairs, all bridges, 
highways, or mill, be carried on jointly, according 
to meadow ant estates. 14. That provision be en- 
deavored 'or pducptinn of children, and then 
encouragement be given unto any that shall take 
pains according to our former way of rating. 15. 
That no man shall give entertainment to a foreigner 
who shall carry himself obnoxious to the comnany 
except amendment be after warning given. 16. That 
all shall join in guarding of catfel when the company 
see it convenient. 17. That every man make and 
maintain a good fence about all his arable land, and 
in due time a man chosen to view if the company's 
be .good. 18. That every man sow his land when 
most of the company sow or plant in their fie'ds. 
19. That we .give new encouragement to Mr. Brew- 
ster each other week, to .give us a word of exhorta- 
tion, and that when we are settled we meet to- 
gether every other weeke. one hour, to talk of the 
best things. 20. That one man. either of himself, 
or by consent, mav give entertainment to strangers 
for money. 21. That one day. every spring, be im- 
proved for the destroying of rattle snakes. CN. B. 
:2 omitrted in copy"). 23. That =omc. every Lord's 
c\s^-. stay at home, for safetv of our wives and chil- 
dren. 24. That every man get and keen a good lock to 
his don^ ^s soon as he can. 2^. That a convenient place 
be appointed for oxen if need require. 26. If any man's 
meadow or upland be worse in quality, that be con- 
sidered in quantity. 27. That even- man that hath 



236 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



taken uo lots shall pay to all public charges equal 
with those that got none. That all that hath or 
shall take up lots within this tract of land men- 
tioned in the premises shall subscribe to these articles. 
This is a true copy according unto the originall, 
transcribed by me. Richard Shutc, this 23d day of 
Nov. '68." This document was signed : "Thomas 
Shute. The mark of (X) Nathaniel White. The 
mark of (O) Nathaniel Tompkins. Philip Pinkney. 
The mark of (X) Joseph Joans. John Hoitt. James 
Eustis. The mark of (X) Daniel Godwin. The 
mark of (X) William Squire. David Osburn. John 
Coding. Samuel Drake. John Jack?on. The mark 
of John Drake (ID). William Haidon's mark (H). 
The mark of John Gay (IG). John A. Pinkney. The 
mark of John Tompkins (O). Richard Shute. The 
mark of John Hollind (III). Moses Moitte. Richard 
Hoadley. The mark of Henry (X) Ffowlir. John 
Emor>'. Moses Jackson. John Clarke." 

There was an old record bearings date about 
1663. now said to be extant, which sot forth: 

"The le.gislature of Connecticut determining to se- 
cure as far as possible the lands w-ithin the limits 
of their charter, authorized one Thomas Pell to pur- 
chase of the Indian proprietors all that tract between 
Westchester and Iludson's river, and the waters 
which made the Manhadoes an island, and resolved 
that it should be added to Westchester." 

Thomas Pell undoubtedlj' died some time 
between the date he made his will, signed 
September 21, 1669, and the date of the order 
for taking the inventory of his estate, which 
was October 13. 1660. In that final document 
of the founder of Pelham he states that the 
Lord had "lately taken to himselfe my be- 
loved wife Lucy, it lieing ye good pleasure of 
God to deny mc natural issue of my owne 
body." and in these words made provision for 
the main portion of his estate: 

"This being my last will and testament — I doe 
make my nephew, John Pell, living in ould England, 
the nnlv sonne of my only brother John Pell, Doctor 
of Divinity, which he had bv his first wife, my whole 
and sole hcire of all my lands and hotjscs in any 
parte of New England, or in ye territorves of ye 
Duke of Yorke. I also give to my nephew John 
Pell (my whole and sole heire) all my goods, move- 
able or immoveable whatsoever — money, plate, chat- 
tells and cattle of all kinds — except such parcells 
and legacyes which I give and benueath to persons 
as followeth, my just debts being first paid." 

Thomas Pell died leaving an honored mem- 
ory. He had served with Lion Gardiner at 
Fort Saybrook and was a surgeon in the 
Pcquot war. From 1664 to 1665 he was a 
deputy to the general court. He iriarried Lucy 
Brewster, of New Haven, Connecticut. 

(HI) The Rev. John (3^ Pell, D. D., F. R. 
S., son of John (2) and Mary (Holland") 
Pell, was born 'Nf.irrh i, t6ii, at Southwick. 



in Sussex, England, died at London, about 
December 12, 1685; buried in the Rector's 
vault at St. Giles' Church, London. At the 
age of thirteen he entered Trinity College, 
Cambridge, and received the degree of A. B. 
in 1630, afterwards D. D. ; he was also ad- 
mitted to an ad eundein degree at Oxford. 
He was elected professor of mathematics 
at Amsterdam and Breda, where he at- 
tained a high reputation. .From 1654 to 
1658 he was Cromwell's Minister Resident 
with Protestant Cantons of Switzerland. 
After the restoration of Charles XL, he 
ijecame rector of Fobbing, Laindon and 
Orset, in Essex. He was appointed Domestic 
Chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury, 
and on May 20, 1663, was elected Fellow of 
the Royal Society. A great many of his pri- 
vate papers are preserved in the British Mu- 
seum, contained in over ten volumes of manu- 
script. He married, in 1632, Ithamaria, daugh- 
ter of Henry Reginolles, and left one son, 
John, see forward, and four daughters : Mary, 
born April 14, 1634, married, 1656, Captain 
Ravee: Elizabeth, born 1639, married, i(J64, 

John Edwards ; Bathsheba, married Wes- 

sels ; Judith, married, 1657. Thomas Kirke. 

(IV) Hon. John (4) Pell, son of Rev. 
John (3) and Ithamaria (Reginolles) Pell, 
was born February 3, 1643, in London, Eng- 
land, died at Pelham Manor, Province of New 
York, in 1702. Upon inheriting the West- 
chester property, known as Pelham Manor 
from his uncle, Thomas Pell, who had died 
without issue, he came to America, arriving at 
Boston. Massachusetts, in October, 1670, with 
letters to Governor Winthrop, which estab- 
lished his heirship. He was thus the second 
Lord of the Manor of Pelham, and was com- 
monly called Sir John Pell. He was appointed 
captain of horse in 1684, and major in the 
French and Indian wars, 1692. He was made 
first judge of court of common pleas in West- 
chester county, 1688, and was the first mem- 
ber for that county in the provincial assembly, 
1691-95. He married Rachel, dauehter of 
Philip Pinckncy, of Eastchester. Children : 
Thomas, see forward ; John, died unmarried 
in Philadelphia : Ada, married Honey- 
well ; Tamar, married James Eustis : Mary, 
married Samuel Rodinan. 

(V) Thomas, son of Hon. John (4) and 
Rachel (Pinckney) Pell, was born circa 1676, 
and died circa 1739, the year in which his 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



237 



will was dated, which is numbered 18,154 in 
the surrogate's office for New York. He was 
third Lord of the Manor of Pelham. He 
married Anna, who was by tradition the 
daughter of Ninham or Wampage, an Indian 
sachem. Children: i. John, born in 1702, 

died in 1773; married Totten, leaving 

issue. 2. Thomas, born in 1704, died in 1753; 
married Dorothy Ward, leaving issue. 3. 
David, died (s. p.) circa 1735. 4. Joshua, see 
forward. 5. Caleb, born in 1712; married, in 
1768, Mary Ferris, who died in 1772, but with 
male line extinct supposedly. 6. Philip, mar- 
ried, February 28, 1731, Phoebe Fitch, leaving 
issue. 7. Joseph, born in 1715, died in 1752, 
buried near site of Manor house; married 
Phoebe Deane, leaving issue. 8. Ann, mar- 
ried Broadhurst. 9. Mary, married 

Samuel Sands. 10. Sarah, married Benjamin 
Palmer. 11. Bathsheba, married Theophilus 
Bartow. 12. Phebe, married John Tredwell. 

(VI) Joshua, son of Thomas and Anna 
Pell, was born at Pelham Manor, circa 17 10, 
died in 1781. He married. 1735-36, Phoebe, 
daughter of John Palmer. Children: i. Joshua, 
born in 1737, died in 1821 ; married Abigail, 
died in 1815, daughter of Jonathan Archer, 
leaving issue. 2. Edward, married Mary 
Devereaux, by whom a son, Frederick. 3. Ben- 
jamin, see forward. 4. Gilbert, married Mary 
Honeywell, no issue. 5. Philip, died unmar- 
ried. 6. Jonathan. 7. Phoebe. 8. Mary, mar- 
ried S. Bennet. g. Jeruslia. married 

Pell. 10. Sarah, married Benjamin Guion. 

(VII) Benjamin, son of Joshua and Phoebe 
(Palmer) Pell, was born at Pelham Manor, 
Westchester county. New York, in 1750, died 
in March, 1828. Because of his Tory sym- 
pathies he was forced to leave the country 
during the revolution, and went to Canada to 
reside for a time;» He later engaged in busi- 
ness at Burlington, Vermont. As his prop- 
erty was for a long period directly in the storm 
center of the conflict, he could not well have 
remained and persisted in his adherence to the 
crown. The British forces landed at Pelham 
Neck on October 18, 1776, ten days previous 
to the battle of White Plains, and General 
Heath left on account of the plan of attack, 
which he wrote two davs previous. 

"The general officers of the .'\nierican army rode 
to reconnoitre the ground at Pell's Neck. &c.. and it 
was determined that the position of the American 
army should be immediately changed; the left flank 
to be extended more northerly, to prevent its being 



turned by the British, who were at this time posted 
on Inrogmorton's Neck." 

On the day of the landing, General Heath 
wrote : 

"On the i8th of October the wind was now fre^h 
at southwest, the British crossed to the other side of 
Frogs Neck, embarked on board their boats, crossed 
over the cove. landed on Pell's Neck, and moved 
briskly upwards. Three or four of the American 
regiments advanced towards them and took a good 
position behind a stone fence. When the British 
had advanced sufficiently near, they gave them a 
pretty close fire, which checked them, and even 
obliged them to fall back; but being immediately 
supported, they returned vigorously to the charge. 
The action was sharp for a short time, but the 
Americans were soon obliged to give way to supe- 
rior force. Shepard's, Read's, Baldwin's, and 
Glover's regiments had the principal share in this 
action. The .'\mericans had between thirty and fortv 
men killed and wounded ; among the latter Colonel 
Shepard, in the throat, not mortally, although the 
ball came well night effecting instant death. The 
loss of the British was not known, but must have 
been considerable. They advanced almost to New 
Rochelle, and halted." 

Benjamin Pell married (first), November 
25, 1778, Mary Anna Ferris, dau,ghter of 
John Ferris of "The Grove Farm," in West- 
chester county. New York. He married (sec- 
ond) Titus. He married (third) 

Folger. Children, by first wife: i. William 
Ferris, see forward. 2. Alfred S., born in 
1786, died in 1831 ; married Adelia, daughter 
of Colonel James Duane; by whom Robert L, 
died February 13, 1880, who married Maria 
L. Brinckerhoff ; James Duane, died in 1881, 
married Sophia Pell ; John Au,gustus, died in 
1894, married Susan Field; Richard M., died 
s. p., April 22, 1882, married Fanny Jones ; 
George W., died in 1893, married Mary Bruen. 

3. Ferris (Colonel) married Mariana Chan- 
nine, and died in 1850. Child by second wife: 

4. Gilbert, married Eliza, daughter of Hon. 
Morris Birbeck and had Morris Birbeck, a 
senior wrangler of Cambridge University, 
afterwards moved to Australia. 

(VIII) William Ferris, son of Benjamin 
and Mary Anna (Ferris) Pell, was born at 
the "Grove Farm," Westchester county, New 
York, September, 1779, died at New York 
City. October 28, 1840. In 1802, when a man 
of about twenty-three years of age, he jour- 
neyed with his father from Canada by the in- 
land water route, via Lake Champlain. Lake 
George and the Hudson River, and when mak- 
ing the portage between the two lakes he 
was much impressed with the rare beauty and 



238 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



picturesqueness of the neck of land on which 
the ancient ruins of Fort Ticonderoga stood. 
He desired to possess that region if possible; 
but in the meantime, following his return, the 
property had been deeded to Columbia and 
Union colleges by the state of New York. In 
1818 Mr. Pell succeeded in purchasing the 
land. Why he waited twelve years to make 
the purchase is not known, but probably the 
colleges would not sell. There he built a 
house looking out upon Lake Champlain and 
with the old fort in the immediate vicinity as 
another attraction. In 1825 his house was 
burned, and a great deal of furniture was de- 
stroyed, as well as plate and manuscripts 
which had been taken from the Manor House 
at Pelham, during the revolution, to Halifax, 
Nova Scotia, thence to Ticonderoga. The 
next year he erected the present house, known 
as "The Pavilion," which now stands near the 
lake front, under the fort. It is unusually 
broad, containing some eight rooms stretched 
alone the front of the first floor, the central 
one being the reception or living room, and the 
next northward, to the right, the dining room, 
which is furnished completely in the style of 
the period in which the house was built, name- 
ly antiques of the revolutionary days, so that 
it is a treat for visitors to view it, and by 
its peculiar quaintness is restful to the eye. 
This is as it should be, for it is now the 
family summer retreat, whither they repair 
for recreation from the cares of city life. 
After Mr. Pell's death, in 1840, although still 
remaining in possession of his family, it was 
neHectcd and the place fell into decay. 

William Ferris Pell married. November 
n. 1802, at Clinton Corners, New York. 
Mary, born in London, England, December 
22. 17s.-?. died in New York City, October 3, 
184S. daughter of Morris and Ann Shipley. 
Children: I. Archibald Morris, born October 
0, t8o-?. died .April tq. T830: married Cath- 
erine Rutgers, by whom: Cornelia, married 
Henry Morgan, and Clementine, married Ed- 
ward A. Le Roy. 2. Alfred, born April 27, 
1805, died May 21, t86o: married Cfinst") 
Eliza Cruger: married rsecond") Eliza Wood, 
by whom: William Crufcr. born in 1830. died 
s. p.. in 1808, married Marsraretta Cress; Al- 
fred, born in 1833. died in 1901, married 
(■first) Ccrtrude Carcv, Csecond> Marv 
Tracy, (third) Mary Huntington; Robert S!, 
born in 1835, died, unmarried, in 1868; 



Arthur, born in 1841, died, unmarried, 1894; 
Edith, born in 185 1, died in 1S90, married 
Martin Archer Shee, of England. 3. Duncan 
Campbell, born January 23, 1807, died Jan- 
uary 16, 1874; lieutenant-governor of Rhode 
Island; married Anna Clarke, by whom: 
Georgianna, born in 1835, died, unmarried, 
1851 ; Duncan Campbell, born in 1842, died 
October 21, 1874. colonel of United States 
Volunteers, married Caroline Cheever. 4. 
Walden, born October 3, 1808, died, s. p., 
April 14, 1863 ; married Orleanna R. EUery. 

5. Morris Shipley, see forward. 6. Ecroyde, 
born October 27, 181 1, died, unmarried, Au- 
gust 6, 1832. 7. Mary Shipley, born October 

6, 1813, died June 5, 1884; married Captain 
Francis .S. Haggerty, United States Navy. 8. 
Sophia, born September 23, 1815, died Au- 
gust 20, 1S85 ; married her cousin, James 
Duane Pell. 9. Emma, born October 21, 1817, 
died October 24, 1875, unmarried. 10. Jarries 
Kent, born 1819, died November 25, 1874, 
unmarried. 11. Clarence, born December 2, 
1820, died June 8, 1865; married Annie 
Claiborne. 

(IX) Morris Shipley, son of William Fer- 
ris and Mary (Shipley) Pell, was born in New 
York City. February 24, 1810, died in Flush- 
ing. Long Island, February 4, 1881. He mar- 
ried, March 12, 18,30, in New Jersey, Mary 
Rodman Howland. born in New York City, 
November 26, 1816, died in Flushing, Long 
Island July 29, 1892, daughter of John and 
Sarah (Hazard) Howland. Children: i. John 
Howland, see forward ; 2 William Howland, 
born September 3, 1833 ; married, September 
30, 1852. Adelaide Ferris, born in New York, 
died in New York City, June 6. 1004. daugh- 
ter of Benjamin and Anna Maria (Schief- 
felin) Ferris; by whom: Howland. born in 
Flushing, Long Island, March 19, 1856; mar- 
ried. New York City, April 12, 1887; Almy 
Goelet Gallatin, daughter of Frederic and 
Almy Goelet (Gerry) Gallatin, to whom were 
born : Gladys Almy Howland, born in New 
York City, Alarch 14, 1888, and Howland 
Gallatin, bom East Houghton, Long Island, 
August 17, 1889. Mr. William Howland Pell 
was educated at the School of Mines, Colum- 
bia College ; is a veteran of Companies I and 
K, .'seventh Regiment, National Guard, New 
York ; adjutant of Veteran Corps of .Artillery, 
Southern New York, and served as second 
and first lieutenant and captain of Company 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



239 



A, Twelfth Regiment, National Guard, New 
York, and is governor-general of the Society 
of Colonial Wars ; member of Union and 
Tuxedo Clubs. 

(X) John Howland, son of Morris Shipley 
and Mary Rodman (Howland) Pell, was born 
in New York, December 23, 1830, died in 
Yonkers, New York, October 6, 1882. He 
served in the rebellion. Enlisted in 1861, in 
Duryea's Zouaves, and later transferred to 
Fourth New York, and rose to the rank of a 
captain of Company K, in that regiment. He 
was in the battle of Antietam, Fredericks- 
burg, and all the battles of the Army of the 
Potomac. He was a senior captain. He made 
his home in New York City and Flushing and 
later for a while in Yonkers, New York. He 
was a member of the firm of Pell & Com- 
pany, merchants and importers of woods from 
South and Central America. He was a Re- 
publican and an Episcopalian. As a yovmg 
man he lived in Europe at Paris. 

John Howland Pell married (first) in New 
York, in i860, Cornelia Corse, born at Flush- 
ing, 1836, died at Flushing, May 13, 1864, 
daughter of Israel ( ?) Corse. He married 
(second) in New York, April 20. 1870, Caro- 
line Elizabeth Hyatt, born in New York City, 
April 18, 1841, died at Catskill, New York, 
January 11, 191 1, daughter of Stephen and Do- 
rinda (Townsend) Hyatt, the latter a daugh- 
ter of Judee John Townsend, of West Ches- 
ter, New York. Children: i. Rodman Corse, 
born March 31. 1861 ; enlisted in Company I, 
Seventh Regiment, National Guard, New 
York. 1883; married Antoinette G. Pell; by 
whom Rodman Corse Pell, born July 19, 1893. 

2. Florence Cornelia, married (first) Nathan 
E. Brown, of Portland, Maine; by whom: 
Cornelia C. Brown; married (second) Pierre 
C. Waring. 3. Clarence, born January 10, 
1871, died July 20, 1874. 4. Howland Hag- 
gerty, see forward. 5. Stephen Hyatt Pelham, 
see forward. 6. Samuel Osgood, born July 

3, 1875; married (first) Isabel Audry Town- 
send ; by whom Isabel Townsend, born Sep- 
tember 28, 1900; married (second) Elizabeth 
Wardin. 7. Mary Howland, born December 
12. 1876; married. August 21, 1897, Samuel 
Cornell Hopkins, of, Catskill. New York, born 
in New York City, February 19, 1858. son of 
Henry and Marv Elizabeth (Cornell) Hop- 
kins ; by whom : Samuel Cornell Jr., born Oc- 
tober II, 1906. 8. Theodore Roosevelt, see 



forward. 9. Horace Porter, born August 30, 
1879, died, unmarried, June 9, 1901. 

(XI) Howland Haggerty, son of John 
Howland and Caroline Townsend (Hyatt) 
Pell, was born in New York City, May 30, 
1872; educated at the Flushing Institute, and 
became a banker and broker, with member- 
ship in the New York Stock Exchange ; served 
in the Second Division, First Battalion, Naval 
Militia, State of New York, as ordinary sea- 
man from November 14, 1893, to April 30, 
1896; commissioner paymaster with rank of 
lieutenant on October 3, 1912; Republican; 
Episcopalian ; residence at Westbury, Long 
Island ; member of Union Club, New York, 
Yacht Club. New York, Athletic Club, Rock- 
away Hunt Club, Turf and Field Club. Auto- 
mobile Club of America, Society of Colonial 
Wars, Garden City Golf Club, Piping Rock 
Club, Colonial Order, Sons of Veterans, New 
York Historical Society. New York Geneal- 
ogical and Biographical Society, the National 
Geographic Society, and the St. Nicholas So- 
ciety. He married. November 27, 1895, Mary 
Willets, born at Westbury, Long Island, Oc- 
tober 17, 1874, daughter of Frederick and 
Anna (Whitson) Willets; by whom: Howland 
Haggerty, Jr., born in Paris, France, Septem- 
ber 4, 1897; Orlie Anna Haggerty, born in 
Paris, France, December 13, 1900; Stephen 
Hyatt Haggerty, born in New Y'ork City. 
April 6, 1903, died there. November 4, 1903 ; 
Mary Willets, born in New York City, Sep- 
tember 20, 191 1. 

(XI) Stephen Hyatt Pelham, son of John 
Howland and Caroline Townsend (Hyatt) 
Pell, was born at Flushing. Long Island, Feb- 
ruary 3, 1874. He received his education in 
the Flushing Institute, and became a banker 
and broker, with offices at No. 43 Exchange 
Place, New York City. He served in the 
Spanish-American war on board the United 
States cruiser, "Yankee". He is a Republican 
and Episcopalian ; director of the International 
Nickel Company, Wire and Telephone Com- 
pany of America. Empire Trust Company. 
American Mines Development Company. Mas- 
sey Station Mining Company, S. Osgood Pell 
& Company, member of American Geograph- 
ical Society, American Botanical Society. 
American Museum of Natural History. Met- 
ropolitan Museum of Art. New York Histor- 
ical Society, American Scenic and Historic 
Preservation Society, and of the following 



240 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



clubs, St. Nicholas. New York Yacht, Tux- 
edo, Automobile Club of America, Midday, 
Turf and Field, Colonial Order, Country, 
Army and Navy, Order of Colonial Wars and 
St. Nicholas Society. His residence is at No. 
3 East Sixty-ninth street. 

In 190S Mr. Pell visited Fort Ticonderoga 
for the first time in twenty-five years. He was 
much imjjressed with the beauty and possi- 
bilities of the place, just as his ancestor had 
been a hundred and six years before, and 
immediately proceeded to buy out the other 
heirs. Having succeeded, he started to restore 
the property to something of its former 
beauty. The Fort itself had been a "Happy 
Hunting-ground" for relic hunters and ex- 
cursionists for many years, and the few re- 
maining walls were in a state of great dilapi- 
dation, ready to fall at any moment. Colonel 
Robert M. Thompson, father-in-law of Mr. 
Pell, became interested in the restoration of 
the fort proper, and authorized the rebuilding 
of the West Barracks and the Northwest and 
Southwest Bastions, which work was com- 
pleted the following year. Old cannons were 
stationed along the ramparts, and it once 
again assumed the appearance it boasted when 
Abercrombie, Montcalm, Amherst, Allen and 
Arnold were leading figures there and enacted 
world history, the important facts of which 
are common to everyone. The restored build- 
ing was made a museum, and in it are now 
stored the many relics which were found dur- 
ing the work, as well as many interesting ar- 
ticles connected with the French and Indian 
wars and the revolution, collected by the pres- 
ent owner with much pains. It likewise con- 
tains one of the most valuable historical li- 
braries in the country, in so far as the relation 
of the books to the conflicts of northern New 
York, numbering into the thousands. The 
estate at present consists of about two thou- 
sand acres, lying on both sides of Lake Cham- 
plain, and includes the historic Mount Inde- 
pendence, in Vermont, upon which were quar- 
tered the greater part of the army which re- 
treated before Burgoyne, in T777. From the 
ramparts one gains an admirable view of Lake 
Champlain, extending northwards to where 
Arnold's famous naval combat took place, and 
southward towards Whitehall, being the 
course taken by General Arthur St. Clair's 
army when Burgoyne was at its heels. The 
whole scene brings back to mind the manoeu- 



vres of a century and a quarter ago, if one is 
acquainted with the story. On the lower plain, 
close to the shore, is The Pavilion, which Mr. 
Pell's family occupies as a summer residence. 

Stephen H. P. Pell married, at New York, 
April 17, 1901, Sarah Gibbs Thompson, born 
at Boston, Massachusetts, May 30, 1879, 
daughter of Colonel Robert M. and Sarah 
(Gibbs) Thompson. The latter a daughter of 
Governor M. C. Gibbs, of Rhode Island. 
Children : Robert Thompson, born at New 
York. March 9, 1902 ; John Howland Gibbs, 
born at Southampton, Long Island, August 9, 
1904. 

(XI) Theodore Roosevelt, eighth child of 
John Howland and Caroline Townsend (Hy- 
att) Pell, was born at Yonkers, New York, 
May 12, 1878, and resides in New York City. 
He was educated at the Berkeley School in 
New York, and chose the real estate business 
for his profession, with offices at No. 542 
Fifth avenue, where he is conducting a busi- 
ness principally in suburban property, this 
having become one of the well known firms 
of the city. He is a Republican and Episco- 
palian, and a member of the Society of Colo- 
nial Wars. St. Nicholas Society, Sons of 
Veterans of the Civil \\'ar. Society of .Ameri- 
can Wars, Colonial Order of the Acorn, and 
Order of Colonial Lords of Manors in Amer- 
ica. He married, at Philadelphia, Pennsyl- 
vania, November 25. 1Q03, Florence, daughter 
of Edwin S. and Dorothy Baird (Keefer) 
Cramp. 



Among the pioneer settlers of 
SMIDT America none occupied a more 

important position than the smith 
whose skill supplied all nails used in construc- 
tion and nearly every implement employed in 
the development of the various industries. 
There were many who came from England 
bearing this name, which was assumed as a 
natronymic by many people of the old world. 
The family herein traced descended from a 
Dutch immigrant, who does not seem to have 
adopted a surname until about the third gen- 
eration, as is the case with most of the people 
of that origin in the state. Among the most 
distinguished descendants of the name was 
the noted scholar and philanthropist. Gerrit 
Smith, who was born in Madison countv. In 
or near the city of Tiel. on the Rhine in the 
Netherlands, lived early in the seventeenth 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



24 T 



ceiitury one Lambert, a smidt. He was born 
not later than 1605, and probably considerably 
earlier. His two sons, Adriaen and Cornelius, 
appear in the early records of New Nether- 
lands and were the founders of the family in 
America. 

(I) Adriaen Lambertsen Smidt with his 
wife and six children, and his nephew, Jacob 
Hendrix, embarked in the good ship "De 
Rooseboom" (The Rosetree), Captain Pieter 
Reyersz \'an der Beets, earlv in 1663, and 
reached New Amsterdam on March 15, 1663. 
A close study of the church records of that 
period has revealed the names of four of these 
children, namely : Cornelius Adriaensen, Cath- 
alina Adriaensen, W'illemtje Adriaensen. and 
Lambert Adriaensen. He was probably like 
his father a smith by trade, and among- the 
original purchasers from the Indians of a tract 
in the Tappan Patent, and for some time lived 
there. He disposed of his interest in the pur- 
chase some time prior to 1704. 

(H) Lambert Adriaensen, son of .Adriaen 
Lambertsen Smidt, resided at Tanpan in 1605, 
and seems to have been one of the leading 
men in the little community, taking a deep in- 
terest in the work of the Tapnan church, and 
served as an elder in the church. He was still 
living in 1750 and must have been at least 
ninety years old. The records of the Tappan 
church show the baptism of Lambert .'Vdriaen- 
sen, January 30, 1714. He married, in New 
York. Margrietje Garretse Blauvelt, baptized 
March 27, 1670, in New York, daughter of 
Gerrit Hendr\-cksen and his wife. Marie Lam- 
berts, the latter a daughter of Lambert Huv- 
bertson Moll, of Bushwick (see Blauvelt L). 
Thev had children baptized in New York : 
Marritje. July 2=;, 168^: Gerrit, mentioned be- 
low ; Adriaen ; Cornelius, November 10, 1680, 
died young; Cornelius, November. i6qi. 
Those baptized at Tappan: Dirckie, October 
24, ifioq : Tryntje. January 10. 1607 : Abra- 
ham, October 13, 1703; Lena. July 16. 1706. 

(IH) Gerrit. eldest son of Lambert .A^d- 
riaensen and Margrietie Garretse (Blauvelt) 
Smidt. was baptized November 15, 1685, in 
New York City. He settled at Tappan, where 
he was admitted to the church in 170S, and 
later served as deacon and elder. This region 
was then a part of Orange county, and he was 
a member of the militia company of that 
county in 1715. He was a smith bv occupa- 
tion, and last appeared on the record in 1750. 



Part of his children were baptized at Hacken- 
.'iack, New Jersey. He built a warehouse at 
Greenbush (now Blauveltville), which was 
torn down during the revolution, and after- 
wards rebuilt by his descendants. .He mar- 
ried, October 11, 1710, at Tappan, Brechtje, 
daughter of Peter and Margaret (Bogart) 
Haring. The latter was the daughter of Jan 
Louwe Bogart, born 1630, and his wife, Cor- 
nelia (Everts) Bogart. Peter Haring, born 
August 13. 1664, was a son of John Haring, 
who died December 7. 1683. and his wife, 
Margaret (Cozine) Haring, born May 5, 1640. 
Gerrit Smidt had children baptized at Tap- 
pan : Lambert, died young : Lambert, Janu- 
ary 30. 1714; Petrus. mentioned below. At 
Hackensack: Margrietie, born July 21, 171Q, 
baptism recorded at both Tappan and Hack- 
ensack, August 2, of the same year : John 
Peterson, April 25, 1724; Arie, September 27, 
1729; Brechtje, November g. 1731 : Gerrit, 
September. 17, 1736. 

(IV) Petrus, third son of Gerrit and 
Brechtje (Haring) Smidt, was born Novem- 
ber 20, 1716. baptized January is,. 1717, at 
Tappan. and resided in that neighborhood 
until after 1753. He married, at Tappan, 
Annetie Blauvelt, born August 29, 1716, bap- 
tized January i^, 1717, at Tappan, daughter 
of Isaac and Elizabeth (Myders) Blauvelt. 
She was living in 178^. Isaac Blauvelt was 
baptized April 24, 1692 (see Blauvelt II). 
The baptisms of three children of Petrus 
Smidt appear in the church records of Tappan. 
namely: Gerrit, born Tune 15, 1743; Isaac, 
mentioned below: Brechtje. August 11, 1753. 

( V) Isaac, second son of Petrus and An- 
netje (Blauvelt) Smidt, was born December 
z8. 1746. baptized Tanuary 4, 1747, at Tappan, 
and resided at Greenbush, Orange county. 
New York. He was a private in the second 
Orange Militia Regiment, under Colonel A. 
Hawk Ha)'. He married Rachel . Chil- 
dren : Teunis. mentioned below ; Petrus, born 
June 25. 1780. 

(VI) Teunis, eldest son of Isaac and Rachel 
Smidt, was born Julv 8. 1772, and baptized 
July 26, 1772. In 1807 he was surrogate of 
Rockland county. He married. August 22. 
1794. Maria Smidt. both of them were born 
and lived in Tappan. Children : Rachel, born 
October 26. 1795; Cornelis, mentioned below; 
Annetie, March 12, 1803. 

(VII) Cornelis, son of Teunis and Maria 



242 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



(Smidt) Smidt, was born at Nyack, January 
17, 1798. He owned considerable land, was 
a Democrat in politics, and belonged to the 
Dutch Reformed church. He married, in the 
Dutch Reformed church of Tappan, Rock- 
land county, New York, April i, 1820, Elinor 
Corneilson. Children : John C. T., mentioned 
below : Mary Louise. 

(\'liri John C. T., son of Cornelis and 
Elinor (Corneilson) Smidt, was bom June 8. 
1822. After leaving school he entered Rut- 
gers College, graduating in the class of 1843; 
he afterward began tlie study of the law and 
was called to the bar in 1847. He was a 
Democrat in politics, and a Protestant Episco- 
palian in religion. He married, June 18. 1850. 
jane Ann, daughter of Allan Campbell and 
Jane Ann (Pray) Lee, on her father's side a 
direct descendant of John Eliot, the "Apostle 
of the Indians" (see Eliot VI). Children: 
Allan Lee. mentioned below ; Louis, February 
3, 1853 ; Jeannie Lee, February 25. 1857 ; 
Pierre Corneilson, November 26, 1858. died 
February 27. 1882; Frank Bishop, mentioned 
below; William Henry, May 20, 1863. 

(IX) Allan Lee. eldest son of John C. T 
and Jane Ann (Lee) Smidt. was born in 
New York City. Mav 6. 185 1. He received 
his education in the public schools, the College 
of the City of New York, and acquired the 
degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1870. He 
studied in the New York Law School and 
attained the degree of LL. D. in 1872 He 
was admitted to the bar in 1873 and has had 
a general practice since. He served five vears 
as a member of the Seventh Regiment of the 
National Guard of New York. He married, 
in 1877. in New York City. Grace Lee. born 
in New York City, in 1857. daughter of Wil- 
liam Henry and Louisa Maria (Northam) 
Lee. Children : Grace Lee Willing, born 
Tanuan' 31. tSRo. died November 21. 191 1; 
Allan Campbell Lee. mentioned below. 

(IX) Frank Bishop, fourth son of John C 
T. and Jane Ann (Lee) Smidt, was born in 
the city of New York. February 20. i860. 
After going through the elementary course he 
went to Columbia College, graduating in the 
class of 1882 as Bachelor of Arts. ITe began 
his business career bv entering the office of 
the treasurer of the Northern Pacific railroad, 
where he was employed from 1882 to 1886. 
He is now assistant secretary of the Central 
Trust Company of New York, and trustee of 



the New York Savings Bank. He is a Demo- 
crat in politics, and belongs to the Protestant 
Episcopal church. He is a member of the 
Phi Beta Kappa Society, Delta Chapter, Co- 
lumbia University, and belongs to the Co- 
lumbia University Club, the St. Nicholas So- 
ciety and the Holland Society. 

(X) Allan Campbell Lee, son of Allan Lee 
and Grace (Lee) Smidt, was born in New 
York City, September 29, 1882. He received 
his education first in the public schools and 
later from the Drisler school. He spent three 
and a half years at Harvard College as a mem- 
ber of the class of 1905. On leaving Harvard 
he went into the offices of the New York Cen- 
tral railroad and was in the executive depart- 
ment for five years. He then went with Bond 
& Goodwin, bankers and brokers, and is a 
salesman in that business at the present time. 
He is a corporal in Troop A, First Cavalry of 
the National Guard of New York. He belongs 
to the Harvard Club, the Polo Association of 
America, the Squadron A Club, the St. Nich- 
olas Society, the Holland Society, and St. 
Thomas Episcopal Church. 

CThe Eliot Line.} 

The family of John Eliot, "Apostle of the 
Indians", has been traced back to October 30, 
1598, when his father, Bennett, and his moth- 
er, Letteye (Aggar), were married, as it is 
recorded in the parish register of the church 
of St. John the Baptist. Widford. county of 
Hertford, England. John came to America 
with all his brothers and sisters. 

(I) John Eliot, minister and missionary to 
the Indians of America, was baptized at Wid- 
ford. Hertfordshire, England, August 5, 1604, 
died May 21. 1690. He was educated at Jesus 
College. Cambridge. England. 1618-22: taught 
in the school of Thomas Hooker at Little Bad- 
dow, Essex. England, for part of the time be- 
fore he came to .'\merica, which was in 1631 
in the ship "Lyon". He landed in Boston. 
November 4. took Mr. Wilson's place in the 
Boston church during the absence of the min- 
ister in England, and was settled at Roxbury 
over the church in 1632. In the records of 
the Roxbury church he wrote: "He left be- 
hind him in England a vertuous young gen- 
tlewoman whom he had pursued and purposed 
a marriage unto and she coming here in the 
following year that marriage was consum- 
mated in the month of October. A. D. 1632". 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



243 



The lady was Hanna Mountford, who came 
from England in 1632 and whom he married 
in that year. Children : Hannah, born Sep- 
tember 17, 1633; John, mentioned below; 
Joseph, December 20, 1638; Samuel, June 22, 
1641; Aaron, February 19, 1643; Benjamin, 
January 29, 1646. 

(H) John (2), eldest son of John (i) and 
Hanna (Mountford) Eliot, was born August 
31, 1636, died October 13, 1668. He was A. B. 
at Harvard College in 1656. and minister at 
Newton, Massachusetts, and assistant to his 
father in preaching to the Indians. In the 
class of 1656, Harvard College, numbering 
eight, his name is sixth on the list. For not 
less than seven years subsequent to his gradu- 
ation he received compensation from the com- 
missioners of the United colonies for his serv- 
ices to the Indians. He was ordained minister 
to the First Church (then just organized) at 
New Cambridge, now Newton, Massachu- 
setts, July 20, 1684. Gookin says : "He 
preached the gospel to the Indians once a 
fortnight constantly at Pakemit (Stoughton) 
and sometimes at Natick and other places ; 
and the most judicious christian Indians es- 
teemed very highly him as a most excellent 
preacher in their language, as I have often 
heard them say". He died prophesying that 
God would reduce New England into a heap. 
He married (first) Sarah Willet, born May 
4, 1643, died June 13, 1665; (second) Eliza- 
beth Gookins, who died November 31, 1700. 
Children: Sarah, baptized September 21, 
1662: John, mentioned below. 

(Ill) John (3), son of John (2) and Eliz- 
abeth (Gookins) Eliot, was born April 28, 
T667. died March 25, 1719. He resided at 
Guilford and \\'indsor. Connecticut. He was 
deputy to the general assembly of the state 
of Connecticut and was speaker not less than 
eight times. In 1708 he was granted a monop- 
oly to manufacture tar and pitch, and he also 
accepted an ofifer from the town of Windsor 
to work iron ore. During his residence at 
Guilford he was employed as a school teacher. 
A horizontal slab over his grave in Windsor 
says he died "March ye 25. Anno Christi. 1719 
Aetatis suae LH". He married (first) Octo- 
ber 31, 1699, Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas 
Stoughton. and widow of James Mackman. 
who was baptized November iR. i6fio: (sec- 
ond) Marj', daughter of John Wolcott. who 
died in 1746. Children by second wife: Mary, 



March 28. 1708; Ann, February 12, 1710; 
Elizabeth, May 14, 1712; Sarah; John, men- 
tioned below; Hannah, November 9, 1719. 

(IV) John (4), son of John (3) and Mary 
(Wolcott) Eliot, was born January 21, 1717, 
died November 27, 1790. He was A. B. at 
Harvard College in 1737, and later a mer- 
chant in New Haven, Connecticut, where he 
lived until 1760. From 1760 to 1770 he was 
a prominent and influential resident of Spen- 
cer, Massachusetts, where he owned a man- 
sion house and about four hundred and forty 
acres of land, paid the largest taxes, and was 
much in public life. Subsequently he resided 
at Upper Middletown (now Cromwell, Con- 
necticut) where a record of his death is found 
and where his will, dated September 21, 1790, 
is recorded in the probate records of Middle- 
town. He married, March 7, 1739, Lydia, 
daughter of Jeremiah and Lydia (Rosewell) 
Atwater, born October 18, 1715, died January 
28. 1776. She had been divorced from her 
first husband, Dr. Alexander Wolcott, at his 
request, by whom she had three children. 
After the death of his wife Lydia it is said 
that John married (second) Hannah Phelps, 
of Simsbury, Connecticut. Children : Mary, . 
born January 19, 1742; John, April 22, 1745; 
Sarah, November 30, 1750; Richard Rosewell, 
October 8, 1752; Hannah, August 25. 1755; 
William, July 29, 1757; Lydia Ann, mentioned 
below. 

(V) Lydia Ann. daughter of John (4) and 
Lydia (Atwater- Wolcott) Eliot, was born 
June 22, 1760, died September 17, 1836. She 
married, at Westerly. Rhode Island, Febru- 
ary 4, 1784, Dr. Daniel Lee. He is said to 
have been the first \\'ashington county. Rhode 
Island, physician, the ministers having been 
the physicians previous to his time. He died 
of yellow fever, contracted while visiting a 
patient at a southern port. Buried at first in 
Westerly, his remains were removed in 1856 
to Grove St. cemetery. New Haven. Connec- 
tictit. Children : William Eliot, Nancy At- 
water, Sophia, Harriet, Fanny, Sophronia, 
Benjamin Franklin. Daniel, Allan Campbell, 
mentioned below ; Charlotte, Sally. 

(VI) Allan Campbell, son of Dr. Daniel 
and Lydia Ann ( Eliot) Lee. was born October 
26, 1799, at Westerly. Rhode Island, and mar- 
ried Jane Ann Pray, niece of Peter Mesier, 
of New York Citv. Children : William Prav, 



244 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Eliza Palmer, Jane Ann, who married John 
C. T. Smidt (see Smidt VIII). 



The Sage family was without 
SAGE doubt of Scandivanian origin, and 
the name at first was Saga. When 
the Norsemen conquered Normandy, in 
France, they generally softened the final "a" 
tone, thus making Saga, Sage, and added a 
French suffix to denote landed occupation. 
To the first Norman Saga or Sage was added 
ville or town, ■ thus making it Sagevillc. or 
Sagetown, or land. As these spread to other 
countries the name was subjected to other 
changes. In Germany it was Saige or Sauge, 
the same in Switzerland, while in France it 
was Le Sage. The name is first found in Eng- 
land on the Battle Abbey Roll, in 10^)6. This 
roll was prepared by the monJ<s of Rattle Ab- 
bey at the command of William the Con- 
queror, to perpetuate the names of those who 
took part in the battle of Hastings, which gave 
him the English throne. It is there recorded 
Sageville. All of the name in England, Scot- 
land, and Wales originated in this way. The 
family was granted a coat-of-arms, which is 
used by the .A.merican family. 

(I) David Sage, American ancestor of the 
family in Troy, under consideration, was born 
in 16,^9, a native of Wales. He was one of 
the first settlers of Middletown, Connecticut, 
where he is of record in 1652. He settled 
upon a tract of land now part of the town of 
Cromwell, upon the banks of the Connecticut 
river, where .some of his descendants yet re- 
side. His will, dated March 27, 1703, is in 
the probate office at Hartford, Connecticut. 
The stone marking his grave is still standing 
in the Riverside cemetery, on the bank of the 
Connecticut river, at the north end of Main 
street, Middletown, and gave the date of his 
death as March, 170;^, o. s., and hi<; age as 
sixty-four yenrs. He married Elizabeth, 
daughter of lohn Kirby, in Fcbruarv 1664. 
He married Csecond) in 1673, Mary Wilcox. 
Children of first wife: David, born ifi6s; 
Tohn. ir/iS: Elizabeth. 1670: Mnrv, 1672, 
Children of second wife: Jonathan, born 
i^>7J: Timolhv, i^-R; Nathaniel; Mercv. 

ni) Timothy, fourth son of David Sage 
and second child of his second wife, Marv 
Wilcox, was born in Cromwell, Connecticut, 
1678, died there in 1725. The stone marking 
his grave is still standing in the old cemetery 



at Cromwell. He married, at Cromwell, Con- 
necticut, Margaret Holibert ; children : Sam- 
uel, born 1709: Mercy, 1712; Timothy, 1714; 
Mary, 1716; David, 1718; Solomon, 1720: 
Amos, 1722. 

(III) Amos, youngest child of Timothy and 
Margaret (Holibert) Sage, was born in Crom- 
well, Connecticut, 1722, died 1759. He was 
a farmer. He married Rebecca Wilcox, of 
Cromwell; children; Amos (2), known as 
Deacon Amos, born 1747; William, 174S, 
served at the battle of Bunker Hill ; Hezekiah. 
born 1750; Nathan, 1752, a privateer of the 
revolution; Rebecca, 1754; Elisha, 1755; Abi- 
gail, 1756; Submit, 1759. 

(IV) Elisha, sixth child and fifth son of 
Amos and Rebecca (Wilcox) Sage, was born 
in Cromwell, Connecticut, August 20, 1755, 
died there May 31, 1801. He was a soldier 
in the revolution, serving with local troops 
(1776). He married, in 1776, Martha Mon- 
tague, born at Wethersfield, Connecticut, No- 
vember 15, 1754, died in Herkimer, New York, 
May 4, 1829, at the home of her daughter, 
Mrs. I.atirinda S Garfield, with whom she 
resided after the death of her husband. Chil- 
rlrcn : Rufus, born 1777; Elisha (2), Janu- 
ary 25, 1779; Martha, 1780; Barzilla, 1782: 
Fanny, 1784; Mary, 1785; Mary (2), 1787; 
Laurinda, 1789; Amos, 1791 ; Alvin, 1793: 
Wealthy, 1795; Cyprian, 1797. The family 
resided most of their life in Upper Middle- 
town, Connecticut, originally called "Upner 
Houses", now Cromwell, though for a time 
they resided at Great Barrington, Massachu- 
setts. 

(V) Elisha (2), second son of Elisha ( T) 
and Martha (Montague) Sage, was born Jan- 
uary 2=;, T779, and died in Oneida county. 
New York, 1854. With this generation the 
family apnear in New York state. Elisha (2) 
married Prudence Rislcy. probably at Hart- . 
ford, Connecticut, before his removal to 
Oneida countv. New York. Children : Henry 
R., born 1805; Sally, 1807: Fannie. i8o'>: 
Elisha M., April 13, 1812; Elizur W., 1812; 
William C, 1814; Russell, mentioned below. 

(VI) Russell, fifth son of Elisha (2) and 
Prudence (Risley) Sa?e, was born in the 
little settlement of Shenandoah, in Verona 
township, Oneida county. New York, August 
4, i8t6, and died at Lawrence, Long Island. 
July 22, 1906, Two years after his birth his 
father removed to a farm near Durhamvillc 




BY PERMISSION OF NATIONAL CYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN BIOGRAPHY 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



245 



in the same county, and there remained until 
his death in 1854. There young Russell lived 
and attended the district schools in winter and 
worl<ed upon the farm the rest of the year 
until he was fourteen years of age, when he 
was sent to his brother, Henry Risley Sage, 
who had a store in Troy, New York. The 
work was hard, but he had his earnings to 
himself and improved himself by diligent 
study. Before he was twenty-one he had paid 
oft the mortgage on his father's farm, was the 
owner of several city lots, and of a sloop 
which he navigated from Troy to New York. 
Later he abandoned his clerkship and entered 
into partnership with his brother, whom he 
was able to buy out in two years. In 1839 he 
sold out his store at a profit and entered into 
the wholesale grocery and commission busi- 
ness with John W. Bates as partner. The 
firm in a short time controlled several branches 
of the trade, not only in Troy but in Albany. 
He became one of the directors of the Troy 
& .Schenectady railroad, and afterwards presi- 
dent of the same, and held office when the rail- 
road was united with the general system be- 
tween Albany, Troy, and Buffalo. At that 
time in 1853 Mr. Sage was elected a director 
in the consolidated company in the New York 
Central and served six years. A little later 
he became a large owner in the La Crosse 
railroad. 

In his earlier years Mr. Sage was deeplv 
interested in public afYairs and took a promi- 
nent part in political matters in the state of 
New York. \\''hen a resident of Troy in 1845 
he was elected to the board of aldermen. 
While holding this office he was also made 
treasurer of Rensselaer county, the finances 
of which were in a tangled condition. He 
sneedilv straightened them out and held the 
office for seven years. In 1848 he was a dele- 
gate to the national convention of the Whie 
party. He controlled twenty-eight out of 
thirty-two New York delegates, and took a 
leading part in the nomination of General 
Zachary Taylor for the presidency. It was 
at his susrgestion that the convention nomi- 
nated Millard Fillmore for vice-president, 
which selection made him president, for Gen- 
eral Tavlor died while in office and Fillmore 
succeeded him. In 1850 Mr. Sage was nom- 
inated for congress by the Troy Whigs, but 
owine: to the defection of a faction of the 
party he was defeated. He was again nomi- 



nated in 1852 and was elected by a small ma- 
jority. Two years later he was returned to 
congress by the unprecedented majority of 
7,000 votes. During his four years in con- 
gress the great talents of Mr. Sage in financial 
matters found recognition in his appointment 
as a member of the ways and means commit- 
tee, the most important committee of the 
house. He served also on the invalid pension 
committee which had charge of the pensions 
incurred by the Mexican war, and took part 
in the five weeks struggle which finally re- 
sulted in the election of Nathaniel Banks as 
speaker. But the incident in his professional 
career which brought him most reputation was 
the appointment of a committee throu.gh his 
efforts to inquire into the condition of Wash- 
ington's old estate at Mount Vernon, Virginia. 
The committee's report bore fruit in the for- 
mation of the Mount Vernon Association, the 
purchase of the estate, and its dedication as 
a permanent memorial to the father of his 
country. 

The panic of 1857 which ruined so many 
while it left him comparatively unscathed, had 
an important effecjt on his business career. He 
had advanced considerable money in the La 
Cross railroad. To protect his loans he found 
himself compelled to advance still larger 
amounts, and finally three legal proceedings 
to become owner of the railroad, which ulti- 
mately extended into the Chicago, Milwaukee 
& St. Paul system. During his career he 
achieved the presidency of no less than twen- 
ty transportation corporations. He was con- 
nected in an official capacity, at one time or 
another, with the Iowa Central, Union Pacific. 
Missouri Pacific, St. Louis, Iron Mountain & 
Southern; Wabash, Texas & Pacific; Troy & 
Bennington ; Troy & Boston ; Delaware, Lack- 
awanna & Western ; Chicago, Milwaukee & 
St. Paul ; Manhattan Elevated, and other rail- 
roads. He was one of the largest stockhold- 
ers in the Manhattan Elevated, and took an 
active part in its management. Other enter- 
prises with which he had been active are the 
Pacific Mail Steamship Company; the Mer- 
cantile Trust Company ; the Importers and 
Traders' National Bank ; Western Union Tel- 
egraph : International Ocean Telegraph ; 
American Teleeraph and Cable Company : the 
Standard Gas Light Company, and the Fifth 
Avenue Bank, of which bank he was one of 
the founders and the only one living at the 



246 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



time of his death. In 1863 Mr. Sage gave 
up his Troy business altogether and removed 
to New York to devote himself to the promo- 
tion of his own and other railroads and to 
operations in stocks. He opened an ofifice in 
William street and gave his first attention to 
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul securities. 
Later he extended his interest to other rail- 
roads, and gradually enlarged his field of oper- 
ations until it covered nearly the whole range 
of stocks listed on the Exchange. One of the 
features of Mr. Sage's financial career was his 
friendship with Jay Gould. They had come 
together as promoters of the .Atlantic & Pa- 
cific Telegraph Company, which was later 
merged into the Western Union. On Decem- 
ber 4, 1901, Mr. Sage, while in his office, es- 
caped instant death as by a miracle. An in- 
sane crank, Henry W. Norcross, of Somcr- 
villc, Massachusetts, entered the office, carry- 
ing a bag loaded with dynamite, and demanded 
that the sum of $1,200,000 be given to him 
immediately or he would blow up the building. 
Mr. Sage saw that he was in the presence of 
a madman, rose and retreated from him ; 
whereupon the maniac exclaimed : "Well then, 
here goes", and lifting the bag high in the air 
dashed it violently on the floor. The explo- 
sion which followed blew off the dynamiter's 
head, killed a clerk, injured others, and 
wrecked the office. Mr. Sage received wounds, 
but was able to return to the office in a few 
days. Mr. Sage was a man of remarkable 
and varied powers. He could have succeeded 
in almost any field of action that he might 
have chosen. He chose rather the largest, 
hardest and most dangerous field of all — the 
development of the transportation system of 
the country, for he was above all else, and 
from first to last, a promoter and manager of 
railroads. That he was also a lender of mon- 
ey, particularly in his old age, was merely an 
incident in his long and useful life. "He was 
an .Xmcrican and loved his country", said 
Henry Clews on hearing of his death. "My 
aim jn life", so he confessed in an interview 
which was published December ig, 1897, in 
the New York Herald, "has been to do my 
share in developing the material resources of 
the country. I have spent millions on the 
railroad system of the ITnitcd States and am 
now connected with more than twentv thou- 
sand miles of railroad and with twenty-seven 
different corporations". 



Russell Sage was twice married, but had no 
children. He married (first) in 1841, Marie, 
daughter of Moses I. Wynne, of Troy, New 
York; she died in 1867. He married (second) 
November 24, 1869, Margaret Olivia Slocum, 
born September 8, 1828, daughter of Hon. 
Joseph Slocum of Syracuse, New York (see 
Slocum). 

(The Slocum Line.) 

The origin of this family is in some degree 
indicated by the name, which is supposed to 
be derived from a locality where there was an 
abundant growth of sloe. Another theory is 
that the name was originally Combe, and that 
a second or third son of a Combe won dis- 
tinction that entitled him to be known as James 
or John Combe, of the Sloe, changed later to 
Sloe-combe. It is claimed, and confirmed by 
the records, that Anthony, Giles and Edward 
Slocombe came to New England about the 
same time and were the progenitors of most 
of the Slocums or Clocombs of this country. 
They were probably brothers, although the re- 
lationship has never been established. They 
probably all went first to Plymouth colony. 
Edward, the youngest, was in Taunton in 1643. 
He is mentioned in the Plymouth colony rec- 
ords in June, 1647. 'is one of the supervisors of 
the hitrhway for Taunton. Giles and Edward 
probably remained there, and, while .A.nthony 
had lived at Taunton, his religious views and 
love of liberty and his identity with the Society 
of Friends, who were under the ban of the 
Plymouth authorities, no doubt necessitated 
his removal to Rhode Island, within the juris- 
diction of the liberal-minded Roger Williams, 
who gave a hearty welcome to the persecuted 
of every class. 

(I) Anthony Slocum, immigrant ancestor of 
the American family bearing the name, was 
one of the forty-six "first and ancient purchas- 
ers" A. D. 1637, of the territory of Cohannat. 
which was incorporated in March, 1639. with 
the name of Tatmton in New Plymouth, and 
from which the present Taunton, Raynham 
and Berkeley have been organized. His name 
appears on the town records in various capaci- 
ties as surveyor of highways and other posi- 
tions. The place where he settled near Pas- 
camauset river is more generally known as 
Slocum"s river. The frajrment of a letter 
written by his brother-in-law, without date, 
indicates that his wife's nan'e was Harvey. 
Giles was one of their children. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



247 



(II) Giles, son of Anthony Slocum, wis 
born in Somerset, England, <ind died in \6b2. 
He came to this country and settled in what 
is now the township of Taunton, New Ply- 
mouth, previous to 1675. Giles Slocombe and 
his wife were early members of the Society 
of Friends. The Friends' records for Ports- 
mouth, Rhode Island, show that "Joan Slo- 
cum, the wife of old Giles, she dyed at Forts- 
mouth the 31st mo. 1670". He died in 1682. 
Peleg was one of their children. 

(III) Rev. Peleg Slocum, son of Giles and 
Joan Slocum, was born at Portsmouth, Rhode 
Island, January 17, 1654. He is named as one 
of the proprietors of Dartmouth in the con- 
firmatory deed of Governor William Bradford, 
November 13, 1694. In 1698 he and others 
"undertake to build the meeting house for the 
people of God in scorn called Quakers, 35 ft. 
long, 30 ft. wide, and 14 ft. stud". Peleg 
Slocum's subscription of fifteen pounds was 
the largest on the list and three times larger 
than any of them with the exception of that 
from John Tucker, who gave ten pounds. 
Peleg Slocum is recorded in the Friends' rec- 
ord as a minister. Richardson, in his journal, 
1701, wrote: "Peleg Slocum, an honest public 
friend, carried us in his sloop to Nantucket". 
He married Mary Holder, daughter of Chris- 
topher Holder, born in Gloucester. England, 
in 1631. Mary died August 20, 1737, aged 
seventy-five years. One of their children was 
Joseph : 

(IV) Joseph, son of Peleg and Mary 
(Holder) Slocum, was born March 13, 1701, 
at Dartmouth, Massachusetts. He was admit- 
ted a freeman of Newport, Rhode Island, in 
1722. He was named in his father's will, 
June 13. T731, as joint executor with his 
brother Holder; but in a letter dated at New- 
port February 5, 1732, he declined to act in 
that capacity and requested Holder to assume 
entire control of the estate. He succeeded his 
father in possession of Patience Island, Nar- 
ragansett Bay, Rhode Island. He married, 
in 1 72 1, Susanna Wanton, born 1704, daughter 
of Hon. John Wanton, who was chosen gov- 
ernor of Rhode Island. 

(V) John, son of Joseph and Susanna (Wan- 
ton) Slocum. was born Mav 5. 1727. in or near 
the village of Newport. He was a prosper- 
ous farmer and lived a quiet uneventful life. 
He married. June 30, 1754, Hannah, daugh- 
ter of William Brown and Rebecca (Law- 



ton) Brown, born at Portsmouth, Rhode Is- 
land, June 23, 1735. Children: John, born 
December 20, 1759, married Phebe Durfee; 
Peleg, 1765, married Hannah Stoddard; 
Mary, May 4, 1767; William Brown, men- 
tioned below. 

(VI) Rev. William Brown Slocum, son of 
John and Rebecca (Brown) Slocum, was 
born in Middleton, Newport county, Rhode 
Island, April 20, 1770, and died at Speigle- 
town, Rensselaer county. New York, May 
29, 1823. Soon after his marriage he re- 
moved to Rensselaer county, where he cul- 
tivated a large farm and was also a dealer 
in live stock. He took an active and promi- 
nent part in the public affairs of the state 
and county, and in 1820 was elected to the 
state assembly. His contemporaries and 
co-workers were the Clintons, the Van 
Rensselaers, the Livingstons, and other 
men of that stamp who laid the foundation 
of our commercial prosperity. Both his 
public and private life were exemplary in 
the highest degree, and he enjoyed a per- 
sonal popularity due to his noble and manly 
qualities. He married Olivia Josselyn, 
daughter of Stockbridge Josselyn and Olivia 
Standish, April 28, 1793. She died in Lan- 
singburgh, New York, greatly loved and 
honored by all who knew her. Children, all 
born in Rensselaer county: Mary, born 
1795, married John H. Groesbeck ; Almira, 
1797, died in Raymertown, New York, un- 
married; Isaac; Joseph, mentioned below; 
Hiram, May 2, 1802, married Elizabeth van 
Vechten; Eliza, married Augustus Strong; 
William Brown, died in New Orleans, Lou- 
isiana, unmarried; Maria, married Clark 
Perry; Lucy Josselyn, died unmarried. 

(VII) Hon. Joseph Slocum, son of Rev. 
William Brown and Olivia (Josselyn) Slo- 
cum, was born in Schaghticoke township, 
Rensselaer county, New York, in 1800, and 
died at Syracuse, March 20, 1853. He set- 
tled in Syracuse, where he became a suc- 
cessful merchant and leader in public af- 
fairs. He was elected to the state legisla- 
ture in 1849. He subsequently made a 
journey to Russia, and was employed by 
the government to establish agricultural 
schools in the empire. He lived an honored 
and useful life and left a bright example of 
true manhood and uprightness of character. 
He married, in Cambridge, New York, May 



248 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



4, 1825, Margaret Pierson Jermain, daugh- 
ter of Major John Jermain, first of White 
Plains. New York, and later of Sag Har- 
bor. Long Island. Children: Margaret 
Olivia; Colonel Joseph Jermain, born June 
24. 18^3. 

(VHl; Margaret Olivia, daughter of Hon. 
Joseph and Margaret Pierson (Jermain) 
Slocum, was born at Syracuse, in 1828, and 
was married to Russell Sage in 1869. She 
inherits without doubt the best traits of 
her distinguished ancestors. In 1846 she 
entered Troy Seminary and graduated in 
1847. The following year she passed in 
her home in Syracuse, until through the 
financial reverses of her father she resolved 
to become a teacher. She secured a posi- 
tion with her friend and former teacher in 
Trov. Mrs. Henriettc Dilaye. of the Chest- 
nut Seminary in Philadelphia. There Miss 
Slocum remained for two years, meeting her 
responsibilities with cheerful efficiency. 
Amid the responsibilities of her social po- 
sition through her married and affluent life, 
she has been true to her early motto. Her 
benefactions have been unstinted and her 
executive ability in her public philanthro- 
])ies has already passed into history. Of- 
ficially connected with the Women's Chris- 
tian Union as treasurer, the Women's Hos- 
pital for thirty years, the New York Ex- 
change for Woman's Work, the Home and 
Foreign Missions Society, the American 
Forestry Association, Colonial Dames, pres- 
ident of the Emma Willard Association, 
member of the New York Peace Society, the 
Society of Mayflower Descendants, besides 
numerous other local organizations, she has 
for many years served the interests of those 
institutions with conspicuous fidelity. Af- 
ter the death of her husband she was called 
upon to assume the responsibility of man- 
aging the immense estate left to her dis- 
cretion as executrix, and with the exception 
of a few bequests was the chief beneficiary 
u'uler the will. So great was the confidence 
of -Mr. Sage in iier ability to handle and 
disjjose of his accumulated millions, that 
there was not a single qualification or re- 
striction made in the will. To enumerate 
all her educational charities and other noble 
enterprises would be simply a repetition 
adding little to her repute as one of the 
createst benefactors of the age. 



Like many of the Dutch 
BL.'\UYELT families, the immigrant 
ancestor of this line did 
not employ a surname. The family has 
been long distinguished in the history of 
Southern New York, and is very numerous- 
ly distributed through Rockland county, in 
this state, and Bergen county, New Jersey, 
whence they have spread and are now ac- 
tively identified with the growth and prog- 
ress of many communities. One of the first 
patroons to establish a colony in New York, 
under the auspices of the Dutch West In- 
dia Company, was Kiliaen \'an Rensselaer, 
whose operations are extensively described 
in the recent work on the Hudson-Mohawk 
Valleys, published by the Lewis Historical 
Publishing Company of New York. By the 
terms of his grant, Van Rensselaer was re- 
quired to establish a colony of fifty souls, 
over fifteen years of age, within four years 
of his grant made in November, 1629, and 
within the first ten years he sent over 
eighty-one persons. Several of these were 
from Nykerk, Van Rensselaer's native 
place, in Deventer, province of Gelderland. 
Late in December, 1637, the good ship "De 
Calmar Sleutel'' (The Key of Kalmar), un- 
der command of Peter Minuit, in the serv- 
ice of the crown of Sweden, having been 
oljjiged on account of storm to seek shelter 
at the Texel, lay at anchor waiting for a 
favorable east wind to sail for the far away 
new world. Van Rensselaer, wishing to 
send settlers and supplies to his colony, 
seized the opportunity to forward "what in 
haste and half disorder" he had "been able 
to bring together". By this vessel he was 
able to dispatch six persons. 

(I) Among these was Gerrit Hendryck- 
sen, of Nykerk. a shoemaker, then fifteen 
years of age "intended for the tobacco plant- 
ing in the new world." He was engaged 
for six years at wages, ranging from forty 
francs to one hundred francs a year. It 
appears that he remained three years with 
a colony planted by Minuit, near the pres- 
ent city of Wilmington, Delaware, as record 
of the payment of his first three years' 
wages has been found. He does not appear 
on the records there after 1642. It was 
probably about this time that he removed 
to New Amsterdam, and he first appears in 
the records of that colony. May 7. 1646. 



SOUTHERiN NEW YORK 



249' 



when he married Marie Lamberts Moll, 
i)orn in New York about 1625, daughter of 
Lambert Huybertson Moll, of Bushwick. 
The Moll family was of considerable prom- 
inence in New Amsterdam, and Hendryck- 
sen's wife was among the first American 
born children in New Netherland. Lam- 
bert H. Moll bought a half acre in New 
Amsterdam in 1649 on which he built a 
house which stood about on the site of the 
present building at No. 253 Pearl street. 
On December 6, 1646, Hendrycksen re- 
ceived from the Director General William 
Kieft a grant of a farm known as the 
Schout's Bowery. A copy of this grant is 
now in fhe ofifice of the city clerk in New 
York City. In addition to this he received 
a grant of a marsh, May 3, 1664, from Gov- 
ernor Petrus Stuyvesant. The use of this 
marsh was included by the grant of Gov- 
ernor Kieft. The boundaries of this farm 
are not given in the grant and it is there- 
fore impossible to give its exact location, 
but it constituted about fifty-three acres 
somewhere in the vicinity of Stuyvesant's 
Bowery on the east side of the Bowery 
Road, and the marsh was intended for pas- 
turage. From the records of a law suit 
concerning a right of w-ay for Stuyvesant, it 
is probable that this farm was south of 
Maiden Lane, and the valley occupied by 
the last named street was probably the 
marsh referred to. In 1653 an action was 
brought by an agent of the West Indian 
Company to recover the tithes of crops 
from the several farmers, among whom was 
Gerrit Hendrycksen, and also for their share 
of the expense of maintaining the common 
fence. The court records state that "Ger- 
rit Hendrycksen says he is willing to pay" 
but "he has no money now". A reason as 
potent in the twentieth century as it was 
in the seventeenth. In 1670 there was more 
trouble about the fence and Gerrit Hen- 
drycksen was again in court. In May. 1662, 
Gerrit Hendrycksen was in possession of a 
house and lot on the east side of Broadway, 
six and four-fifths rods south of Maiden 
Lane, for at that time the property between 
his and Maiden Lane was sold and the deed 
recites that the land conveyed was bounded 
on the south by Gerrit Hendrycksen, "de 
blauw boer", or blue farmer. In November 
of the same year the plot on the south of 



Gerrit Hendrycksen was conveyed to a new 
owner and again he is mentioned in the de- 
scription as "de blauw boer." C)n May 17, 
1663, Jan Vinge conveyed to Gerrit Hen- 
drycksen the lot which had evidently been 
occupied by him for at least a year previ- 
ously. The dimensions of the lot so con- 
veyed were: On Broadway, six rods, eight 
feet ; east side, six rods, nine and one-tenth 
feet; north side, twelve and eight-tenths 
rods; south side, twelve and eight-tenths 
rods. It is apparent that the present sur- 
name of Blauvelt was derived from this ref- 
erence to Gerrit Hendrycksen as the blue 
farmer. It is probable that his farm was for 
some reason called the Blue Fields, and 
that in this manner the present name of 
Blauvelt, the Dutch rendering of the words 
blue field, became the family patronymic. 
In 1674 Hendrycksen brought suit for an 
account due him and in the records of this 
he is twice named as "Gerrit Hendrycksen 
Blauboer". He was among those affected 
by the order of the governor and council 
in 1673 requiring the owners of houses out- 
side the fortifications along Wall street to 
demolish their buildings, gardens and or- 
chards because they offered protection to 
enemies who might attack the city. This 
probably led to the settling of the family 
on the Tappan Patent, lying in the present 
states of New Jersey and New York. There 
is no record to show that this order was 
complied with, or that indemnity was made 
as promised in the order. 

Gerrit Hendrycksen made his will No- 
vember 28, 1683, and died soon after at the 
age of about sixty-one years. His first wife 
died about 1678, and he married fsecond) 
October 5, 1679, Josyntje Jans, widow of 
Peter Wesselszen, and she married (third) 
February 3, 1685, Anthony Serley. Chil- 
dren, baptized in the First Dutch Church 
of New York: Hendrick, mentioned below; 
Huybert, May 13, 1657; Johannes Gerritse, 
April 9, 1659; Margrietje, September 25, 
1661 ; Abram, January 17, 1663; Isaac, Jan- 
uary 27, 1666; Maria January 28, 1668: 
Marretje, March 26, 1670. Several of the 
sons were among the pioneer settlers at 
Tappan, Rockland county. New York. 

(II) Hendrick, eldest child of Gerrit and 
Marie Lamberts (Moll) Hendrycksen, was 
baptized August 9, 1648, in New York, and 



1 



250 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



was not among the original purchasers of land 
at Tappan, but was living there as early as 
October 25, 1695, when he was admitted as a 
member of the Tappan church with his wife, 
Marretje VValdron. She was born 1652, 
daughter of Joseph and Annctje (Daniels) 
Waldron, and was married, September 20, 
1673. His children, all baptized in New York, 
were: Marretje, died young; Marretje, April 
II, 1676; Jan, January 22, 1679; Hennan, 
April 3. 1681 ; Gerrit, mentioned below; An- 
netje, June 14, 1685; Joseph, November 20, 
1687; Abraham, March 2, 1690; Isaac, April 
24, 1692. 

(Ill) Gerrit Blauvelt, third son of Hen- 
drick and Marretje (VValdron) Hendrycksen 
Blauvelt, was baptized April 10, 1683, in New 
York. He was a small boy when his parents 
settled at Tappan. He resided there until 
about 1 7 19. when he removed to Hackensack, 
New Jersey. He may have lived for a short 
time at some other point, as the birth of his 
son, mentioned in the next paragraph, is not 
recorded either at Tappan or Hackensack. He 
married, at Tappan, October 11, 1709, Marytje 
Krom, a native of Haverstraw. Children, bap- 
tized at Tappan: Hendrick, November 11, 
171 1 ; Helena, June 27, 1714; Isaac, March 28, 
1719. At Hackensack. May 3, 1725. they were 
witnesses at the baptism of Gerrett Wester- 
velt. and they had baptized at Hackensack, 
February 6, 1726, a son, Gerrit. 

(IV) Johannes Gerritse, son of Gerrit and 
Marytje (Krom) Blauvelt, was probably born 
about 1713, at Tappan, where he resided and 
was admitted to the church, December 26, 
^737- H's marriage is not recorded, but the 
baptisms of his children show that his wife 
was Antye Quackenbos. Those recorded at 
Tappan arc: Gerrit, bom August 19, 1736; 
Arie (Aaron), mentioned below; Abraham, 
died young; Cornelius, January 9, 1744; Abra- 
ham, December 23, 1744. There were probably 
others whose baptism was not recorded at 
Tappan. Among these was Joseph, mentioned 
below. The graves of the parents at West 
New Hempstead are not marked. 

(V) Aaron, son of Johannes Gerritse and 
Anfve (Quackenbos") Blauvelt, was born Sep- 
tember 10. 173S, nt Tappan. He settled near 
the present village of SufTcrn, in Ramapo 
township, Rockland county, where he died 
March 8. 1804. No record of his marriage 
appears, but the baptisms of children show 



that his wife was Aeltje Smith. She was born 
June 27, 1744, died March 20, 1805. Children, 
recorded at Tappan: Johannes, December 2, 
1764; Cornelius Aaronson, mentioned below; 
Antje, October 4, 1773. There were, no doubt, 
others perhaps born in Ramapo, or Tappan. 

(VT) Cornelius Aaronson, second son of 
Aaron and Aeltje (Smith) Blauvelt, was born 
October 24, 1766, at Tappan. He resided in 
Ramapo, where he was probably engaged in 
farming, and died February 24, 1843. His 
homestead embraced ninety-one acres and his 
will disposed of another parcel containing 
35.34. acres. It is evident that he engaged in 
burning lime, as his will, made July 16, 1842, 
proved June 10, 1843, bequeathed to his son, 
George B. Blauvelt, a third interest in a lime 
kiln, lime house and quarry. Among other 
properties mentioned in his will is a fourteen- 
acre wood lot. He was a colonel in the war of 
1812, and a member of the assembly in 1816- 
1817-1822. He married, at Tappan, March 2Z, 
1791, Leah Peterse, both being then described 
as residents of Tappan. His surviving children 
at the time of making his will were: Richard, 
Aaron, George B.. ^laria. wife of John S. 
Gurnee; Rachel, Rebecca, wife of Edward De- 
Noyelles; Letitia, Catherine, wife of Hollis 
Holman. 

(VII) George B., third son of Cornelius 
Aaronson and Leah (Peterse) Blauvelt, was 
born in Ramapo. where he died May 14. 1850. 
His will, made May 19, 1850. proved July 8, 
of the same year, divided his property equally 
among his wife and children. He conducted 
a lime kiln and also engaged in farming. He 
married Harriet Sherwood, who survived him, 
and they had children : John Lewis, mentioned 
below; Richard \\'.. married Lucy .Sherwood, 
children : James and Charles. James, died be- 
fore maturity : Hannah, wife of David Fox. 
children, David Jr. and George S. 

(VIII) John Lewis, eldest child of George 
B. and Harriet (Sherwood) Blauvelt, was 
bom January 23, 1839, at Ramapo, died there 
September 6. 191 1. He was engaged in farm- 
ing. He married, January 22. 1864, Lucinda 
Gurnee, born August 17, 1840, who survives 
him and now resides in Mousey. Children : 
Martha E., died at the age of two years ; 
George Alanson, mentioned below ; Martha E.. 
died in 1878, at the age of eight years. 

(IX) George Alanson, only son of John 
Lewis and Lucinda (Gurnee) Blauvelt, was 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



251 



born November 11, 1866, at IMonsey, in the 
town of Ramapo, where he grew to manhood. 
His primary education was supphed by the 
public schools of Rockland county, and he pre- 
pared for college at Chappaqua Mountain In- 
stitute, Westchester county, New York grad- 
uating in 1884. Entering Cornell University, 
at Ithaca, New York, he graduated with the 
class of 1890, receiving the degree of Bach- 
elor of Letters. He pursued a post-graduate 
course at Columbia University, taking the de- 
gree of Master of Arts. He pursued the study 
of law and was admitted to the bar in 1892. 
He began the practice of his profession in 
New York City. In 1891-92 he was managing 
clerk in the law office of Robert W. Todd on 
Broadway, New York City. From 1893 to 
1907 he was a member of the law firm of 
Graff & Blauvelt, and succeeded to the firm's 
business in 1907, upon the death of the senior 
meijiber, William T. Grafif. His offices are 
located in Nassau street, New York City. He 
is a director of and attorney for the First 
National Bank of Spring Valley, New York ; 
served as school commissioner of Rockland 
county from 1893 to 1896. and county attor- 
ney from 1907 to 191 1. Politically Mr. Blau- 
velt is a Democrat and exercises a large in- 
fluence in the councils of his party. In 191 1 
he served as member of the assembly from 
Rockland county, and the direct primary law 
passed at the session of that year bears his 
name as one of the authors. He married, at 
Nanuet. New York, January 22, 1S96. Cora 
Dcmarest, born at that place, only child of 
Joseph G. and Anna Demarest. 

(V) Joseph, third son of Johannes Ger- 
ritse and Antye CQuackenbos) Blauvelt, was 
born September 17. 1740, baptized at Tappan, 
and died March 15. 1789, in the town of 
Ramapo, New York. He married Hannah 
Demorest, born August 4, 1749. Children: 
John, born May 8, 1770; Nicholas, June 4, 
1772: Cornelius, mentioned below; Daniel, 
December 16, 1782. 

(VD Cornelius, third son of Joseph and 
Hannah (Demorest) Blauvelt, was born June 
12. 1775. in Ramapo. died June 12, 185S. He 
married. November 4, 1706, Bridget Talman. 
Children : Joseph Cornelius, mentioned below ; 
John, born August 21, 1801 : Cornelius, Au- 
gust 20, 1808; Abraham C. J., December 18, 
181 1 : Tunis; Nicholas C. 

('\TI") Joseph Cornelius, eldest child 



of Cornelius and Bridget (Talman) Blau- 
velt, was born November 8, 1798, in 
Ramapo, died June 5, 1883, in that town. 
He married, May 12, 1821, Rebecca Ramsen, 
born June 20, 1803. in Ramapo, died there 
April 21, 1885. Children: Mary, born March 

5, 1822, married John DeBaun, and died July 

6, 1845; Isaac Ramsen and Margaret, twins, 
April 2, 1825; Aaron Du Bois, June 21, 1832; 
John Calvin, October 29, 1835 ; Cornelius Ed- 
ward, January 4, 1838. 

(VTII) Margaret, second daughter of 
Joseph C. and Rebecca (Ramsen) Blauvelt, 
twin of Isaac R., became the wife of Sylvester 
Westervelt, of Ramapo (see Westervelt VII). 



(II) Johannes GerritFc 
BLAUVELT Blauvelt, third son of Ger- 

rit and Marie Lamber:s 
(Moll) Hendrycksen (q. v.), was baptized 
April 9, 1659, in New York. He was one of 
the original land purchasers at Tappan, where 
he was one of the founders and first members 
of the church, received October 24, 1694. The 
next year he was a deacon of the church and 
was again in that position in 1701. He mar- 
ried Catie Cornelise. Children, recorded at 
Tappan: Cornelia, born October 25, 1694; 
Margrietje, February 5, 1699; Johannes, 
October 15, 1701 ; Jacobus, mentioned below: 
Lea, January 17, 1705; Rachel, October t6, 
1706; Katrina, October 9, 1708; Elizabeth, 
July 27, 1710; David, March 10, 1712; Sara, 
May 6. 17 14. 

(III) Jacobus, third son of Johannes Ger- 
ritse and Catie (Cornelise) Blauvelt, was 
born April 10, 1703, at Tappan, where he 
lived. He married Elizabeth (Everse, 
Everts) Everet, and had children: Johannes, 
mentioned below ; Catrina, born November 
21. 173,1: Elisabedt, December 29. 1735; Mar- 
grietye, August 12, 1738; Annatye, June 9, 
1741 ; Sara, July 8, 1743; Maria, October 29, 
1745, baptized at Schraalenberg; Jacobus. 
July 27, 1748. The birth and parentage of 
his wife and their marriage are not recorded 
in Hackensack. Schraalenberg or Tappan. 

(IV) Johannes, eldest child of Jacobus and 
Elizabeth (Everet) Blauvelt, was born De- 
cember II. 1731, at Tappan. where he lived. 
He married, about 1756-57, Elizabeth fPeeck) 
Peck, whose birth or parentage cannot be 
found on the records of Hackensack. Schraal- 
enberg or Tappan. There is a hiatus in the 



SOUTMF.RN N1-:\V YORK 



marriage records of Tappan, and it is im- 
possible for this reason to give the dates of 
many marriages in the families of that sec- 
tion. They had children: Tunis (Theunis), 
mentioned below; David, born July 29, 1761 ; 
Maria, February 24, 1765. There were prob- 
ably others not recorded either at Hackensack, 
Schraalenberg or Tappan. 

fV) Tunis, eldest son of Johannes and 
Elizabeth (Peck) Blauvelt, was born Decem- 
ber 30, 1758, and baptized January 21. 1759, 
at Tappan. He probably lived in the town 
of Ramapo, and only one child is recorded 
at Tappan. He married Maria Perrie. who 
was probably a daughter of John and Eliza- 
beth (de Klerck) Perrie. 

(VD lohannes (2) (John), son of Tunis 
and Maria (Perrie) Blauvelt, was born Sep- 
tember 2. 1785, in Orangeburg, recorded at 
Tappan, lived m Orangeburg on his father's 
farm and died there. He married, February 
20. iSto, at Tappan, Sarah Lansing, born 
April 22, 1791, not recorded in Tappan, 
Schraalenberg or Hackensack. Children : Tu- 
nis John, born November 8. 1810; Nicholas 
Lansing, mentioned below; Mary Ann, July 
10. 1R20. 

(VH) Nicholas Lansing, second son of 
Johannes (2) (John) and Sarah (Lansing) 
Blauvelt, was born March 12, 1817, at 
Oraneeburg. died April 12, 1879, at Nanuet. 
The farm on which he lived, one mile south 
of Nanuet village, was devised to his wMfe by 
her father. John Ho^enkamp. This farm is 
now in possession of her heirs, who still pre- 
serve the old deeds conveying the farm to her 
ancestors. One tract was conveyed by "Fred- 
erickus Blauvelt of the County of Orange in 
the Province of New York Yeoman", to 
Mindert Hogenkamp by deed dated June 5th 
"in the 28th year of the reign of our sov- 
ereign Lord George, the second, by the Grace 
of God. of Great Britain, France and Ireland. 
King. Defender of the Faith and in the year 
of our Lord Christ, one thousand seveij hun- 
dred and fifty-five". Another tract of one 
hundred and twenty-seven acres v^'hich be- 
came a part of the farm was conveyed Octo- 
ber 16. 1784. by Daniel Graham. Esq.. "Com- 
missioner of Forfeitures for the Middle Dis- 
trict of said State, appointed in pursuance of 
an act in the T,egislature of the State, entitled 
an act for the speedy sale of the confiscated 
and forfeited estates passed the 12th day of 



May, 1784" to John Hogenkamp, first. The 
latter was also known as John M. Hogen 
Kamp, and was a captain in the revolutionary 
army. Fifty acres of the farm were conveyed, 
December 6, 1796, by Cornelius M. Demarest 
to John M. Hogen Kamp, Esq. The executor 
of the estate has also in his possession an 
original deed of a tract of land on the "Hack- 
ensack Hill", containing eighty-six and one- 
half acres, made by Myndert Hogen Kamp to 
Myndert Hogen Kamp Jr., dated June 25 "in 
the 1 2th. year of the Reign of our Sovereign 
Lord George H by the Grace of God. of 
Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, De- 
fender of the Faith, etc., Annoq. Domini 
1739." This will was proved before Cornelius 
Cuiper, one of the magistrate judges for our 
inferior court of common pleas. The deed is 
proved by Johannes Blauvelt, subscribing wit- 
ness, and recites that he made oath on the 
Holy Evangelis of Almighty God that he, 
Myndert Hogen Kamp signed, sealed and de- 
livered the instrument to Myndert Hogen 
Kamp Jr. The original will of Myndert Ho- 
gen Kamp, dated May 5. 1783, is also pre- 
served with other papers. Nicholas L. Blau- 
velt married Eliza Hogen Kamp, born Novem- 
ber. 1822, at Nanuet. died March 11, 1902. 
Children : Sarah Elizabeth, born May 17, 
1841, married Alonzo B. Smith; John Hogen 
Kamp, mentioned below ; Charles Edwin, born 
.'\pril. 1847, lived at Cresskill and New York 
City: Peter Herring, born November 3, 1849; 
Gerrit Melancthon. February 15. 1854. 

(\TII) John Hogen Kamp. eldest son of 
Nicholas Lansing and Eliza (Hogen Kamp) 
Blauvelt. was born October 25. 1843. at Nan- 
uet. where he grew up. attending the public 
schools until he was fourteen years of age. 
Following this he was a student at the public 
schools of New York City, and at the College 
of the City of New York, from which he 
graduated in 1863, receiving the degree of 
A.B. and subsequently that of A.M. He took 
up the study of law with Howard C. Cady, 
and subsequently with Spear & Nash, later 
Owen. Nash tl- Garv, and was admitted to the 
bar in 1870. Following his admission he 
opened an office in New York City, and has 
ever since been engaged in practice there, mak- 
ing a specialty of surrogate, real estate and 
commercial matters. He is now administrator 
of the estate of Eliza (Hogen Kamp) Blau- 
velt, and resides in Brooklyn Borough, New 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



253 



York City. He is a member of the Law In- 
stitute, and of Grace Presbyterian Church in 
Brooklyn, New York. Mr. Blauvelt lias given 
close attention to business, has thus built up 
a large and lucrative practice, and gives little 
attention to public affairs, although he is an 
earnest supporter of the Republican party in 
political matters. 

He married (first) June 3, 1874. in New 
York City, Kate Fisher, who died .-\pril 21. 
1886, in Brooklyn. He married (second) Sep- 
tember 2, i8g6, Harriet Barnes Salisbury, who 
died August 8, 1905. in Brooklyn. Children: 
I. Fanny Jackson, born July 20, 1875; wife of 
Professor Raymond Clinton Reed ; children : 
Raymond B., Katherine and Helen. 2. Clar- 
ence Hogen Kamp, February 13, 1879: ser- 
geant in Squadron C, of Brooklyn ; unmarried. 



(V) Cornelius Blauvelt. son 
BLAUVELT of Johannes Gerritse and 
Antye (Quackenbos) Blau- 
velt, was born at Tappan, January 9, 1744. 
died January 11, 1832. There are not many 
details regarding his life, but he lived for the 
greater part of it at Tappan, where he was 
much regarded, and was a leadine man in the 
community. He married Sarah Demarest. 

(\T) David C, son of Cornelius and Sarah 
(Demarest) Blauvelt, was born at Tappan. 
February 10. 1773. died January 30. 1835. ^^ 
married Maria Demarest. born April 10. 1770, 
died May 12. 1843 Children: Richard De- 
marest. mentioned below ; David, born at Tap- 
pan, Bergen county, New Jersey, November 
17. 1819; a daughter who died in 1824, aged 
nineteen : another daughter, who died July 6, 
1887. figed eighty-eight; James D., who died 
in T8qT, at an age almost approaching ninety; 
Cornelius D., who died aged eighty-two. 

(\TI) Richard Demarest, son of David C. 
and Maria (Demarest) Blauvelt. was born in 
1802. died at Newark. New Jersey. He was 
educated in the public schools, and when a 
boy started in to learn the furniture business 
in New York. Later he opened up a store 
and started in the same business on the Bow- 
ery. He made the manufacture of chairs his 
specialty and in this he was very successful. 
He was a Whig in politics, though he never 
held nor aspired to hold public office. He and 
the members of his family were accustomed 
to attend the services of the Dutch Reformed 
and the Baptist churches. He was for twen- 



ty-one years in the Seventh Regiment of the 
New York S. M. under Captain Riblets. He 
married, in 1828, Mary, born in 1805 '" New 
York City, daughter of Vincent and Sarah 
(Schneider) De La Montanye. The children 
were : Mary Baker ; Richard De La Mon- 
tanye ; Sarah Perret ; George Washington, 
mentioned below ; Amelia. 

( Vni) George Washington, son of Richard 
Demarest and Mary (De La Montanye) Blau- 
velt, was born in New York City, February 
22. 1836. He was educated in the public 
schools, and after completing his studies 
worked at various positions until he went into 
the employment of the city of New York, in 
the service of which he was engaged for thir- 
ty-two years, working in the department of 
repairs. He was shifted around until he be- 
came the general foreman of repairs in the 
borough of Manhattan. He was with his fam- 
ily affiliated with the Baptist church. He 
married, about the year 1865. Julia Gomperts, 
born in New York City, September 21, 1836. 
There were ei,ght children of this marriage, 
the last five being dead. The children were: 
Benjamin Lewis, mentioned below ; Laura 
Bertlia. Mamie, Mary, Julia, Blanche, George, 
Clarence. 

(IX) Benjamin Lewis, eldest son of George 
Washington and Julia (Gomperts) Blauvelt. 
was born in the city of New York. October 
5, 1867. He was educated in the public 
schools of the city, which he attended for a 
number of vears, and then went to the Col- 
lege of the City of New York. He was gradu- 
ated from that college as a civil engineer in 
i8gi. While pursuing the profession of civil 
engineer during the dav he studied law at 
night at the New York Law School and was 
admitted to the bar in lOoo. He has been do- 
ing law business ever since, engaging in gen- 
eral practice. Mr. Blauvelt is director of the 
Washington Heiehts Bar Association and of 
the New York County Lawyers' Association. 
He is also a member of the New York Law 
School Alumni. He. like all the members of 
his family, is a member of the Episcopal 
church. 

He married, in New York City, June 21, 
1898. Bessie Keene, born on Staten Island in 
1874, daughter of Thomas and Nellie (Keene) 
Kilvert. Thomas Kilvert was born in Man- 
chester. Enghnd. He was a lawyer in New 
York City. His wife, Nellie (Keene) Kilvert, 



254 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



was born in Reading, Pennsylvania. The chil- 
dren of Thomas and NelHe (Keene) Kilvert 
were: Charles; Bessie Keene, married Ben- 
jamin Lewis Blauvelt ; Nellie Beatrice. 

The family of Butler is said to 
BUTLER be Irish or Norman-Irish in 

origin, although there are in 
Cheshire and Yorkshire several old estab- 
lished families of the name. They may, how- 
ever, have been branches of the great Irish 
family. The surname is said to be derived 
from the French form with the same meaning, 
"Botilcr", meaning a wine merchant or butler. 
The king's butler or pincerna regis was an 
officer of considerable importance, answering 
to the collector of customs in modern ports. 
The origin of the great Irish family of Butler 
is a vexed one. They have been variously 
deduced from Ilerveius, a companion of Wil- 
liam the Conqueror — from the illustrious De 
Clares — and from a brother of Thomas a 
Becket, the archbishop of Canterbury. The 
name, however, is a corruption of the Norman 
French term applied to the office of the king's 
butler, which was conferred upon Theobald, 
surnamed "le botiler". by Henry II.. and re- 
mained hereditary in his descendants for 
many generations. In those centuries the up- 
per classes of England were French-speaking. 
and were largely Norman in blood, and the 
surnames dating from that time are either 
purely French in origin, or are .^nglo-Saxon 
terms that have been given a slightly French 
turn. 

The ancestors of the Butlers, on the pater- 
nal side, crossed to Ireland in the twelfth cen- 
tury, and sought alliances with the Milesian 
houses of their own station, transmitting the 
family name to their descendants in both a 
Norman and a Gaelic form. In the thirteenth 
century what is now called Tipperary was 
formed into the "county palatine of Ormond 
under the Butlers, who thus became so pow- 
erful, that different branches of them'', says 
"O'Hart's Pedigrees.", "furnished manv of tlie 
most distinguished families in Ireland". The 
Butlers were earls, marquises and dukes of 
Ormonde. Their war cry, which also became 
their motto, as in many Gaelic families, was 
"Butler Abu !", "abu" or "aboo" being the 
Iri=h or Gaelic word for "victory". Their arms 
ncc'rding to the description given in "O'Hart's 
Pedigrees" were: Arms: Or. a chief inflent- 



ed azure. Crest: In a ducal coronet, or, a 
plume of five ostrich feathers; ar, a falcon 
arising out of the last. In the case of the 
English families bearing the name the patron- 
ymic has probably been derived in a simi- 
lar way from the Norman French word de- 
noting occupation. Possibly too in America 
there are families of French origin among the 
Butlers, whose name was originally "Botiler'', 
which became anglicised into Butler. 

(I) Justice Butler, ancestor of the Butler 
family, lived in New Haven, Connecticut, 
where he was probably born about 1760. He 
was in all likelihood a descendant of Deacon 
Richard Butler, who came to this country in 
1633, supposedly from Braintree, county Es- 
sex, England. Richard became a freeman at 
Cambridge, Massachusetts, May 14, 1634, and 
a member of the Rev. Thomas Hooker's 
church at Hartford, Connecticut, in 1642. 
With his brother, William, he was among the 
first settlers at Hartford, receiving sixteen 
acres of land there in the first division. He 
was a deacon in the first church there and 
occupied successively the positions of juror, 
selectman, deputy to the general court, and 
clerk of the general court. He lived in Hart- 
ford on the south side of the Little river, and 
owned a house, lot and other lands in Weath- 
ersfield. He was twice married, the name of 
his first wife remaining unknown, and he 
married (second") Elizabeth Bigelow. before 
coming to Hartford. She died February z6, 
1656; he died August 6. 1684. The inventory 
of his estate amounted to six hundred and 
fifty-four pounds, fifteen shillings. They had 
eight children, five of them sons, all born at 
Hartford. It is probable that Justice Butler 
was sprung from one of these sons of Richard 
Butler, though the most diligent research up 
to the present has not succeeded in establish- 
ing the connection. Justice Butler married 
Lucv Davis. 

(IF) Henry, son of Justice and Lucy 
(Davis^i Butler, was born in New Haven, 
Connecticut, about 1785. He continued to 
live in New Haven, where he appears to have 
made a prominent fisrure in mercantile circles. 
Later he lived in Richmond. Virginia. He 
married, in 1807. at New Haven. Rebecca, 
born in New Haven, in 1788, daughter of 
Samuel Green, born in 1744, died in 17OQ, and 
his wife, Abigail CBuelli Green, born in Kil- 
lingworth, Connecticut, in 1749, died in Rich- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



255 



mond, Virginia, in 1819. Abigail Buell was 
descended in the fourth generation from Wil- 
liam Buell, the American pioneer, and patri- 
arch of the family. William Buell, Bewelle, 
or Beville, was born in Chesterton, Hunting- 
donshire, England, about 1610. Emigrating 
to America as early as 1630, he settled first 
in Dorchester, Massachusetts, and then in 
1633 joined the first company that went west- 
ward to found the town of Windsor. He 
died in Windsor in 1681. His son, Samuel 
Buell, was born in Windsor in 1641, and after 
1664 lived in Killingworth. where he died in 
1720. In the old records he is especially set 
down as "gentleman", was an extensive land 
owner, and was honored by his fellow citizens 
by election to many positions of trust and 
responsibility. By his marriage in 1662 to 
Deborah Griswold, who was born in 1646, 
died in 171Q, Samuel Buell allied himself to 
another of the great colonial families of Con- 
necticut. His wife was a daughter of Edward 
Griswold, of \\^indsor, brother of Governor 
Matthew Griswold. The Griswold family is 
descended from Humphrey Griswold, of 
Greet, Lord of the Manor. Their ancestors 
came originally from Cambridgeshire, where 
they were established as early as 1135. The 
grandparents of .Abigail Buell, and the an- 
cestors in the fifth generation of Rebecca 
Green, were Beniamin Buell, of Killingworth, 
who was born in 1686, died in 1725, and 
Hannah Hutchinson, of Hebron, whom he 
married in 1710 Her parents were John 
Buell, born in Killineworth in 1717, died 
in 1752, and Abigail (Chatfield) Buell, 
daughter of John Chatfield. Several of the 
sons of Henrv and Rebecca (Green) Butler 
have occupied commandine positions in the 
commercial and professional life of New York 
City. The eldest son. George B., who was 
born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1809, 
died in New York in i88fi, is still remembered 
as one of the proprietors of the Nm' York 
Journal of Commerce, and secretary and at- 
torney of the Hudson River Railroad Com- 
pany. His son, George Butler, was the dis- 
tinguished artist, one of the foremost Ameri- 
can painters of his generation. Charles E. is 
mentioned below. 

(HI) Charles E., son of Henry and Re- 
becca ("Green) Butler, was born in Richmond, 
\'ir?inia. in tSi8, died in the city of New 
York, May i, 1807. He began the study of 



the law in 1836 in the office of Jonathan Pres- 
cott Hall, in New York City. When he was 
twenty-four years old. in association with Wil- 
liam M. Evarts he formed the law firm of 
Butler & Evarts, whose successors are now 
the firm of Evarts, Choate & Sherman. Re- 
tiring from professional work in 1879, h^ 
spent most of his time after that upon his 
estate in Stockbridge. Massachusetts. He 
married Louisa Clinch, sister of Cornelia 
Clinch, who became the wife of Alexander T. 
Stewart, the great merchant prince. Mrs. 
Louisa (Clinch) Butler died in 1852. Chil- 
dren : Prescott Hall, mentioned below ; Max- 
well Evarts: Rosalie, died in 1897; Helen C. ; 
Virginia; Lilian, married John Swann. 

(IV) Prescott Hall, son of Charles E. and 
Louisa (Clinch) Butler, was born on Staten 
Island, New York, March 8, 1848. He ob- 
tained his preparatory education at Reid and 
Hoffman's school at Stockbridge, Massachu- 
setts, and was graduated at Harvard College 
in i86g. Having studied law in his father's 
office he was admitted to the bar in 1874, and 
entered his fathers' firm, then Evarts, South- 
mayd & Choate. He was successful from the 
outset and rated as a lawyer of thorough 
learning and sound qualities. At an early age 
in his practice he acquired a reputation ex- 
celled only by the oldest members of the bar. 
His connection with the firm was lifelong, and 
during his extensive practice he had charge 
of many important cases and delicate trusts, 
which were always managed with skill and 
fidelity. A man of kind heart, strong sym- 
pathies, and generous impulses, he was, when 
occasion demanded, courageous and resolute 
in the support of any cause or movement 
which he considered to be right. He was a 
man who made many friends and held their 
warm respect and regard permanently. Mr. 
Butler was a member of the Association of 
the Bar of the Citv of New York, and the 
New York Law Institute. He was also a 
member of the University, Centurv, Racquet, 
Metropolitan, Ridinp^. New York Yacht, Play- 
ers, Harvard and Knickerbocker clubs. He 
died at his residence. No. 22 Park avenue, 
New York City, December 16, 1901. He 
married, June 2. 1874. at St. James, Smith- 
town, Long Island, Cornelia Stewart, daueh- 
ter of Tudge John Lawrence and Sarah (Nic- 
oll) Smith. Mrs. Smith was a granddaughter 
of Jacob Clinch. Mr. and Mrs. Butler estab- 



250 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



lished a home at St. James, Long Island, situ- 
ated on Stony Brook Harbor, and known as 
"Bytharbour". Children: Lawrence Smith; 
Charles Stewart, mentioned below ; Susan L., 
married Francis C. Huntington, son of the 
Rev. William Reid Huntington, former rector 
of Grace Church in the City of New York. 

(V) Charles Stewart, son of Prescott Hall 
and Cornelia Stewart (Smith) Butler, was 
born in the City of New York, December 3, 
1876. He received his preparatory education 
at St. Paul's School, Garden City, Eong Is- 
land, and at St. Mark's School, Southborough, 
Massachusetts. Later he went to Harvard 
College, from which he was graduated in 1899, 
attending later the Harvard Law School, and 
the New York Law School. He was ad- 
mitted to the New York bar in 1903, and has 
since been in practice, having an office at No. 
32 Nassau street. In 1908 he formed a part- 
nership with William M. Seabury which was 
terminated in 1910, by Mr. Seabury going west 
for his health. In 1903 Mr. Butler joined 
Troop A of Squadron A, and has remained 
a member ever since except for a brief period. 
He has always been a Republican in politics, 
and an Episcopalian in religion. He is a 
member of the Downtown, University, Har- 
vard, Seawanaka and Church clubs. 



The Wait family is of French ori- 
WAIT gin, and the name was spelled 

Wight. They were among the 
earliest settlers of the Isle of Wight, and were 
obliged to surrender the island to the Romans 




in the year 43. Though the name was found 
in other counties of England, the ancestors 
of the American branch were identified with 



Somersetshire, where Samuel Wait was a gen- 
tleman of good position and estate. 

(II) Samuel (2), second son of Samuel 
( I ) Wait, of Somersetshire, England, was, 
according to the English law of primogeniture, 
left to his own resources when his elder 
brother. Thomas, came into the estate. En- 
tirelv dissatisfied with this arrangement, Sam- 
uel Wait, whose means exceeded $50,000. emi- 
grated to America in 1821, and settled iri New- 
burg, New York, and later in Montgomery, 
Orange county. New York, where he purchas- 
ed a farm of one hundred and forty-eight acres 
near Neelytown, afterwards purchasing other 
farms and becoming a large property owner. 
The early part of the nineteenth century saw, 
in England, that great religious awakening led 
liy the Wesleys, which gave rise to what is 
known in this country as the Methodist Epis- 
copal church. Among the converts made by 
that great and ardent spirit, John W'esley, was 
Samuel Wait, who like many another threw 
himself heart and soul into the movement and 
became one of that great army of lay preach- 
ers tlirougfh whom the faith was spread. He 
brought his religious enthusiasm with him to 
the new country, and was the founder of the 
Methodist church at Montgomery, in which 
place he resided until his death. He married, 
prior to leaving Somersetshire, England, 
Mary Walsh of that countv. Their sons 
were: Edward, Samuel, John, W'illiam. 
Thomas, the two first named having been im- 
porters of cattle and sheep, importing the first 
.Southdown sheep in America, and the third 
having been a large real estate owner in New- 
burg. Their daughters were : Mary, married 
Charles Downing, of Newburg. New York, 
the noted pomologist; Emma, married a Mr. 
Bradbury, a broadcloth manufacturer of Ly- 
ons. Connecticut ; Flora, married a Mr. Bagg, 
a planter and slave holder of Kentucky; Sarah, 
married a Mr. Smith, of Montgomery, New 
York. 

(III) Thomas, son of Samuel (2) and 
Mary fWalsh^i Wait, was born in Newbur?, 
New York, 1S21, died at Montgomery, New 
York. T903. He married, in 1846. Mary, born 
in 1826, daughter of Johannes Mould, of 
Montgomery, New York, and granddauprhter 
of Christofel Mould, of revolutionary fame 
Fourteen children were born to them, nine of 
whom lived to mature years: Martha, mnr- 
ried Chauncev Brooks ; Charles D., married 




ryw/A/ ■ y. ■ '^/f/// /^//.) J Mau^ 



'!/ 




. '//////r Cj.(' yi//'f/'/' y/^/// 



'V 



YORK 



jur ; Man 

urge W., II. 
Mcd Ira C 

1, Wesley, 

■-.d Frank Jl . 
\iina, unmarriea. 

'-\'^eslev Wait. ?o'' 



jlia Kidd ; 
married 
further ; 

t Holland, 



of Thomas and 
tt the old 
Orange 
,Mv\ 11. ,K, vj.i)' ._j, I ■ His early 
HI was gained at one of the many ex- 
ri\ate boarding schools on the Hud- 
home. After he left school he 
York City and therr- *ortk up the 
icine and di 
onths' stud; 
, .e college ]<'■ 
four-year • 
ths. receiving ■ 
car. In 1884 he lefv 
led an office in C,n^ 
liiained for 
(_'hicago, 111: 
I . ..iiort time, n...v,, , 
.rk, where he begaii 
wliicli lie li.t-; cnri ' 



,-ifter 
first 



William. Mrs. Wait died March 25, iby/ 
Dr. Wait married (second) in 1001;, Anna K.. 

daughter of S ' " '' ',' --a 

York City, aii' p, 

whci '.■■ ;!■, ill' ': ... , . ,,^ii- 

in{j; ,rd, whose interred 

in ^ headquar. ■.rrg. Ve-.v 

Yoi n. Mrs. Wait w 
Iv i aritable work. 



She via.^ 
of ?r ' 
up\\ 
thv 



uh 

■y- 
.11? 



<dry. 



father of 
at East 
son of 

'"on 



iiawiings, 



irKcu nic., 

of variou- 
' use. His — 

'ge steel girder; 

ivets was put 1' 
.■rsity in i'. 

.-ent of pr.^ 



C WO! K , 

d. He a^ 



n:;vid Sl.ceai. 
attorney for C 



is the M: 
nit hr\<; rd 



for elector from iiis disiritt, v. 
r\ lorn! reputation •»« a public .sp. 
'•- in April. 
!e of Illind 



.W York. 
phen M., 



iirg. 
but 



Lie v<a6 a 

is now a 

■.■'V. 

New 

. ...nera! 

Thev had 

. Bull, of 

lave three 

.vlins and 



who iiad been auractcd to iiini 
speak at Hnlpna in favrtr of n. 

Unl' • ' ' ' 

hi? 



un 

die 
of 



sent fruui .-.U..; du 
was in August and 



.,0 enure war 
864. when on 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



257 



Eliza Seymour; Mary E., married Hiram 
Hawkins ; George W., married Cornelia Kidd ; 
Alida, married Ira Green ; Effie, married 
Charles Hill; Wesley, of whom further; 
Sarah, married Frank E. Eager, of Holland, 
Michigan; Anna, unmarried. 

(IV) Dr. Wesley Wait, son of Thomas and 
Mary (Mould) Wait, was born at the old 
Wait homestead in Montgomery, Orange 
county, New York, May 15, 1861. His early 
education was gained at one of the many ex- 
cellent private boarding schools on the Hud- 
son near his home. After he left school he 
went to New York City and there took up the 
study of medicine and dentistry, where after 
only eight months' study he was made first 
assistant to the college professor. He finished 
the required four-year course in dentistry in 
eighteen months, receiving his diploma the fol- 
lowing year. In 1884 he left New York City 
and opened an office in Goshen, New York, 
where he remained for eighteen months. He 
then went to Chicago, Illinois, remaining, how- 
ever, but a short time, returning to Newburg, 
New York, where he began the practice of 
dentistry which he has carried on with ever 
increasing success to the present time. Dr. 
Wait has always been a student of physics, 
and has a marked mechanical talent. He is 
the inventor of various electrical appliances 
in successful use. His device for the inter- 
locking of large steel girders without the use 
of bolts or rivets was put to the test at Co- 
lumbia University in 191 1, and showed one 
hundred per cent of practical advantage over 
the old method. He was the delegate of New 
York state for three years to the International 
Association of Manufacturers and Inventors, 
now known as the Manufacturers' Associa- 
tion. Dr. Wait has also contributed to the 
technical magazines a number of scientific ar- 
ticles in several fields of natural science, and 
has lectured upon those topics before audi- 
ences at Columbia, Lehigh and other universi- 
ties. Dr. Wait is an attendant of the First 
Presbyterian Church of New^burg. He was a 
Republican in political belief, but is now a 
member of the National Progressive party. 

Dr. \\'ait married (first) at Goshen. New 
York; in 18S5, Emily S., daughter of General 
John A Rawlins, of whom further. They had 
one child, Eucile. married John S. Bull, of 
Nf^wburg. New York, and thev have three 
children : Stephen M.. John A. Rawlins and 



William. Mrs. Wait died March 25, 1897. 
Dr. Wait married (second) in 1905, Anna E., 
daughter of Samuel Trevor Knapp, of New 
York City, and a great-niece of Uzal Knapp, 
who was the last survivor of General Wash- 
ington's life guard, whose remains are interred 
in Washington's headquarters, Newburg, New 
York (see Knapp VT). Mrs. Wait was wide- 
ly known for her charitable work. She was 
a most devout Christian and an enthusiastic 
missionary worker, a member of the Fifth 
Avenue I'resbyterian Church, New York City. 
She was deeply interested in the remodelling 
of St. Luke's Hospital at Newburg, giving 
upwards of $50,000 to that purpose, erecting 
the south wing as a memorial to her father, 
Samuel Trevor Knapp. She died in February, 
1912. 

General John Aaron Rawlins, father of 
Emily S. (Rawlins) Wait, was born at East 
Galena, Illinois, February 13, 1831, son of 
James Dawson Rawlins, a native of Madison 
county, Kentucky, who removed to Missouri, 
and from there to East Galena, and a de- 
scendant of Robert Rawlings, an early settler 
of Maryland. 

The family removed to Guilford, Illinois, 
where John A. Rawlins attended school and 
assisted with the work of the farm and in 
burning charcoal. He attended Mount Mor- 
ris Seminary, 1852-53, studied law in Galena, 
1854-55, practiced in partnership with Isaac 
P. Stevens, his preceptor, 1855-56, and with 
David Sheean, 1858-61. He was elected city 
attorney for Galena in 1857 ; was a Democratic 
candidate for presidential elector in i860, and 
held a series of joint discussions with Allen 
C. Fuller, the Lincoln and Hamlin candidate 
for elector from his district, which gave him 
a local reputation as a public speaker. On the 
firing of Fort Sumter in April, 1861, he aided 
in arousing the people of Illinois to the dan- 
gers that threatened the LInion and in recruit- 
ing the Fortv-fifth Illinois Volunteers. He 
was appointed aide-de-camp to General Grant, 
w^ho had been attracted to him by hearing him 
speak at Galena in favor of maintaining the 
Union, and although the youngest member of 
his stafif, was promoted assistant adjutant- 
general, with the rank of captain, September 
15, 1861, at Cairo, his commission dating from 
August 31, i86t. The only time he was ab- 
sent from stafif duty during the entire war 
was in August and September, 1864. when on 



258 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



sick leave. He was promoted rapidly, being 
made major, April 14, 1862 ; lieutenant-colo- 
nel, November i, 1862; brigadier-general of 
volunteers, August 11, 1863; brevet major- 
general of volunteers, February 24, 1865 ; 
brigadier-general, United States army, and 
chief of staff, March 3, 1865, and brevet ma- 
jor-general, United States army, March 13, 
1865. General Grant characterized him as 
"more nearly indispensable to me than any 
officer in the service". He was appointed sec- 
retary of war in President Grant's cabinet, 
March 9, 1869, and held the office until his 
death, in Washington, D. C, September 9, 
1869. A statue of bronze was erected to his 
memory in Washington. 

General Rawlins married (first) June 5, 
1856, Emily, daughter of Hiram Smith, of 
Goshen. New York. He married (second) in 
1863, Mary E., daughter of S. A. Hurlburt, 
of IJanburv, Connecticut. 



This is one of the numer- 
VAN ETTEN ous Dutch names which was 

derived from the jjlace of 
residence of the family. All the names be- 
ginning with "van" are place names, indicating 
the town in Holland from which the ancestor 
came. Many names having this form were 
changed after arrival in this country by the 
occu])ation of the individual, such as Smith. 
The Terhune family took its name in this 
country from the fact that one of its members 
either maintained a fine garden or lived near 
one. The ancestor was called Albert Albert- 
sen. The history of the old Dutch names is 
very interesting and easily followed when one 
is familiar with the habits and characteristics 
of the pioneers of New Amsterdam (New 
York). The family of Van Etten has been 
idcntifiefl with the history of this state from a 
very early period and has since been conspic- 
uous in New Jersey and other states. 

(I) Jacob Janscn, the son of Jan, came from 
Etten in North Brahrandt. Holland, and set- 
tled at Kingston, New York. Van Etten 
means from Etten. He married, at Kingston. 
December 28. 1664, Annatje Adrianse. of Am- 
sterdam (daughter of Adrian). After 1675 
he lived in Marblctown, and his youngest child 
was born at Hurley in ^6RR. Children: Jan. 
mentioned below ; Sytie, married Jan Evert- 
sen, and lived in Marblctown ; Adriaen or 
Arie (Aaron) resided near Kingston, where 



all his children were baptized ; Petronella, 
married Albert Roosa, and lived at Hurley; 
Pieter, also resided at Hurley; Heiltje, born 
at Marblctown, married William Van V'rcden- 
berg, and lived at Kingston ; Emanuel, lived 
at Hurley; Tietje, married Evert Roosa, of 
Hurley; Jacobus (James), settled in Dutchess 
county about 1720; Geesje, married Jacob 
Decker, of Marblctown. 

(H) Jan, eldest child of Jacob Jansen and 
Annatje (Adrianse) Van Etten, was baptized 
January 3, 1666, at Marblctown. He resided 
in Hurley and Rochester, Ulster county, New 
York. He married, about 1692, Jannetje, 
daughter of Arien Roosa, and granddaughter 
of Albert Heymanse Roosa, of Hurley. Chil- 
dren : I. Arien, baptized August 15, 1693. ^■ 
Aeltje, married Anthony Westbroek, of 
Kingston, and resided in Ulster county. New 
York, until about 1730, when they removed 
to the present town of Montague, Sussex 
county, New Jersey, and have descendants 
now living at Port Jervis. 3. Jacob, men- 
tioned below. 4. Marytje, married Cornells 
Ennis, of Marblctown. 5. Annetje, married 
Broer Dekker, of Napanoch. 6. Ariaantje, 
married Aard Middag, and settled soon after 
marriage in the Minisink country. 7. Rebecca, 
married Henry Bont, of Claverack. New 
York. 8. Rachel, married Ritsert (Richard) 
Kittel. of Hurley, and settled in the Minisink 
country prior to 1750. 9. Lea, married Thom- 
as Keeter, and lived at Hurley. 10. Cathrina, 
. probably married Frans Kool. 

(HI) Jacob, junior son of Jan and Jannetje 
(Roosa) Van Etten, born at Hurley, was bap- 
tized September 25, 1696, and resided in the 
town of Rochester, Ulster county, New York. 
He married. April 22, 1719, Antjen W'est- 
broek, born at Kingston. Children: 1. Jan, 
born at Nytsfield (Knightsfield), Ulster coun- 
ty, was baptized April 17. 1720, and resided at 
Napanoch ; he settled in Easton, Pennsylvania, 
about 1760. 2. Helena or Magdalena, mar- 
ried Rev. Johannes Casparus Fryenmuth, the 
first pastor of the four Minisink valley 
churches. 3. Cornelis, resided at Napanoch. 
where his children were baptized. 4. Anthony, 
mentioned below. 5. Jannetjen, married 
Emanuel Gonsales. and lived near Busbkill. 
Pennsylvania. 6. Johannes, mentioned below. 
(IV) Johannes, youngest child of Jacob and 
Antjen (Westbroek) Van Etten, was born at 
Napanoch about 1730. He settled about 1750 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



259 



in the present town of Delaware, Pike county, 
Pennsylvania, where he died February 15, 
1814. He was a member of the militia in the 
Provincial service during the French and In- 
dian war, and appears in the record as captain 
of a company from Upper Smithfield, North- 
ampton county, Pennsylvania, in 1755. He 
was again commissioned as captain in May, 
1756, of the first battalion, commanded by 
Lieutenant-Colonel Conrad Weiser. He again 
appears as captain in Colonel Clapham's regi- 
ment at Fort Augusta, October 18, 1756, sta- 
tioned at Hyndshaw's Fort with thirty men, 
including two sergeants. His son John was 
color sergeant in his company of the first bat- 
talion, under Lieutenant-Colonel Weiser, May 
5. 1756- John Van Etten, evidently the same 
person as Johannes, was commissioned captain 
of the Delaware company and Northampton 
county associators. May 22, 1775. Captain 
Van Etten appears in the revolutionary rolls 
on a return of officers of the sixth battalion 
of militia in the county of Northampton, dated 
May 21, 1777, as captain of the Fourth Com- 
pany, on a general muster roll of the same 
battalion, May 14, 1778, commanded by Colo- 
nel Jacob Stroud, John Van Etten appears as 
captain of the Fourth Company, and appears 
on a muster roll of a company of volunteers 
from Northampton county, June 15, 1780, 
mustered at Fort Penn, January 15, 1781. 
His name appears as captain of a company of 
the first class in the fifth battalion, North- 
ampton county, under the command of Colonel 
Shouse, in the service of the United States on 
the frontier of said county for two montlis, 
"said class called to turn out and meet at John 
Vankempen's, Esq., i8th of September, 1781." 
This call was dated "ist December, 1781, Low- 
er Smithfield." Signed "John Chambers, mus- 
termastcr.'' On a return by Jacob Stroud, 
lieutenant-colonel of the fifth battalion. North- 
ampton county militia, dated Fort Penn. May 
27, 1783. Johannes Van Etten was elected 
captain of the First Company. In a fight be- 
tween his company and the Indians near Ray- 
mondskill. Pike county, in T780. his son-in- 
law, Benjamin Ennis, was killed. He mar- 
ried (first) about 1750, Maria Gonsales His 
second wnfe. Rachel (Williams) Decker, was 
the widow of Daniel Decker. 

(V) Cornelius, son of Johannes and Rachel 
(Williams-Decker) Van Etten. was born De- 
cember 8, 1782. in Delaware township, Pike 



county, Pennsylvania, and was a farmer there. 
He was a member of the Dutch Reformed 
church. He married, 1803, Anna Smith, and 
their children were : Solomon, Robert, Amos, 
Margaret, Rachel, Catharine, Mary, Amanda. 

(VI) Solomon, eldest son of Cornelius and 
Anna (Smith) Van Etten, was born May 18, 
1806, in Delaware township, Pennsylvania. 
He married Hannah Mettler. Children : Cor- 
nelius, Solomon, Frank, Matthew, John Hix- 
son, Anna Mettler. 

(VII) John Hixson, fourth son of Solomon 
and Hannah (Mettler) Van Etten, was born 
October 13. 1843, in Delaware. He was ad- 
mitted to the bar and engaged in the practice 
of his profession at Milford, Pennsylvania. 
He became editor and proprietor of the Pike 
County Press, an influential local paper, which 
he has conducted with marked success. He 
married Adelaide, daughter of James and 
Amanda (Beamer) Kanouse. Children: John 
de Camp, Leila Barker, Bessie Hixson. 

(VIII) John de Camp, son of John Hixson 
and Adelaide (Kanouse) Van Etten. was born 
January 3, 1881, in Milford. He attended the 
public schools there until seven years of 
age, when he was sent to the Port Jervis high 
school, where he remained two years. He 
was subsequently a student at the Nyack Col- 
legiate High School, where he continued three 
years, graduating and receiving the degree 
of Bachelor of Arts. He began his business 
career as clerk in a grocery store in Milford, 
where he continued some time, after which he 
engaged with an engineering corps on the line 
of the Milford & Matamoras railroad. After 
one year of this service he entered the em- 
ploy of the Chicago. Milwaukee & St. Paul 
Railroad Company, in which he continued 
three years. Following this he was engaged 
one year with the Atlas Portland Cement Com- 
pany, after which he was connected with the 
American Tobacco Company for a period of 
three years in the traffic department. On Jan- 
nary 19, 1905. he entered the employ of the 
Hodgman Rubber Company, of Tuckahoe, 
New York, and worked his way up to the po- 
sition of superintendent of the company's 
works, in which capacity he is still employed. 
Mr. Van Etten combines with much executive 
ability the energy and industry which achieves 
results and his high personal character makes 
him popular among his associates in business 
and his contemporaries generally. With his 



26o 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



family he is associated with the Presbyterian 
church; is a member of the Holland Society 
of New York, and an active supporter of Re- 
publican principles, serving as a committee- 
man of the district organization. 

He married, October i8, 1906, at the Asbury 
Methodist Episcopal Church, Yonkers, New 
York, Jane Louise Seaman, born December 
18, 1878, in New York City, daughter of Au- 
gustus G. and Mary Louise (Hodgman) Sea- 
man. Augustus G. Seaman is connected with 
the Hodgman Rubber Company at Tuckahoe, 
and is the father also of Allen Hay Seaman. 
Mr. and Mrs. Van Etten have two sons: John 
Seaman, born January 22, 1908. and WilU'lt 
Kanousc, October 9, 19 10. 



(I\') Anthony, third son 
\'AN ETTEN of Jacob (q. v) and Ant- 
jen (Westbroek) Van Et- 
ten, was born at Napanoch, Ulster county, 
New York, where he was baptized June 12, 
1726, and died at Deer Park, in 1778. Before 
1750 he settled in what is now Deer Park, 
where he was a blacksmith, and served many 
years as justice of the peace. In 175 1 he was 
deacon of the Machackcmech church and was 
an elder in 1755. His will gave his personal 
property to his wife, as long as she remained 
his widow, and after she was through with it. 
it was to be divided among his four sons and 
six daughters. He married, August 3, 1750, 
in Deer Park, Annatje (Hannah), daughter 
of Thomas and Janneke (Van Inwegen) 
Decker, born about 1730, at Machackemech. 
She joined the church there October 11, 1750. 
Children: Antje, died young; Thomas, died 
young; Antje. born January 14, 1753; Jan- 
neke, April 28, 1754; Margrieta. February 13, 
1756; Levi, mentioned below; Alida, August 
10. T750: Hcndricus, June 14, 1761 ; Blandina, 
Septenjber 4, 1763; Maria, November 11, 
1765: Thomas, October 16, 1768; Anthony, 
October 29. 1770. 

(V) Levi, second son of Anthony and An- 
natje (Decker) Van Etten. was born Febru- 
ary 12. I7S8, in Deer Park, where he was a 
farmer. He married, November 27, 1777, 
Fannetic Westbrook. 

(\'n Levi (2). son of Levi (i) and Fan- 
net je (Westhrook") Van Etten. was born Au- 
Fust 30, 1700, in Deer Park, and spent his 
life engaged in farming in that town. He was 
a member of the Dutch Reformed church, and 



politically a Democrat. He married Eleanor 
Carpenter, of Carpenter's Point, in the town 
of Ueer Park, and they had children : Ben- 
jamin ; John, sheriff of Orange county; Al- 
vah ; Levi, who resided on the homestead ; 
Dr. Solomon, mentioned below ; Margaret, 
married Simon Westfall; Ellen, wife of 
Charles Bodle, of Port Jervis; Ann Elizabeth, 
married Campbell. 

( VH ) Dr. Solomon Van Etten, fifth son of 
Levi (2) and Eleanor (Carpenter) Van Et- 
ten, was born July 30, 1829, in Deer Park, 
died in 1894, in Port Jervis. He studied 
medicine and engaged in practice at Port Jer- 
vis, where he was twenty-five years surgeon 
of the Erie Railroad Company. During the 
civil war he was surgeon of the Fifty-sixth 
Regiment of New York Volunteers and held 
the brevet rank of lieutenant-colonel. For 
several years he was commander of Carroll 
Post, No. 279, Grand Army of the Republic, 
of Port Jervis, was surgeon of the New York 
state department of the Grand .Vrmy of the 
Republic, and was connected with various lo- 
cal organizations. Dr. Van Etten was active 
in the various interests of Port Jervis, and a 
director of the First National Bank of that 
city. He married, September 7, 1865. Maria 
Bristol, born June 9, 1836, in Waverly, New 
York, daughter of Nathan and Maria (Davis) 
Bristol. Children : Nathan Bristol, men- 
tioned below; Eleanor Bristol, born Septem- 
ber 17. 1872. in Port Jervis. now the wife of 
Archibald M. Woodruff, of Newark, New 
Jersey. 

(VIH) Dr. Nathan Bristol \'an Etten. 
only son of Dr. Solomon and Maria (Bristol) 
Van Etten, was born June 22, 1866, in Port 
Jervis. He attended the public schools of that 
city including the high school. After leaving 
the high school he traveled and studied in 
Europe in 1884 and 1885. Returning to New 
York he entered Cornell LTniversity. after 
which he entered Bellevue Medical College, 
from which he received his diploma in 1890. 
For one year he was associated with his father 
in practice at Port Jervis, and in 1891 estab- 
lished himself in the Bronx Borough of 
Greater New York, where for over twenty- 
one years he has remained at the same loca- 
tion, and has built up a large and successful 
practice, being poc>ular in the profession as 
well as socially. He is president of the Bronx 
Borough Medical Society, chairman for the 



SOUTHERN NEW YORl^ 



261 



Bronx of the Greater New York Medical As- 
sociation, member of the American Medical 
Association, and New York State and County 
Medical associations. He is attending physi- 
cian of Union Hospital, is a director of the 
Cosmopolitan Bank and junior vice-command- 
er of Lafayette Camp, Sons of Veterans, and 
a member of the Holland Society of New 
York. With his family he is affiliated with 
Fordham Manor Dutch Reformed Church, 
founded in 1696. While not an active poli- 
tician he supports the principles of the Re- 
publican party. 

He married, May 17, 1893, in Port Jervis, 
Josephine Swinton, born there February 18, 
1867, daughter of John and Harriet (Ro- 
maine) Swinton. Mr. Swinton is head of the 
hardware firm of Swinton & Company, in 
Port Jervis, and has one daughter besides Mrs. 
Van Etten, namely, Katherine, wife of H. R. 
Forbes, and mother of Elizabeth and Harriet 
Forbes, born 1894 and 1898 respectively. 
Children of Dr. and Mrs. Van Etten : Elean- 
or Swinton, born November 21, 1895; Kather- 
ine, June 27, 1897; John, January 13, 1906. 
The daughters are students at the Morris 
high school, and the son of the public gram- 
mar school. 



fVI) Amos, third son of 
VAN ETTEN Cornelius (q.v.), and 

Anna (Smith) Van Etten, 
was born in 1808, died in Port Jervis, New 
York, October 15, 1889. He received his edu- 
cation in the country schools, and early en- 
gaged in the mercantile business at Milford, 
Pennsylvania, which was his occupation 
throughout his active life. He married, De- 
cember 13, 1841, Lvdia Cornelia Thrall, born 
Tune iq, 1818, in Milford, Pennsylvania, died 
December 11, 1808, in Port Jervis, New York, 
daughter of Samuel S. and Cynthia (New- 
man) Thrall. She became a member of the 
Dutch Reformed church at Port Jervis in 
i86t. She was a descendant of one of the 
oldest families of the Delaware valley of New 
England descent fsee Thrall VH). Children: 
Edrar. mentioned below : John Thrall, born 
1846: Samuel Southmead, 1848; Anna, 1830, 
died twenty years old ; Amos, mentioned be- 
low ; Emma Lawrence, 1854. wife of C. F. 
Van Inwegen, of Port Jervis, New York, at 
whose home the mother passed her last days. 
(VH) Edgar, eldest child of Amos and 



Lydia C. (Thrall) Van Etten, was born April 
15, 1843, in Milford. He was educated in the 
country school at Hainesville, New Jersey, 
and Stillwater Academy, same state, from 
which he graduated in 1858. At the age of 
sixteen years he went to Mount Vernon, In- 
diana, where he was employed two years as 
a clerk in a general store. Returning to 
Hainesville, he enlisted in 1861 as a private in 
Company B, Second New Jersey Volunteers, 
and was mustered out in August, 1864, with 
the rank of captain. He participated in all 
the battles of the Army of the Potomac for 
the three years he was in the service. In 
1865 he was employed as a brakeman on the 
Erie railroad, remaining until he became 
superintendent of the Delaware division, and 
was later transferred to the Buffalo division. 
He then became superintendent of the Lehigh 
Valley railroad at Buffalo ; later became gen- 
eral superintendent of the New York Central; 
subsequently became vice-president of that 
railroad, and had charge of the Boston & 
Albany for that company for ten years ; in 
1909 he resigned and is now president of the 
G. \\'ashington Coffee Refining Company of 
New York City. He served as a director of 
the First National Bank of Albany, of the 
Empire and Carnegie Trust companies of New 
York, and the Beacon Trust Company of Bos- 
ton, from all of which he has resigned. He 
has never taken an active part in politics. He 
is a member of the Knights of Pythias, the 
Roval Arcanum and other fraternal bodies, of 
the Holland Society of New York, and Sons 
of the American Revolution. Mr. Van Etten 
is a member of the Lotus and Railroad clubs 
of New York, the .A.lgonquin Club of Boston, 
California Club of Los Angeles and the East- 
ern Yacht Club. 

Pie married f first) at Port Jervis, New 
York, in 1865, Emma Lawrence, born April 
27. 1845. in Bridgeton, New Jersev, died Octo- 
ber. 1894, daughter of Charles M. Lawrence, 
a physician of Port Tervis, New York, and 
his wife Margaret (Holmes) Lawrence. He 
married (second) at Millersburg. Ohio, T—- ; 
,30, 1897, Frances Cramblett, born i85.S, 
daughter of Rev. Ezra Cramblett. a clergy- 
man of Mi'lcrsburo', and his wife. Mary (Quil- 
len) Cramb'ett. Children of first wife: Nellie, 
born 1868. in Port Tarvis, New York, now the 
wife of Charles Ri^lev, residing in Pasadena, 
California; Edna, 1880, at Port Jervis. mar- 



262 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



ried diaries T. Slauson, and resides in Tulane, 
California. Botli were educated in seminaries 
at London, Canada, and Litchfield, Connec- 
ticut. 



The spelling of this name was 

THRALL much varied in the early days, 
the records giving it as Thrale, 
Thrall, Trail and Thrall. The family was 
identified with the early settlement of Wind- 
sor, Connecticut, where it still has many prom- 
inent descendants and has spread from there 
through various regions of the United States. 

(I) William Thrall was born in England in 
1605, and in 1630 became a member of the 
Congregational church, which was formed in 
Plymouth, England, under the ministry of 
Rev. John Wareham. On March 20, of that 
year, a company set out from Plymouth in the 
"Mary and John" and were put ashore at 
Nantasket Point, Massachusetts. May 30 Mr. 
Wareham and the larger part of his congre- 
gation settled at Windsor, Connecticut, in 
1635, and W'illiam Thrall was probably among 
these. lie took an active part in the Pequot 
war, and in 1646 purchased land in Windsor. 
where he settled with his family. As this 
location was distant from any neighbors and 
exposed to attacks from the Indians, he was 
exempted from the duties of "watch and 
ward," to which all able-bodied men of the 
settlement were liable. This location has ever 
since been occupied by his descendants, who 
have maintained the reputation of the family 
for thrift, industry, public spirit and all that 
constitutes good citizenship. He contributed 
two shillings and six pence to the Connecti- 
cut Relief Fund for the benefit of the poor 
in otiicr colonies. His wife, "Old Goode (y) 
Thrall," died July 30, 1676. They had sons. 
Timothy and David. 

CII") Timothy, son of \\'illiam Thrall, was 
born Julv 25, 1641, in Windsor, where he 
lived. He contributed one shilling and six 
pence to the relief fund for the poor of other 
colonies. He married, November 10, 1659. 
Deborah, datifhter of Thomas Cunn. of 
Windsor, baptized February 27. 1641. died 
January 7, 1604. Children; Deborah, Timo- 
thy, Mehitable. Elizabeth, John (died young), 
John, Martlia. Thomas (died voung), Thomas, 
Samuel and Abigail (twin';). 

dll) Sergeant John Thrall, third son of 
Timothy and Deborah fCiunn) Thrall, was 



born June 5, 1671, in Windsor, where he died 
April 19, 1732. His military title arose from 
services in the militia. There was very little 
fighting in the colonies during his time He 
married. January 6, 1697, Mindwell Moses, 
born December 13. 1676, in Windsor, daugh- 
ter of John and Mary (Brown) Moses. Chil- 
dren: John, Moses, Aaron, Amy, Joseph, 
Daniel. Joel, Charles, Jerusha. 

(IV~) Moses, second son of Sergeant John 
and Mindwell (Moses) Thrall, was born 
.April 20, 1702, in Windsor, where he lived 
until about 1733, when he settled in North Bol- 
ton, Connecticut, and died there August 24. 
1770. He married, February 4, 1730, in \\'ind- 
sor, Elizabeth Filer, and their first child, Eliz- 
abeth, was born there November 29, 1731. 
Children recorded in Bolton: xAnn, born March 
27, 1733: Sarah, May 24. T734: Moses, men- 
tioned below: William, May 19. 1739; James, 
died five months old: James, September iS. 
1746: Lemuel, mentioned below. 

(V) Moses (2), eldest son of Moses (i) 
and Elizabeth (Filer) Thrall, was born .\n- 
gust TO. 1735. in Bolton, where he lived until 
about 1769-70, when he removed to Elling- 
ton. Connecticut, and died there January i ^. 
1806. He married in Bolton. May 2. ir^v 
Lucy Hills, of Windsor, who survived him 
more than nineteen years, dying February 27. 
1826, in Ellineton. Their first two children 
were born in Bolton, namely: Betty, July 30 
1766: William. Anril 8. 1768 The roster of 
the first church of Ellington shows that Mrs. 
Moses Thrall was a member in 1799. and 
among those admitted to the church some time 
subseouent to that date was Mrs. Oliver 
Thrall. 

(VI) Oliver, son of Moses (2) and T.ncv 
(Hillsl Thrall, was born in 1770, in Elling- 
ton, where he resided and died .Aue'i^t ti;, 
1834. His wife Dolly was born November 12, 
1776, died July 0, 1841. Their children were: 
Miranda, born Au?rii'=t ■zt.. 1796 married Will- 
iam Thompson of Salisbury: Dolly, October 
T7, 1708, married Edmund Avery of Salis- 
bury: Nelson. December 25, 1800: Clark, men- 
tioned below. 

(Vin Clark, youngest child of Oliver and 
Dolly Thrall, was born October •^o. t8o-?. in 
Ellineton. died Au.gust 6, 1874. in Salisbnry 
Center. New York. He married Esther Bnr- 
rett. born May 2;, 1800. died June 28. t878. 
in Sali'^burv Center. New York. Children: 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



263 



Nelson, mentioned below ; Elizabeth, born No- 
vember 3, 1832, married Leroy West of Salis- 
bury Center, New York ; Amelia, November 
30, 1834, married Homer Smith, of Salisbury 
Center, New York. 

(\'ni) Nelson, only son of Clark and 
Esther ( Barrett) Thrall, was born November 
27, 1830, died January 15, 1862, in Salisbury 
Center, Herkimer county, New York. He 
married, in Salisbury Center, January 6, 1852, 
Mary Jane, born May i, 1834, daughter of 
John Smith. Children : Marion Leroy, died 
in his eighth year ; Nelson Clark, mentioned 
below. 

(IX) _Nelson Clark, only surviving son of 
Nelson and Mary Jane (Smith) Thrall, was 
born May 20, 1856, in Salisbury Center, New 
York. He attended the public schools at 
Brocketts Bridge (now Dolgeville), Herkimer 
■county. New York, until he was seventeen 
years old. He then became private secretary 
to William H. Churchman in Indianapolis, 
Indiana, and remained with him two years, 
after which he was private secretary to H. L. 
Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, one year. 
In 1870 he became private secretary to the 
general superintendent of the Erie Railroad 
Company, in which position he continued two 
years. He then became private secretary to 
the engineer-in-chief of the Northern Pacific 
T?.ailroad Company in St. Paul. Minnesota, 
which position he filled three years. Following 
this he became chief clerk in the office of the 
general manager of the same road, and fol- 
lov^'ing this served five years as assistant to 
the president. He then became right-of-way 
agent for the road during the receivership. 
and was afterwards assistant manager of the 
Northern Pacific Express Company in Chi- 
cago. In 1896 he became private secretary to 
George Crocker in New York Citv. continuing 
in this position until the death of Mr. Crocker, 
in iqoo, when he became one of the executors 
of the latter's estate. In icx>i Mr. Thrall set- 
tled at Larchmont, Westchester county. New 
York. He is a member of the New York 
Yacht Club. Larchmont Yacht Club. Minne- 
sota Society of New York and Northwestern 
Society of New York. 

He married. November 5, 1878, in Philadel- 
phia. Pennsvlvania, Margaret Stewart, born 
April 10, 1850. in that city, daughter of Smyth 
and Mary (Canning) Stewart, who vi-ere the 
parents of William. Margaret, Rebecca and 



Ella Stewart. Children of Nelson C. Thrall 
and wife: Nelson Peyton, born August 13, 
1879, died April 3, 1880; Jemima, born June 
II, 1881, wife of Frank De Klyn Iluyler, of 
New York ; Helena Montana, born March 27, 
1883, died October 2, 1886; Nelson born June 
27, 1886, died March 9, 1887. 

(V) Lemuel, youngest child of Moses (I) 
and Elizabeth (Filer) Thrall, was born Feb- 
ruary 5, 1749, in North Bolton, died January 
31, 183 1, in Milford, Pennsylvania. Pie mar- 
ried (first) Lydia King and (second) about 
1784. Lydia Skinner, who died April 13, 1813. 
The children of second marriage were: Filer, 
born August 12, 1785; Amy, May 31, 1791 ; 
Samuel Southmayd, mentioned below. 

(VD Samuel Southmayd, youngest child of 
Lemuel and Lydia (Skinner) Thrall, was born 
November 27. 1793. died at Milford, Pennsyl- 
vania, February 12. 1862. He resided for 
many years on the bluff at Milford, and subse- 
quently on what is known as the Thrall farm, 
one mile below the village of Milford. He 
married, June 11, 1817, Cynthia, daughter of 
Thomas and Cornelia (Randle) Newman. 
Children : Lydia Cornelia, mentioned below ; 
Sally Ann, born August 13, 1820. married 
Rev. William Burroughs ; Dorleska Elizabeth, 
December 24, 1826, became the wife of Egbert 
Jansen, lived at Vineland. New Jersey, and 
died in Philadelphia'. Pennsylvania ; John, 
October 4, 1828: Charles Filer, January 23, 
1832. married Caroline Warner: Frances, 
September 21, i8^7. married Alexander Hen- 
derson, lived in Philadelphia and died there; 
Ralph B.. January 9. 1840; Samuel South- 
mayd. February 11, 1841. 

(yjl) Lydia Cornelia, eldest child of Sam- 
uel Southmayd and Cynthia (Newman) 
Thrall, was born June 15, 1818, in Milford. 
She married, December 15. 1841, Amos Van 
Etten. of that town, whom sjie survived, and 
died December 11. 1898 (see Van Etten VI). 



This name appears to have an 
BARCLAY origin like that of Berkeley. 

and indeed to be the same 
name with a different orthography. We find a 
Theobold de Berkeley, probably a scion or off- 
shoot of the Anelo-Norman family, settled in 
Scotland, as early as the time of David I. 
Fourth in descent from him was Alexander de 
Berkeley, who married the heiress of Math- 
ers, and wrote himself de Berkeley of 



264 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Mathers. His great-grandson, Alexander, ap- 
pears to have been the first to use the orthog- 
raphy of Barclay in the fifteenth century. The 
Berkeleys or Barclays are descended, it is said, 
from Thomas de Berkeley of Berkeley Castle, 
county Gloucester, England, who lived in the 
time of Edward 1., and was the fifth in lineal 
succession from Hardinge, a Dane of royal 
blood, and one of the companions of the Nor- 
man, William, who conquered the Saxons of 
England in the eleventh century. Hence the 
name and title of Fitz-Hardinge in connection 
with the family. Such is the statement made 
on the authority of the Peerages, "though it is 
well ascertained,'' says a correspondent of the 
(lentleman's Magazine, June, 1846, that the 
founders of the house, "Harding of Bristol 
and his son, Robert Fitz-Harding, were only 
burghers of that city." Members of the fam- 
ily settled in Scotland and there united with 
the old (laelic families, emigrated in time to 
county Antrim and other parts of Ireland at 
an early date. Others came to America, set- 
tling in New Jersey and New York. In the 
Friends' records at Rahway, New Jersey, it 
is stated that in 1683, after east New Jersey 
had come under the control of the proprietors, 
Robert Barclay, the author of "An Apology 
for Quakers," was appointed governor, and 
through his influence many of his friends and 
relatives migrated from Scotland to New Jer- 
sey and settled at Amboy. Among these were 
John Reid, George Keith and John Barclay, 
the governor's brother. One branch of the 
family, which descends from David Bar- 
clay, of Ury, Scotland, and his wife, Cath- 
arine, daughter of Sir Robert Gordon, trace 
their ancestry through John Barclay, son of 
David. The Barclay arms of this family are: 
A dove with an olive branch. Motto : "Arms 
give wav to peace." 

(I) Dr. Alexander Barclay, first ancestor 
in America of the Barclay family here dealt 
with, was born in Scotland, died in Newburgh, 
Orange county. New York. He was a phy- 
sician, and attended a medical college in Scot- 
lanri. eoing through the full course. He mar- 
ried in Scotland. Mary J. Frascr Watt, and 
they came to America in iR,^;. settling in 
Newbureh. where he practiced his profession. 
(U) Peter M.. son of Dr. Alexander and 
Mary J. Fraser (Watt") Barclay, was born in 
Aberdeen. Scotland, April 20. 18,^4, died at 
Newburgh, Orange county. New York, Feb- 



ruary 10, 1 901. Of the physicians and sur- 
geons of Orange county, who built up an ex- 
tensive practice, Dr. Barclay was one 01 the 
chief. In Newburgh he received his prelim- 
inary education, graduating from the Academy 
in 1848. In 1850 he began the study of med- 
icine under his father, and graduated from 
the University of New York in 1854. Gover- 
nor Fenton on July 9, 1866, appointed ium 
surgeon to the Nineteenth Infantry of New 
York with the rank of captain. Dr. Barclay 
was a non-resident member of the Medico- 
Legal Society of New York and was promi- 
nently identified with the Masonic fraternity, 
including the Knights Templar. Of Dr. Bar- 
clay's skill in his profession much has been 
said. His talents were known and appreciated 
for nearly half a century in Newburgh and 
the adjoining portions of the state. He was 
recognized as a leading citizen, performing in 
a plain and courteous manner the various 
social and professional duties that devolved 
on him. His death was generally mourned 
among a large circle of friends. He married, 
June 19, 1872, Harriet E., daughter of Captain 
C. B. and Annie Marie (Coleman) Arm- 
strong. They had one daughter, Maude, who 
married Senator John B. Rose, a leading brick 
manufacturer and representative citizen of 
Newburgh. Children of Captain and Mrs. 
.'\rmstrong: Harriet E.. Anna H., married 
Robert Rogers, and William H. H. 

This name is of German origin, 
LVDIG and was brought to this country 
about the middle of the eighteenth 
century. Since that time it has been con- 
spicuously identified with commercial mat- 
ters in New York City, where a representative 
of the present generation is actively engaged 
today. 

(I) The founder of the American family 
of this name was Philip Eydig, who was born 
at Schwab Hall, in Germany. 1723. He came 
to .\merica about 1750, settling first in Phil- 
adelphia, where he engaged in business as a 
erain merchant. In 1735 he removed to New 
York, and his residence was at the southeast 
corner of Ferry and Gold streets. The house 
was standing until recent times, an interesting 
relic of the past. A narrator of the events 
of the past describes Mrs. Lydig as "a fair- 
faced, healthy, handsome old lady, with her 
plain cap, scrupulously neat dress, and of dis- 




y^£'^ 



^a!<^c^' 



rw^'*;>^ 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



26= 



tinguished manner, sitting in the summer 
afternoon on the old Dutch stoop in front of 
her house."' Her husband was one of the lead- 
ing members of the Lutheran church, which 
stood in "Skinners street" (now a part of 
Cliff street). This edifice became too small 
for the increasing membership, and in 1766 
Mr. Lydig, with Jacob Grimm, purchased lots 
on the corner of Frankfort and William 
streets, and here was erected that quaint edi- 
fice known as the "Swamp Church," views of 
which are given in most histories of the city. 
During the revolution this church was at- 
tended by the Hessian soldiers, and their lib- 
eral contributions were of the greatest assist- 
ance in maintaining its service. Some of the 
officers of the Hessians who died in the city 
were buried in the graveyard attached to the 
church, and in later years their remains were 
discovered as they were laid to rest, "in all 
the panoply of war." When the church was 
built it is said that Mr. Lydig, its principal 
founder, went to Germany and was success- 
ful in obtaining pecuniary assistance for the 
])urpose. Mr. Lydig continued his business 
during the war as a flour merchant, and accu- 
mulated a substantia! fortune. He died be- 
fore the close of the revolution, and was 
buried in the church which he founded. He 
married Margaret Egbert, a widow, daughter 
of Peter Grimm, a German merchant, who also 
came from Swabia. Mrs. Lydig survived her 
husband many years. Two children : David, 
of whom further: and Sabina, born 1765. 
David Grimm, brother of Mrs. Lydig, was a 
man to whose knowledge of early New York 
every historian and antiquarian is most deeply 
indebted. 

(H) David, son of Philip Lydig, was born 
1763. He was in later years one of the most 
prominent and prosperous citizens of New 
York. He was very truth fullv described as "a 
man of good education, carefully brought up, 
handsome in person, of good sense and judg- 
ment, refined and courteous in manner." He 
was a leading member of The Club, which 
consisted of about thirty prominent citizens, 
which met at the houses of the members in 
succession. Among the portions of his ex- 
tended estate were mills situated at Butter- 
milk Falls. This pronertv he sold at the time 
of the completion of the Erie canal, as he fore- 
saw the competition of the western part of 
the state, and by this he saved a large amount. 



In New York he was a director of the Mer- 
chants' Bank, which was incorporated m 1805. 
At various times he became the owner of many 
pieces of real estate. At the beginning of his 
career as a merchant he resided at No. 21 
Peck Slip, living over his store, as was the 
custom of those days. From thence he re- 
moved to No. 55 Beekman street. In the days 
of his well-merited prosperity his home was 
at No. 225 Broadway, being the second house 
from Barclay street. This house and lot he 
purchased from Jonathan Fisk in 1818. The 
price was twenty-five thousand two hundred 
and fifty dollars. When John Jacob Astor 
was planning to erect the Astor Mouse, in 
1831, he purchased the house and lot of Mr. 
Lydig for thirty-two thousand five hundred 
dollars. Mr. Lydig then purchased the house 
No. 34 Leight street, which was then an aris- 
tocratic neighborhood, and here he resided for 
the remainder of his life. The newspapers of 
the time contained the following notice : "Died, 
on Tuesday morning, May the i6th. 1840, in 
the seventy-sixth year of his age, David Lydig, 
an old and respectable merchant of this city." 

We cannot better conclude this sketch than 
by giving extended extracts from the diary of 
Philip Hone, the "Gentleman Mayor" of New 
York : 

"June 18, 1839. I went out yesterday with my 
wife and daughter to dine with my old friends, the 
Lydig?. at West Farms, and had a truly delightful 
day. The heautiful grounds on Bronx river are in 
fine order, and such a profusion of roses and other 
flowers I have scarcely ever seen. We had an excel- 
lent dinner, Lydig's fine old wines, and abundance 
of delicious strawberries, with a welcome hearty as 
the one and unstinted as the other. Mr. and iMrs. 
Li-vingston, with some of their family were of the 
party. Lydig and Suydam are both in indifferent 
health, and the latter dreadfully hipped and prone 
to water drinking. But our gossiping about old 
times, and good cheer and lovelv scenerv, set the 
old gentlemen on their legs for the time being, and 
both, I am persuaded, went to bed much better than 
thev have been for a twelvemonth. So much for 
the innocent enjoyments, which this world, bad as 
we think it. affords. 

"May 16. 1840. Another link is broken in the chain 
of social relations. Another warning given of the 
passing away of my generation. My o!d and valued 
friend, David Lydig. died this morning at six o'clock. 
He has been in bad health the last two years, but 
had rallied of late, and appeared to be gaining 
strength, until his last illness. He died in the 
seventy-sixth year of his age. much older than I. but 
an intimate friend and associate for nearlv fortv 
years. He was one of a set who. although my 
seniors, were verv intimate companions about the 
time of my entrance into society, and with whom I 



266 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



continued in pleasant association until they drifted 
away one by one, and now I am about the only one 
left. How many good dinners I have eaten at poor 
Lydig's expense, and how many hours .1 liavc passed 
in his society. He was a just man, prudent and 
careful in the management of his affairs, unexcep- 
tionable in his deportment, with some old-fashioned 
aristocratic notions, an exceedingly good liver, fond 
of old wines, which, however, he drank in modera- 
tion, but less prudent in the enjoyment of the other 
pleasures of the table. He was, in short, a gentle- 
man of the old school, a race which is nearly extinct, 
so, as the old ones decayed and died off, their places 
are supplied by an undergrowth less hardy, majestic 
and graceful." 

Mr. Lydig tnarricd Catherine Me.sier, a 
member of one of the oldest Dutch families 
of New York. Their child, Philip Mesier, of 
whom further. 

(Ill) Philip Mesier, only child of David 
and Catherine (Mesier) Lydig, was born in 
1799. In 1824 he entered into partnership with 
his father under the firm name of David Lydig 
& Son. their place of business being at No. 
160 South street. For nearly a half century 
he was connected with nearly every bank and 
insurance company in the city, and he was 
recognized as one of the most prominent busi- 
ness men of his time. Among the various 
pieces of property owned by Mr. Lydig were 
the famous Lydig mills on the Bronx river. 
In 1680 the town of Westchester granted to 
William Richardson the privilege of erecting 
mills at this place. They afterwards passed 
into the hands of Everet Byvanck, and were 
known for long years as "Byvanck's Mills." 
His widow sold them to W'illiam Provoost in 
171 1." three grist mills and a saw mill." He 
sold thetn to Stephen De Lancey, and from his 
heirs they were purchased by David Lydig. 
Through the estate of Mr. Lydig the Bronx 
ran for nearly a mile, and it was one of the 
finest country residences in Westchester 
county. This tract is now the Zoological Gar- 
dens. 

Philip Mesier Lydig married Katherine, 
eldest daughter of John Suydam, a member of 
one of the oldest Knickerbocker families. They 
were the parents of seven children: T. Philip 
Mciscr. of whoin further. 2. David, marrietl 
Hannah Tomokins, and is now living in New 
York. 3. Maria, married Judge Charles P. Daly. 
4. Margaret lane, wife of Carl Otto; has three 
children: Philip, Kate, Emma, wife of Henry 
Hoyt, who is now living at Sag Harbor. Long 
Island, having inherited the estate of Hon. 



Charles P. Daly. 5. Katherine Matilda, mar- 
ried Judge John R. Brady, and has children: 
May M., wife of Albert Stevens, deceased, of 
the famous fainily of Stevens Point, New Jer- 
sey, and Katherine, married Sidney Harris, 
and has one child, Katherine C. 6. Rosalie, 
wife of John J. Staples. 7. Florence, married 
Frank K. Sturgis. ex-president of the New 
York Stock Exchange. 

(IV) Colonel Philip Mesier (2) Lydig, eld- 
est son of Philip Mesier (i) and Katherine 
(Suydam) Lydig, was born in New York 
City, in 1837. Graduating from the Columbia 
Law School in i86r, he entered upon the prac- 
tice of his profession, but the otitbreak of the 
civil war changed the tenor of his life. Among 
the first to enlist in the service of his country, 
he was commissioned captain and aide-de- 
camp, United States Volunteers, January 9, 
1862, and served on the stafT of Brigadier-Gen- 
eral J. G. Parke, commanding the Third Brig- 
ade in Bnrnside"s expedition, and was attached 
to the Third Division. Department of North 
Carolina. In this position he remained until 
July. 1862. He was then with the Third Divi- 
sion of the Ninth Army Corps of the Army of 
the Potomar to September of the same year, 
and -was with General Parke of the staff of 
General Burnside from September to Novem- 
ber. 1862. and continued under the same com- 
mander until March. 1864. On March 18. 

1864. he was commissioned maior and assist- 
ant adjutant-general. L^nited States Volun- 
teers, and served on the staff of General Burn- 
side to August, 1864. and on the staff of Gen- 
eral Parke to April. 1865. On August t. 1864. 
he was brevetted lieutenant-colonel of United 
States Volunteers "for gallant and tneritorious 
service in the battles of the Wilderness. Spott- 
sylvania and Bethesda Church, and during the 
operations before Pctcr^bursr." and for similar 
services before Fort Sedgwick. \^irginia, he 
was brevetted colonel of volunteers. April 2. 

1865. His record during the war is a long 
and honorable list of faithful and meritorious 
services, of which the following are most 
conspicuous. Burnside's expedition to Hat- 
teras Inlet and Roanoke Island. North Car- 
olina. January. 1862 ; capture of Roanoke 
Island. February 7-8 (received special men- 
tion for gallantry) : attack on Newhernc. 
March 14 (again mentioned in General Parke's 
report) ; attack on Camden. April 19; capture 
of Fort Macon. April 23 ; Maryland campaign. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



267 



September, October; battles of South Moun- 
tain, September 14; Antietam, September 16- 
17; Fredericksburg, December 11-15 (received 
special mention in report of General Burnside 
for courage and efficiency) ; Burnside's second 
movement of Ninth Army Corps to Kentucky, 
March, 1863; member of the military com- 
mission to try Clement C. Vallandigham for 
treason. May, 1863 ; siege of Vicksburg, June 
17 to July 4; siege of Jackson, July 10-17; 
East Tennessee campaign, August 22 to Octo- 
ber 17; capture of Cumberland Gap, Septem- 
ber 10; Knoxville campaign, November 4 to 
December 23. In all these important move- 
ments he was repeatedly mentioned for cour- 
age and efficiency. Rapidan, Virginia, May- 
June, 1864 ; battles of the Wilderness, May 
5-7; Spottsylvania, May 8-1 1 ; Spottsylvania 
Court House, May 12-21 ; Cold Harbor, June 
1-2; Bethesda Church, June 2-3: siege of 
Petersburg, June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865; 
Fort Stedman, March 25 ; fall of Petersburg, 
April 2 ; pursuit of Lee and his army, April 
3-9. In these he was often mentioned in 
corps reports for courage and faithful service. 
Before Petersburg at the time of the failure 
by Burnside to cause a breach by a gigantic 
mining operation, known as the crater. Colonel 
Lydig was the officer selected to ride from the 
federal lines into the crater to order back 
the troops who were being slaughtered with- 
out a chance of retaliation. On April 25, 1865. 
he resigned from the army and was honorably 
mustered out of the service. Colonel Lvdig, 
after an honorable and useful life, died in 
New York. 1868. 

Colonel Philip Mesier Lydig- married, Octo- 
ber, 1865. Pauline, daughter of Charles A. and 
Georgianna Louisa f Coster) Hecksher. Their 
onlv clu'ld was Philip Mesier. of whom fur- 
ther. 

fV) Cantain Philin Mesier (3) Lydig, son 
of Colonel Philin Mesier (2) and Pauline 
(Hecksher) Lydie. was born on the Lydi? 
estate on Bronx river, August 16, 1867. He 
entered Harvard University, p'raduating in 
1880. During the war with Snain he was 
commissioned captain bv President McKinley, 
May 17, 1897. and served as chief commis- 
sary, artillery brigade, and as chief and pur- 
chasing commissary at Honolulu. Hawaii, and 
was sent before his resignation took effect to 
France to make a report, for which he re- 
ceived the thanks of the war department. He 



resigned July i, 1899. Returning to New 
York, Mr. Lydig engaged in business as a 
banker and broker, being the senior partner 
of the firm of Lounsbery & Company, with 
offices on Broad street. New York, and in 
Montreal, Canada. He is a member of the 
New York Stock Exchange and of various 
clubs, including the Knickerbocker, Union, 
Metropolitan, Racquet and Tennis, South Side 
Sportsmen's, and the Metropolitan of Wash- 
ington. He is a member of the Society of 
Foreign Wars, Military Order of the Loyal 
Legion, Spanish-American War Society, and 
Holland Lodge. No. 8, Free and y\ccepted 
Masons, of New York. Captain Lydig mar- 
ried, 1902, Rita de Alba de Acosta, daugh- 
ter of Ricardo and Micaela Hernandez y ( de 
Alba) de Acosta. Mrs. Lydig's father was a 
well-known merchant of Havana and New 
York. 



The family name of Erskine 
ER.SKINE is also found in the forms of 
Erskin, Ayerskin, Harskin, 
Earskin and Harkin. Lower says that the 
name was derived from the barony of Erskine 
on the river Clyde in Scotland, and that it was 
first assumed by Henry of Erskine about the 
vear 1220. On the other hand, the name was 
probably applied to the barony, which is situ- 
ated in Renfrewshire, by an early Celtic clan, 
according to the Gaelic fashion, which usually 
gave places names derived-^rom their own 
patronymics or family names, in contradis- 
tinction to the custom among the later Nor- 
mans, who derived their names mostly from 
places with which they were connected. Pos- 
sibly the custom arose amonsr the Celts of 
applying to places the name thcv themselves 
bore or the name the head of the clan bore, 
from the fact that in those early times places 
had no names at all. These are easily recog- 
nized when it is recollected that the earliest 
civilization of Europe when history dawned 
"•as that of the Celts, under whom Eurone 
formed a loose Celtic empire, of which Gaelic 
was the language. The Gauls whom Caesar 
encountered in France were Gaels, and Gallia 
or Gaul or France was the land of the Gael. 
The probability is, therefore, that Erskine was 
first a Celtic clan name, then the name of a 
place, and finally became a Norman-Celtic 
patronymic. O'Hart in his "Pedigrees" de- 



268 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



scribes the Erskine arms as : Ar. a pale sable 
a mullet on a crescent for diff., and gives the 
following portion of the Erskine pedigree: 
(1) John Erskin (modernized Erskine), Earl 
of Mar. (II) Alexander, his third son. (Ill) 
Sir James (his son). Knight of the Bath at 
King James' Coronation, died in Dublin, 
March 5, 1636; married Mary, daughter and 
co-heir of Adam Erskin, of Chambuskeneth ; 
was buried in St. Michael's Church, Dublin. 
( IV) Robert Erskin. married Anne Mutray. 

(1) Christopher Erskin. or Erskine. the im- 
migrant ancestor of the Erskine family, was 
born in Ireland in the year 1701, died at 
Abingdon (Bridgewater) Massachusetts, April 
i9» '775- ^^^ spent his youth in Ireland, and 
came to this country unmarried when a young 
man in 1725. It has been supposed that his 
ancestors were kinsmen of the earls of Mar, 
whose family was also Erskine, and that they 
lived sometimes in Ireland, and sometimes in 
Scotland, according to the swaying of the for- 
tunes of the cause with whicli they were con- 
nected. There is not very much in the records, 
nor has much been carried to us by family 
tradition indicating his business or profession. 
It is very likely that he engaged in the pioneer 
work of the time, which was mainly agricul- 
tural. Po.ssibly he landed at Plymouth, and 
after visiting several places with a view to 
settlement, finally pitched his tent at Abing- 
don, married, and made his home there for the 
remainder of his life. He married, at Abing- 
don (Bridgewater), Massachusetts, Susanna, 
born in 1714, died August 19, 1789, daughter 
of Gain or Gains Robinson. Christopher was 
then twentv-eight years old. and his wife was 
then but fifteen. She lived for fourteen years 
after her husband, and slabs to the memory 
of both arc still said to be standing in the 
old burial ground at Bridgewater. Gains or 
Gain Robinson was also from Ireland, and 
landed at Plvmouth. lived at Braintree. Pem- 
broke, and finally at East Bridgewater, and 
had recommendations from churches in Ire- 
land, Braintree and Pembroke. A passage in 
the "History of Bridgewater." bv Nahum 
Mitchell, says of him : "He also had by a for- 
mer wife a son. Archibald, and a daughter, 
Susanna, who married Christopher Erskins, 
an Irishman, who settled in Abingdon.'' Chil- 
dren of Christopher and Susanna (Robinson) 
Erskin : Mary, born at Abingdon. Massachu- 
setts, in 1730; John, mentioned below; Chris- 



topher, Bridgewater, Massachusetts, 1734; 
Jeremiah, 1736. 

(II) John Erskine, son of Christopher and 
Susanna (Robinson) Erskin or Erskine, was 
born at Abingdon, Massachusetts, in 1732. He 
married, and his children were: John, men- 
tioned below; Elizabeth, born in 1755; Chris 
topher, 1758; James, born at Abingdon, 1701. 

(III) John (2), son of John (i) Erskini-, 
was born in 1752, at Abingdon or Bridge- 
water, Massachusetts, died at Richland, 
Oswego county. New York, where he was 
buried, 1843. John was in the revolutionary 
war and drew a pension from the government 
from 1831 to 1843, the year he died. He 
went to Winchester at an early age and there 
he married and settled down, remaining for a 
great many years. He was a lieutenant, and 
was selectman in 1796. Children, not in order 
of birth: Susan; Sarah, June 3, 1782: Phebe; 
John, mentioned below ; Matilda ; Deborah ; 
Walter; Zuba. 

(IV) John (3), son of John (2) Erskine. 
was born in Winchester. New Hampshire. 
November 22, 1780. He married a womin 
of the baptismal name of Phoebe, though her 
surname is unknown. Children : Walter. 
mentioned below; Gilman, born May 28. 1799; 
Rollina. December 25, 1801 ; George, Decem- 
ber 18, 1813. 

(V) Walter, son of John (3) and Phoebe 
Erskine, was born at Winchester, New Hamp- 
shire, about 1798. He received a good educa- 
tion, became a doctor by profession, but died 
when he was little over twenty-five years old. 
He married Margaret Bowen. 

(\T) Massena. son of Walter and Mar- 
garet (Bowen) Erskine, was born at Royal- 
ston, Massachusetts, December 19, 1819. died 
at Racine, Wisconsin, May 20. 1894. His 
name has often been corrupted into Messina, 
the name of a famous city in the isle of Sicily, 
but he was named after one of Napoleon's 
celebrated generals by his father, and that 
name afterwards became well known through- 
out Wisconsin, when he entered into the 
public life of that state. His was the only 
branch of the family that left Massachusetts 
after John (2). though lately members have 
settled in New York. Massena Erskine re- 
moved from Massachusetts in 185 1 to Racine, 
Wisconsin, where he engaged in business as 
one of the four orieinal partners of the T. 
I. Case Threshing Machine Company. He 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



was a very public-spirited man and was iden- 
tified with a great many movements which 
aimed at municipal progress, holding many 
positions of trust in the city of Racine, and in 
the state of Wisconsin. He was several times 
mayor of Racine. Mr. Erskine was a Repub- 
lican in politics, and in regard to religious faith 
was reared under his stepfather, who was a 
Universalist. Later he was a trustee in the 
Presbyterian church of Racine. He was a man 
of great business acumen, and possessed of 
considerable inventive ability. He had to his 
credit a great many inventions for the im- 
provement of the threshing machine. He was 
fond of travel, though he finally settled down 
in Racine. He lived first in Lexington, Mas- 
sachusetts, then in Westford, Massachusetts ; 
from 1849 to 1851 he was in California, and 
finally went to Racine. He married, at Natick, 
Middlesex county, Massachusetts, Susan, born 
at Natick, possibly at South Natick or Little 
South, Middlesex county, Massachusetts, 
August 16, 1820, died at Racine, Wisconsin, 
June 4, 1901, daughter of William and Han- 
nah (Leland) Perry. Children: i. Susan 
Eliza, born in 1843, ^'^^ in 1845. 2. Freeman 
Whitney, born January 7, 1845, died at Mem- 
phis, Tennessee ; was in the civil war. 3. 
Charles Edwin, mentioned below. 4. Emma, 
born at Natick, Massachusetts, living at 
Racine, Wisconsin ; married, at Racine, No- 
vember 14, 1876, William Howard Crosby. 5. 
Flora .Mbertine, born at Racine, Wisconsin ; 
married Herbert Edwin Miles, of Racine. 

(\^n') Charles Edwin, son of Massena and 
Susan (Perry) Erskine, was born at West- 
ford, Massachusetts, December 26, 1846, died 
at Kenosha, Wisconsin, July 10, 1908. He 
received his education in the high school at 
Racine, and later engaged in business He 
was a Presbyterian in religion, and was deacon 
of the First Presbyterian church of Racine. 
He lived for some years at Westford and 
Natick. Massachusetts. Later he lived at 
Tryon. North Carolina, in winter, and at Ra- 
cine, Wisconsin, in summer. He married, at 
Racine, Emma, daughter of Alfred and Olive 
(Child) Payne. 

(Vni) Harold Perry, son of Charles Ed- 
win and Emma (Payne) Erskine, was born 
at Racine, Wisconsin, June 5, T879. He re- 
ceived his preparatory education at Pasadena, 
California, and then at Phillips Academy, 
Andover, Massachusetts, and was graduated 



from Williams College in 1902, where he be- 
longed to the Delta Psi Society. He was two 
years at Columbia University, and was for 
three years at the Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris. 
He is an architect by profession, and started 
in partnership with Wendell P. Blagden and 
Elliott W. Plazzard. Already this firm has 
several fine buildings to the credit of its mem- 
bers. They have built the Springs Building at 
29-33 West Thirty-eighth street ; the Schneider 
Anderson Building at 16-18 West Forty-sixth 
street ; two police stations for the city, and 
the Lord and Taylor Building at Fifth avenue 
and Thirty-eighth and Thirty-ninth streets. In 
1910 and 191 1 Mr. Erskine traveled in East 
Central Africa, China and other places, shoot- 
ing big game, and has made a collection of 
antelope, lion, rhinoceros and buffalo trophies. 
He belongs to the St. Anthony Club. He is 
an independent in politics, and a Presbyterian 
in religion. 



The . surname Van 
VAN NOSTRAND Nostrand is mani- 
festly Holland-Dutch 
in origin and became widely known in the New 
Netherlands in the seventeenth century. The 
records of the Van Nostrand family are to 
be found in the archives of New York, Albany, 
Jamaica and Oyster Bay. The name had a 
number of variation;, such as Noorstrand, 
Oorstrand and the like. The family has al- 
ways been of the substantial class, and in late 
years has given to the country many men of 
great ability in commercial and professional 
life, 

(I) Jacob Jansen Van Nostrandt, first 
American ancestor of the New York family 
of that name, emigrated to this country in 
163S and settled in the colony of Rensselaer- 
wyck, where Jacob Jansen Van Nostrandt, 
May 21, i6=;2, took the oath to the patroon. 
That immediate locality was in the south east- 
ern corner of the now Saratoga county, at 
a place called "Halve Maen" or Half Moon, 
as his daughter Jannetje on the marriage rec- 
ord stated that she was born there. Jacob 
Jansen Van Nostrandt was by occupation a 
brewer. He obtained a patent for land in 
Albany in 1652 as Jacob Jansen Van Nos- 
trand^ the brewer: and had a patent for a lot 
on the east side of Beaver and South Pearl 
streets nine rods by eight and a half. This 
plot seems to have been divided into three 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



smaller parcels, numbers one, two and three. 
In 1680 Jacob Jansen Van Nostrandt con- 
veyed nurnber one to Hendrick Gerritse Van- 
der Muelen. On the same block on Beaver 
street, and at the other corner adjoining an 
alley, on lots five and six, was his brewery, 
wnich he sold in 1654 to Rutger Jacobsen, 
alias Rut Van VVoert, viz. : Jacob Jansen Van 
Noorstran's brewery and lot in Beaver street, 
except the Horse Mill and brewer's tools 
(nearly opposite the present Middle Dutch 
church j. In the year 1656 he was appointed 
inspector of beer barrels. The massacre of 
the Esopus occurred June 7, 1663, when 
Jacob Jansen Van Nostrandt, the brewer, ap- 
pears to have been present. In August and 
November of that year he was present at the 
two baptisms in Kingston as Getuigenis. In 
1676 he signed a petition of the inhabitants 
of Esopus for a ministry. The Dutch church 
was founded in Beverwyck, or now Albany, 
about 1640, and was the only one not of 
Esopus having a permanent ministry until 
1700, save that of Schenectady. He married, 
February 20, 1650, Jennetje Jacobse, daugh- 
ter of Aaron Jacobsen, widower, who married, 
August 16, 1685, Elizabeth Volvinck, widow. 
Unfortunately the records of the Albany 
church previous to 1684 are missing, or some 
particulars of the bajitism of his children 
might have been found. From the records of 
the Dutch church of Kingston and New York 
he appears to have had issue : Jan Jacobse, 

married .Agniette ; Jacob Jacobse, married 

.'\nnetje Creesvelt ; Aaron Jacobse, mentioned 
below : Jannetje Jacobse, married Jacob Hoog- 
teeling; Marie Jacobse, married A. V. 
Bremen ; Agniet Jacobse ; and possibly Peter 
Jacobsen. the miller of Esopus. 

(II) Aaron Jacobse Van Nostrand, son of 
Jacob Jansen and Janet je Jacobse (Jacobsen") 
Van Nostrandt, was born in Albany, and 
lived in the town of Hempstead. In 1693 he 
was on the assembly roll in Flatbush. In 
March, 1693, he bought two house plots from 
Gerardus Bcckman. which he sold May 27. 
1704, to Johannes Jansen. In 1678 he was 
in the census and is there described as having 
five children. April 14, 1707, he and Aeltje 
were witnesses in Jamaica at the baptism of a 
granddaughter, by name Elizabeth .Mburtis. 
In August, 1708, they were also witnesses in 
Jamaica at the christening of Jacob .\lburtis. 
Aaron J. filed, May 17, 1714, the "ear-mark" 



for his cattle. There is a record, too, dated 
June 17, 1714, of a letter written by Will Lake 
to George Clark requesting him to pay Aaron 
J. Van Nostrand for the construction of a 
well in some part of the neighborhood. From 
another record it is ascertained that Aaron 
J. was a member, September 17, 1715, of Cap- 
tain Treadwell's trained band for the vicinity 
of Hempstead. June 2, 1726, he was of Fos- 
ter's Meadow as per H. T. R. In February, 
1729, he and Geerty were witnesses at the 
baptism of Aaron, son of his son John and 
Jammatie Ryerson, and there is a record that 
he subscribed three pounds ten shillings to- 
wards the building of the church at Success. 
In 1732 his "sit place" was transferred to his 
son Abraham, and in 1762 the "vrou's'' place 
of Aaron J. was transferred to her daughters, 
Maritie and Elyzebet. His will was dated 
June 12, 1745, proved June 16, 175 1. He mar- 
ried (first), September 4, 1687, in Kingston, 
Aeltje Van Steenwick, born in Kingston, 
daughter of one Albert, died after September 
12, 1708, and (second) Geerty von Gelder, 
who survived him. Children of first wife: 
Jannetje, married James Alburtis ; Jacob, of 
Jamaica and Wolver Hollow, who did not 
marry; Albert, married (first) Echberte Hen- 
dricksen, and (second) Antje De Mott; John, 
mentioned below ; Aaron, married Sarah Am- 

merman : Moses, married Abigeil ; .\nn, 

married John Wortman ; Gertry. married Joost 
Durvea : Tlillecke, married .\braham Hen- 
dricksen ; William, married Catherine De Voe. 
Children by second wife: Alche. baptised in 
1710 in Jamaica; Abraham, baptised June 25, 
171 1, in Jamaica: Isaac, married Fransentje; 
Evert, married Phebe Skidmore : David, mar- 
ried Mary Deen ; Mary, baptized January 17, 
1720, in Jamaica ; Yornace. bai^tizcd November 
28, 1725". 

(Ill) John, son of Aaron J. and .A^eltie 
(Van .Steenwick) Von Nostrand. was born in 
Flatbush, April 23, 1702. He lived for a num- 
ber of years at Hempstead, where he was by 
trade a turner. He wrfs mentioned third in 
his father's will. In his own will, dated Octo- 
ber 14, 1749, and proved May 10. 1753. he 
gives to his eldest son, Aaron, the great Bible 
and to Cornelius his gim. His wife, his 
father-in-law. Cornelius Ryerson. and his son, 
Aaron, were the executors. On November 17, 
T720, he is recorded as filing the "ear-mark" 
for his cattle. On April 14, 1731, he sub- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



271 



scribed two pounds five shillings towards the 
cost of buildnig the church at Success. There 
is a record of liis buying a parcel of land at 
Foster's Meadow on May i, 1744. He was 
a devout man and was regular in attending the 
services in his church. He was well looked up 
to in the community, and his services as a 
turner were much in request. In addition to 
his ordinary occupation he engaged in farming 
and was the owner of considerable land and 
cattle. Children: Aaron, married (first) 
Susannah Cornell, and (second) Elizabeth 
Ryder (nee Brinckerhoft) ; Cornelius, married 
(first) a girl whose first name was Jemime, but 
whose surname remains unknown, (second) 
Catharine Dorlant, (third) Millicent Betts ; 
Alche, married John Beedel; Sarah, married 
a man of the name of Flowers ; Abraham, re- 
mained unmarried ; Martin, mentioned below ; 
Jannetje, married Whitehead Skidmore; An- 
tic, married \Vill Watts; John, married (first) 
Helena (Eleanor) Lefferts, (second) Sarah 
Bishop; George, married Milletje Durland. 

(IV) Martin, son of John and Lemetie or 
Lameche (Ryerson) Van Nostrand, was born 
February 19, 1738, died August 13, 1816, aged 
seventy-eight, at the house of his son, Abra- 
ham. He was a shoemaker by trade, though 
he seems to have engaged in a number of 
other occupations. He enlisted in a company 
of Provincials, April 12, 1758, and in the ac- 
count given is described as being five feet 
eight inches in height, of a fair complexion, 
born in Queens county, his age at the time 
being twenty years and his occupation that of 
a shoemaker. On October 16, 1776, he signed 
the petition to General Howe for the restora- 
tion to royal favor. On May 30, 1778, Jacob 
and Martin Von Nostrand, sergeants under 
Captain Timothy Cornell, demanded from 
Silas Hicks eight shillings for his not going 
to help building the fort at Brooklyn, and took 
a pair of andirons worth fourteen shillings. 
Later he was one of the vestrymen present at 
the induction of Thomas L. Moore, St. 
George's, Hempstead, and he. is also recorded 
as being one of the officials of the same church 
in 1780 and the years following up to 1789. He 
married, July 31, 1764, Sarah Losee, born 
August 17 or 20, 1749, died March 8. 1833, 
aged eight-three years six months and nine- 
teen days. There are monuments of the fam- 
ily in Greenwood cemetery and on the monu- 
ment of Sarah (Losee) Van Nostrand the 



name of the family is written "Noorstrant." 
Children: Antie, married John Rider; Jan, 
born December 10, 1767, baptized March 13I 
176S, in Success, died young; Phebe, married 

Smieon Pettit; Losee, married Betsy' ; 

Aaron, married Sarah Van Nostrand; John,' 
married Abigail Horton; Martha, married 
-\ert Middagli; Mary, born April 15, 1787, 
married Gershom Fredericks; James, men- 
tioned below; Abraham, married (first) Amy 
Smith, (second) a woman whose first name 
was Clara, and (third) Sarah MacManus (nee 
Weeks). 

(V) James, son of Martin and Sarah 
(Losee) Van Nostrand, was born September 
15. 1794, died March 18, i86i. He was a 
wholesale grocer in New York and was also 
president of the Merchants' Exchange Bank. 
He was successful in business, gaining a com- 
petency when he was already quite young in 
commercial life. His will, dated April 3, 1855, 
and proved April 22, 1861, mentioned all his 
children. He married (first) February i, 
1825, Sarah Uranid Greenwood, daughter of 
Isaac, died October 31, 1826, aged twenty-one 
years three months and five days; (second) 
Ann Matilda Carpenter; (third) Martha Jane 
Seymour, who survived him. Child by first 
marriage : Sarah Uranid, died June 10, 1827 ; 
child by second marriage : James Henry, men- 
tioned below ; children by third marriage : 
Seymour, who was United States consul in 
Saxony for many years and died at Elizabeth, 
New Jersey, aged fifty-nine years, unmarried; 
Lily or Elizabeth, unmarried ; Marshall R. 

(VI) James Henry, son of James and Ann 
Matilda (Carpenter) Van Nostrand, was tiorn 
about 1830. He married Jane C. MacManus, 
daughter of Captain John and Sarah (Weeks) 
MacManus, who were married in Brooklyn, 
January 17. 1824. Children: Nellie; Charles 
B., mentioned below. 

(VII) Charles B., son of James Henry and 
Jane C. (MacManus) Van Nostrand. was 
born in New York county, New York, March. 
1863. He was educated at the Polytechnic 
Institute. He married, at Bangor. Maine. 
1892, Robina Howell. He is president and 
director of the Van Nostrand Company and 
vice-president of the United Mines Company; 
treasurer of the New York & Richmond Gas 
Company and treasurer and director of the 
Journal nf Commerce. He is a member of 
the St. Nicholas Society, Holland Society and 



272 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



the Racquet and Tennis, Riding, City, Midday, 
Downtown, Tuxedo and Hamilton clubs. 

(\T) Matthew Barnes, son of 
BARNES Isaac (3) Barnes (q. v.), was 
born in Cooperstown, New 
York, in 1800, died in Cornwall, New York, 
in May, i860. He received his early educa- 
tion in the public schools of his native town, 
and at the age of eighteen years engaged with 
an elder brother in road building, continuing 
until his marriage, when he settled on a farm 
in Cornwall township, which he cultivated 
until his death. He married, in 1822, Mary, 
daughter of Benjamin V^an Duser, of Corn- 
wall, born in 1800, died in 1886. Children: 
Mary E., married Joel Pinckney; Isaac, mar- 
ried Sarah J. Rumsey ; Van Duscr, married 
Ruth Martin ; William, married Hannah Bel- 
cher ; Sarah, married Joshua Fritts; Hiram, 
died in 1875, married Mary A. Fowler; Sam, 
uel, died young; Nathaniel, married Anna 
Wright ; Phoebe, married Andrew J. Thorn ; 
Ann. married Samuel Quackenbush ; James 
H., married Anna Taylor; J. Milton, referred 
to below. 

(VH) J. Milton, son of Matthew and Mary 
(Van Duser) Barnes, was born on the old 
family homestead in Cornwall township, 
Orange county. New York, October 9, 1844, 
and is now living in Central Valley, New 
York. He received his early education in the 
public school at Mountainvillc, New York, 
and then learned the trade of a carpenter, in 
which lie engaged until 1876, when he settled 
in Central Valley, and formed a partnership 
with A. H. Cooper in the general merchandise 
business, which continued until 1S84, when 
Mr. Cooper flisposed of his interest to Henry 
C. Thorn, and the firm continued until t8S6. 
In that year Mr. Thorn sold out to Ambrose 
Dom and the firm continued for three years 
until i88(). when Mr. Barnes purchased the 
interest of his partner and became sole pro- 
prietor of the business, which he conducted 
until 1897, when he disposed of it and estab- 
lished a feed, coal and agricultural implement 
business, which he conducted imtil October i, 
191 1, when he admitted to partnership his 
nephew, Morgan S. Elmer, and the firm be- 
came J. M. Barnes & Company, which it still 
continues. He was appointed postmaster of 
Central Valley in 1885 and again in 1802, and 
was the commissioner of highways in 1893-94- 



95. He is now one of the trustees of Central 
Valley Methodist Episcopal church. He is 
treasurer of the Central Valley Land and Im- 
provement Company, and has been for tifteen 
years treasurer of the Union Building and 
Loan Association of the town of Woodbury, 
New York. He is vice-president of the Cen- 
tral Valley National Bank. He is a Democrat 
in politics. He married, November 6, 1884, 
Hannah M., daughter of Hon. Morgan Shuit, 
of Central Valley, New- York. Her father 
was for over thirty years supervisor of Alun- 
roe township, and he also served one term as 
member of assembly. Mr. Barnes has no 
children. 



This surname is usually given as 
GRIGGS Scotch in origin, but the bearers 

of the name in Washingtonville, 
Orange county. New York, are stated to have 
come from Germany or Holland. Concerning 
the name, August Frederick Pott has this to 
say: "Familiennamen Greger. Graeger, Krag- 
ermann, vielleicht aus Gregorius. woraus auch 
Engl. Gregorson. Gregson, Grigg, Griggs und 
Grocock," W'hich being interpreted is to the ef- 
fect that the German family names Gregor, 
Graeger and Kragermann, as well as the Eng- 
lish names Gregorson, Gregson, Grigg, Griggs 
and Grocock, are derived from the Latin per- 
sonal name Gregorius. which was in its turn 
derived from the Greek Grcgorios. Pott, who 
is the great German authority on surnames, is 
mistaken in so far as he believes that Griggs 
and its allied names in the United Kingdom 
are English in origin. They are really an Eng- 
lish rendering of ancient Scotch or Gaelic 
names. The well-known personal name of 
Gregorius has not only become itself a sur- 
name, but has given rise to various others, 
especially Gregorson. Gregg, Gregson, Griggs, 
Grisfson, Greig, Grix and possibly Grocock. 
These forms are mostlv Scotch, and Grier and 
Grierson, not to mention Mac Gregor. are 
cntirelv so. The familv of Gregorv of War- 
wickshire, England, is traced to John Greg- 
ory, lord of the manor of Freneley and 
Asfordbv. county Leicester, England, in the 
thirteenth centurv. Greeg of Northcliffe Hall, 
county Chester. England, is reearded as being 
descended from the Clan Mac Grcsror of Scot- 
land. Kings James VI. and Charles I. issued 
edicts against the Clan Gregor. denouncing the 
whole clan or sept, and forbidding the use of 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



273 



the name. In consequence many of the race 
became Campbells, Gregs, Greigs and Griggs, 
the termination "son" or "s" standing for the 
Gaelic prefix "Mac'' (son). It may therefore 
be presumed that the tirst ancestor of the Ger- 
man or Dutch Griggs in this country bore 
some name like Gregers, Graegers, and that 
this name became gradually transformed to 
the more familiar Griggs. Colonial settlers of 
the name of Griggs came to New England to 
the number of about ten before the year 1700, 
and some of them have been traced bacK to 
Scotland, and some as of record in England at 
Lavenham and Ipswich, and others of them in 
Ireland. One branch of the family bore the 
arms thus heraldically described : Gules three 
ostrich feathers argent. Crest : A sword in 
pale enfiled with a leopard's face proper. 

The Griggs family of Massachusetts was 
established by Thomas Griggs, of Roxbury 
(now Boston), who came with his wife Mary 
and sons Joseph and John and daughter Mary, 
and was of record as a land owner as early 
as 1639 in the town of Roxbury. in the Mas- 
sachusetts Bay Colony. Most of the persons 
bearing the name of Griggs in America trace 
their descent to this Thomas Griggs, of Rox- 
bury. The colonial records of New Jersey 
mention among the first settlers of the name 
Benjamin. Daniel. Samuel and Thomas Griggs. 
The present Griggstown was founded by Ben- 
jamin Griggs and his brothers on the banks of 
the Millstone river, where he settled and built 
a grist mill as early as 1733. These four 
brothers established the Griggs family in New 
Jersey, and their descendants are numerous 
and widely scattered through the west. 
(I) Alexander Griggs, the immigrant an- 
cestor of the Griggs family of Washington- 
ville, Orange county. New York, was born in 
Baden-Baden. Germany, died in the village of 
Marlboro, Ulster county. New York. Soon 
after his arrival here he took up patents in 
Ulster county, where the village of Marlboro 
now stands. He was one of the first to do 
so, and soon stood high among the pioneer 
settlers of that region. He had several 
children. There is some doubt as to his bap- 
tismal name, but it is presumed to be Alex- 
ander. Little is known as to the details of his 
life, but he seems to have been a well-in- 
formed man of worthy character, and to have 
been a capable agriculturist and business man. 
He came to America probably in the year 1712, 



and the date of the patent granted to him at 
Marlboro is February 14, 1714. 

(II) Alexander (2), son of Alexander (ij 
Griggs, was probably born in Marlboro, Ulster 
county, New York, and died there, having 
lived in the same neighborhood nearly all his 
life. Even less is known regarding the events 
of his career than regarding those of his 
father, and there is doubt also as to his real 
baptismal name. He was a farmer, engaging 
also to some extent in commercial pursuits. 
He married and brought up a family of chil- 
dren. 

(HI) Ferdinand, son- of .Me.xandcr (2) 
Griggs, was born about the year 1771 on the 
paternal farm at Marlboro. Ulster county, 
New York, and died at Milton. Ulster county, 
New York. His boyhood was spent in his 
native place, and afterwards he took up his 
residence at Milton, where he followed black- 
smithing and farming, owning at Milton a 
tract of land comprising about seventy-five 
acres. He was a man of much ability, and 
was greatly respected at Milton, where the 
?i eater part of his life was passed. He proved 
himself to be a successful agriculturist, work- 
ing as far as he could in a scientific and busi- 
ness-like way, and in course of time built up a 
valuable property. In politics he was an old- 
line W'hie. and in religious belief he was a 
Presbvterian. He married Elizabeth, daugh- 
ter of a Mr. Fowler, who lived about six miles 
*"rom Milton, and who was probably descended 
from Pennsylvania Quaker ancestry. Chil- 
dren : I. Fowler G., who followed farming: in 
Cornwall. Orange county, New York. 2. Mar- 
tha, married James Halt, who operated the old 
familv homestead. 3. Daniel, who died when 
he attained his thirtieth year. 4. Harvey H. 
mentioned below. 5. Henry Crawford, men- 
tioned below. 6. Lewis. 7. Thomas. 8. 
Kat'ira Maria, married Samuel Halsey. 

(TV) Harvev H., third son of Ferdinand 
and Elizabeth (Fowler) Griggs, was born Feb- 
ri'arv 13, 1806. on the old homestead at Milton, 
New York. He became a well-known farmer 
and business man of the county. He showed 
a great eagerness for study of a practical kind, 
and he made farming his life work: he pros- 
pered as an aericulturist, accumulating a con- 
siderable propertv, owning eighty-five acres in 
Plattekill township and cip-htv acres in Marl- 
boro township. His political support was 
given to the Whig party in early life, and he 



274 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



voted for William Henry Harrison, but on 
the organization of the Republican party he 
joined its ranks and was ever afterwards one 
of its stalwart supporters. In the year 1885 
he sold his farm and removed to Poughkeepsie, 
where he spent his remaining days. In religion 
he was a Methodist, and regularly attended the 
services of that church. He married, in 1830, 
Susan Smith, who was of Holland-Dutch de- 
scent, tracing her ancestry to Peter Stuyvesant. 
Her parents were Eben and Susanna (Del- 
amater) Smith, residing at Milton, Ulster 
county, New York, where the father owned 
an extensive farm. There were several mem- 
bers of the Smith family who became prom- 
inent, including Friend W., a Methodist min- 
ister, who twice served as pastor of St. James 
church, Kingston; James M., who was a well- 
known physician; Jane L., who married Peter 
Du Bois, a carpenter of New York. To Har- 
vey H. Griggs and his wife were born eight 
children, most of whom grew to manhood and 
womanhood and had families. 

( I\' ) Henry Crawford, fourth son of Fer- 
dinand and Elizabeth (Fowler) Griggs, was 
born at Milton, Ulster county. New York, died 
March 19, 1902, at Washingtonville, Orange 
county. New York. He was educated in the 
district schools of Milton, and learned the tan- 
ner's trade at Cornwall, Orange county. New 
York, where he resided for a period of about 
sixteen years. About the year 184 1 he ]iur- 
chascd the old Moftatt farm of one hundred 
and twelve acres, which he built up into a val- 
uable property, holding it for a period of 
twenty-five years. In 1869 he went to Wash- 
ingtonville, Orange county. New York, and 
purchased a home in the neighborhood, where 
he lived a retired life until his death. Mr. 
Ciriggs came of good stock, and showed the 
traits that had distinguished the family from 
its first settlement in this country during his 
long life, which lasted upwards of ninety years. 
He was a man of great ability and decisive 
character, but he was content to turn that abil- 
ity and the force of his character into the 
laborious work connected with an agricultural 
life. He was successful in that work, as he 
would have made a success of almost any 
work to which he might have laid his hand. 
Amid the circle of his friends and acquaint- 
ances he was respected for his manly qual- 
ities of head and heart, for his upright life, 
and for the sterling honesty of his character. 



He took considerable interest in public affairs 
even to the day of his death, and as he had in 
early life been a Whig, he joined the Repub- 
lican party on its organization, believing firmly 
in the principles on which it was formed. He 
was a Quaker in religion, and as long as he 
was able was a fairly regular attendant at the 
Quaker meeting place. He married (first), in 
1841, Catherine Sayer. She died in 1853. He 
married (second), in 1854, Eliza Har- 
court. Children by first marriage : ]Mary Eliz- 
abeth ; Martha Hait, married Charles Cooper ; 
Louis, married Mary Bodle. Child by second 
marriage : Henrietta, married Bradner Cam- 
eron. All the children are now living in Wash- 
ingtonville, New York. 



Like manv of the 
SCHOONALVKER Dutch names, this was 
not adopted as a 
surname until after its arrival in America. Its 
descendants have been conspicuously identi- 
fied with the history of New- York from a very 
early period, and are still found in the lead- 
ing occupations and social positions of the 
state. It was first founded iit Albany and 
thence spread throughout this and other 
states. 

(I) The first now known was Hendrick 
Jochemsen (Schoonmaker), who came to 
America from Holland in 1654 in the military 
service, Dutch East India Company, as lieu- 
tenant and sent to Fort Orange with his com- 
pany. He first appears on the -records at 
Albany, where he was residing as early as 

1654. On April 10, 1655, the authorities at 
Albany wrote to Governor Stuyvesant that 
Hendrick Jochemsen, with others, had ad- 
vanced money to the governor in time of need 
in the ])revious year, and requested him to 
make restitution, or forward a duly executed 
oblisjation. as he had promised to do. Hen- 
drick Jochemsen owned a lot on the east course 
■)f State street and Broadway, in Albany, 
which he sold to .\braham Staats. In April. 

1655. he bought for three florins the sign of 
Stephen Janse Conick. an innkeeper, there- 
upon he engaged in the business of keeping an 
inn. and during the same year was lieutenant 
of the Burgher Company. In April of the 
same year the farming out of the wine and 
strong beer excise was sold at public sale at 
the house of Hendrick Jocheinsen Schoon- 
maker. On June tR, 1659, he bought a gar- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



2/5 



den in Beaverwyck, behind Fort Orange, 
which had been patented to Jan Roeloffse in 
1654. July 16, 1659, Hendrick Jochemsen 
bought at pubHc sale a blue coat for forty-two 
florins. July 20, 1661, he sold his house and 
lot outside of Fort Orange, and on June 19, 
1666, he sold his garden to Philip Peter Schuy- 
ler, and July 12, 1669, he sold his house in 
Albany to Abraham Staats. He enlisted when 
Governor Stuyvesant called for recruits to sub- 
due the Indians at Esopus, and proceeded to 
that place in 1659. He appears in the rec- 
ords, March 28, 1660, as a soldier in the 
"Netherlandish service in the company of his 
Noble Honor, the Director General," then 
stationed at Esopus (Kingston). Soon after 
this the governor curtailed the military estab- 
lishment and induced several of the soldiers 
to settle at Esopus by giving them grants of 
land. Among these was Hendrick Jochemsen 
Schoonniaker. He appears as a resident of 
W'iltwyck (Kingston), October 24. 1661, pay- 
ing an excise tax of seventy-five florins, and 
in the following year. No. i of the "new lots" 
was assigned to him. May 30, 1662, the mil- 
itia was organized with Hendrick Jochemsen 
as lieutenant. At the massacre and burning 
of Kingston, June 7, 1663, he took an active 
part in the defence against the savages ; was 
twice wounded while defending his house at 
the first onset. He fought bravely until the 
arrival of Captain Chambers, and the Indians 
were put to rout and the gates closed. At 
this time his eldest son, Jochem Hendrick. was 
captured by the Indians. When the English 
gained possession of the Dutch colony in New 
York, and stationed soldiers at Kingston, a 
very natural friction arose between the resi- 
dents and the garrison, and Lieutenant Hen- 
drick Jochemsen was a leader in the demon- 
stration known as the "Esopus Meeting of 
1667." \\'ith him were all the Burgher guard 
arraved in arms. Captain Chambers of the 
guard being an Englishman naturally refused 
to take side with the Bursrhers, and ordered 
them to disarm and return to their homes. 
This demonstration had been precipitated bv 
the arrest and imprisonment of Cornelis Bar- 
entsen Sleight, who afterwards married the 
widow of Hendrick Jochemsen. At the time 
of the latter's marriage to her she was Elsie 
Tanse Brustede, widow of Adrian Pietersen 
Van Alemer, and the marriage probably took 
place a few years before his removal to King- 



ston. He is said to have died in 1681. She 
was the daughter of Jan Jansen Breestede and 
Engeltje Janse Van Breestede. Children of 
Hendrick Jochemsen Schoonmaker : Jochem 
Hendrick, Egbert, Engeltje (Angelina), Hil- 
litje, Volkeet. 

(II) Jochem Hendrick Schoonmaker, eldest 
son of Hendrick Jochemsen and his wife Elsie, 
was born in 1658 at Fort Orange, and became 
one of the pioneer settlers of what is now the 
town of Rochester, Ulster county. New York. 
In 1703 he was one of the three trustees of 
the patent on which the settlement was made 
and remained in that connection until his death 
in 1713. From 1709 to 1712 he was supervisor 
of the town of Rochester, and was captain of 
a volunteer military company raised for de- 
fence against the Indians. He married (first), 
August I, 1679, Petronella Sleight, daughter 
of Barentsen Sleight and his wife, Tryntje 
Tysee Boz. She died before 1689. He mar- 
ried (second). April 26, 1689, Ann, daugh- 
ter of Frederick and Margaret (Boz) Hussey. 
There were two children of first wife: Cor- 
nelius Barentsen and Hendrick. Children of 
second wife: Rebecca, Frederick, Jan, Mar- 
sraret, Jacob, Jochem, Benjamin, Antje, Sarah, 
Daniel. 

(III) Cornelius Barentsen, eldest child of 
Jochem Hendrick and Petronella (Sleight) 
Schoonmaker, was born January 15. 1682, in 
Rochester, where he passed his life, and died 
October 14, 1757. He married, December 19, 
171 1, Engeltje Roosa. of Hurley, baptized Sep- 
tember 3, 1685, in Kingston, granddaughter of 
Albert Heymans Roosa (see Roosa). Arie, 
eldest son of Albert H. Roosa, was born in 
Holland before 1650, probably as early as 1645, 
and came with his father to America. His 
name appears on the list of those who took 
the oath of allegiance in Ulster county, Sep- 
tember I. t68o. and he was captain of a foot 
company in that place. In 1686. with five 
others, he received a errant of land along the 
east side of the Hudson river opposite the 
mouth of Rondout creek, and there he subse- 
nuentlv made his home. This was first called 
the Arie Roos? Patent and is now Rhinebeck. 
He married Maria Pels, daughter of Magis- 
trate Evert Pels and his wife, Jannetje 
Svmens. Children : Jannetje, born about 
1670, Evert, baptized October 26. 1679 ; Weyn- 
tie, June 4. 1682; Engeltje, above mentioned; 
.^nnetje, December 22, 1687; Arrien, June 3, 



276 



SOUTHERX NEW YORK 



1694; Mary, August 28, 1698. Children of 
Cornelius B. Sciioonmaker: Catryntjen, bap- 
tized October 12, 1712; Petronclla, June 3, 
1716: Cornelius, June 25. 1721 ; Elizabeth, 
May 7, 1727. 

( I\ ) Cornelius, only son of Cornelius Bar- 
entsen and Engeltje ( Roosa ) Schoonmaker, 
settled on a large tract of land on the north 
line of the town of Shawangunk, which he 
purchased from the James Henderson Patent. 
and which lay south of and adjoining the 
Zachariah Hottman Patent. He died there 
January 21, 1778, leaving three sons and a 
daughter. As he died intestate the law at that 
time provided that his eldest son receive the 
estate. Deeds on record show that the latter 
was magnanimous with his brothers and made 
a division of the real estate with them, in con- 
sideration that they maintain their mother dur- 
ing her life and pay a certain sum to their 
sister Maria. This division of the real estate 
was made bj' a commission consisting of Jo- 
hannes Bruyii and James Kain. He married. 
May 22. 1746. Arriantie flornbeck, a native 
of Rochester township. Children : Cornelius 
C, mentioned below ; Abraham, mentioned be- 
low, with descendants ; Isaac and Maria, bap- 
tized December 31. 1749, at Kingston. 

(Y) Cornelius C, eldest son of Cornelius 
and Arriantie (Hornbeck) Schoonmaker. was 
born in Shawangunk. and received the estate 
of his father as above noted. He was an 
intelligent and prosperous farmer and was 
also a surveyor. He was a member of the 
first assembly gathered under the state con- 
stitution, which met at Kingston in 1777 and 
continued in that service during eleven ses- 
sions, including the year 1790. He w-as a 
member of the committee of safety during 
the revolution. In the latter year he was 
elected a member of the second United States 
congress, and in 1795 was again a member of 
the state legislature. The convention of 1778. 
which adopted the constitution for the state, 
counted him amone its members. He mar- 
ried CfirsP) Sarah Hoffman, probably a daugh- 
ter nf Zachariah Hoffman, proprietor of the 
HnfTman Patent. He married ("second") at 
Kingston. July 4. 1759, Arriantie Terwilliger. 
Thev had a son, Jacob, baptized July T2, 1761, 
at Kingston. 

(VJ) Zachariah, youngest child of Cornel- 
ius C. and Arriantje f Terwilliger) Schoon- 
maker, was born about 1782 in Shawangunk. 



He became a prominent citizen of Kingston, 
New York. He graduated from Union Col- 
lege, read law, was admitted to the bar, and 
practiced his profession in Kingston, New 
York, until his death in 18 18. He married. 
November 29, 1808, at Kingston, Cornelia 
Marius. daughter of Peter Marius Groen, who 
was a great-grandson of Jacob Marius Groen, 
who went from Holland to England in 1670 
and there married Letitia, daughter of Ad- 
miral, the Earl of Salisbury. He returned to 
Holland and between 1725 and 1735 came to 
America. Peter M. Groen married Catharina 
Louw. and their daughter, Cornelia Marius. 
was baptized at Kingston, April 20, 1783. No 
record of her children appears at Kingston 
I3utch church. 

(X'H) Marius, son of Zachariah and Cor- 
nelia Marius (Groen) Schoonmaker, was born 
April 24. 181 1, in Kingston, where he died 
January 5, 1894. He prepared for college at 
Kingston Academy and graduated at Yale in 
1830. After pursuing a course of law studies 
with Ruggles & Hasbrouck in Kingston, he 
was admitted to the bar in 1833. .\bout this 
time Mr. Ruggles was elected a judge, and 
Mr. Schoonmaker became a partner of Has- 
brouck in the law practice and this arrange- 
ment continued until 1840. when Mr. Has- 
brouck became president of Rutgers College 
Following this Mr. Schoonmaker continued 
the practice of law independently until his 
death. Pie was elected a member of the stat° 
senate in 1840. and in 1850 was chosen to 
represent the then tenth congressional district, 
serving in the thirty-second congress. He was 
one of the seventeen Whisrs in the state spnate. 
who barely controlled that body, and did not 
resign his seat to go to congress until the 
election of a United States senator had been 
settled. Although his district was strongly 
Democratic, his personal popularity secured 
his election to congress. He declined a re- 
election and continued in the practice of his 
profession until he was appointed in Jannarv. 
iS';©, auditor of the canal department of the 
«tate. After one year in this position he wa« 
transferred to the hanking department, of 
which he was made superintendent, from 
which he resigned to again resume the nrac- 
tice of law. He was a member of the conven- 
tion of 1867 to revise the state constitution, 
was active in the public interest and especially 
in securing the system of free and graded 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



277 



schools which is still in use. For nine years 
he served as president of the Kingston board 
of education, beginning with its organization. 
In 1866-69-70 he was president of the village 
of Kingston. Everywhere he was known as 
a safe counsellor, an honest attorney and up- 
right and valuable citizen. He married, De- 
cember 13, 1837, Elizabeth Van Wyck, daugh- 
ter of Rev. Cornelius Depew Westbrook, D.D., 
and his wife, Hannah (Van Wyck) West- 
brook, of Kingston. Children: i. Cornelius 
Marius, who graduated from the U. S. Naval 
Academy at AimapoHs, June, 1859, and re- 
ceived a commission in the United States navy 
during the civil war. He was drowned in the 
great tidal wave disaster at Apia. Samoa, 
March 16. 1889, while in command of the 
U. S. S. "A'andalia." 2. Henry Barnard, who 
studied law with his father, and died in 1867, 
aged twenty-three years, at the opening of 
what promised to be a brilliant legal career. 
3. Julius, mentioned below. 4. Ella, wife of 
Henry D. Darrow, deceased, of Kingston. 

(VHI) Julius, third son of Marius and 
Elizabeth \'. W'. (Westbrook) Schoonmaker, 
was born January 6, 1847, '" Kingston. He 
was associated with his father until he was 
appointed to succeed his father as custodian 
of the senate house at Kingston, a position 
he still retains. 

(V) Abraham, second son of Cornelius and 
Arriantie (Hornbeck) Schoonmaker, was 
born April 26, 1752, in Shawangunk, where 
he resided, and died Januarv' 10, 1814. He 
was adjutant on Colonel Hasbrouck's staff 
during the revolutionary war. He married 
Sarah Adriance. born in 1755, died in 1837, 
supposed to have been a native of Long Is- 
land. Children: John, died in infancy: Cor- 
nelius. David, John A., George, Dr. Albert. 
Abraham. Moses, Selah. 

(VI) John A., fourth son of Abraham and 
Sarah (Adriance") Schoonmaker, was born 
May 21, 1786, in Shawangunk, died in that 
town, July 26, 1863. He married Rachel Sam- 
mons, born January 26. 1788. who survived 
him nearly fifteen years, dying March 19, 
T878. Children: i. .\braham, born Novem- 
ber 10. 1808, died at Moore Park. Michigan. 
February s. 1882 2. Hiram, July 16. 181 t, 
resided in Moore Park. Michigan. ^. Rachel. 
May 28. T813, married Johannes LeFever, and 
died at Climax, Michigan, in 187^. 4. Sarah, 
twin of Rachel, died young. 5. Maria Katlia- 



rine, married Selah Tuthill Jordan, and died 
in Newburg, 1892. 6. Eliza, October 15, 1817, 
married James Schoonmaker, and resided in 
Shawangunk, afterward in Newburg, died 
October 15, 1904. 7. Isaac, March 10, 1820, 
resided in Gardiner, New York, afterward 
Paducah, Kentucky, and later at Wallkill, 
Ulster county, where he died in 1904. 8. Mar- 
garet, November 6, 1822, married DuBois Le- 
Fever, and lived in Shawangunk. 9. Jacob, 
August 9, 1825, resided in Gardiner, drowned 
on the "Henry Clay", July 26, 1852. 10. John, 
mentioned below. 

(VII) John, youngest child of John A. and 
Rachel (Sammons) Schoonmaker, was born 
Jamiary 25, 1830, in what is now Gardiner, 
Ulster county. New York, died January i, 
1904, in Newburg, New York. He was edu- 
cated in the district schools of Shawangunk 
and in the Seminary at Armenia, Dutchess 
county. New York. In 1852 he opened a gen- 
eral store at Tuthilltown in partnership with 
his brother, Jacob. The business was but 
fairly established, when the elder brother was 
drowned at the destruction of the ill-fated 
steamer "Henry Clay" on the Hudson, during 
a trip to New York. John Schoonmaker then 
sold out the business and removed to New- 
burg, where he became a clerk in the general 
store of Isaac Wood. In January, 1863. he 
formed a partnership with Samuel C. Mills and 
.A. Y. Weller and they conducted a dry goods 
business at No. 80 Water street, Newburg, 
which has continued to the present time and 
is now the largest dry goods establishment in 
Newburg. Mr. Mills retired July i, 1885, and 
the firm became Schoonmaker & WeHer, con- 
tinuing thus until June I, 1890. when Mr. 
Weller retired. Following this, Mr. Schoon- 
maker's son. Samuel V.. was associated with 
him in the business and this arrangement con- 
tituied until the death of the father. The 
latter was a trustee of the Newburg Savings 
Bank. Politically he was a Democrat and 
joined the Republican party upon its forma- 
tion. His first presidential vote was cast for 
Franklin Pierce. He was long an elder of the 
First Presbyterian Church and was superin- 
tendent of Bethel Mission until failing health 
compelled him to abandon this position. He 
married Mary A. Vail, born April, 1831. 
daughter of Simon Raymond Vail. Children : 
.'\nna, Elizabeth M., Samuel V., Margaret Le- 
Fever. wife of William Clement Scott. 



278 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



(VIII) Samuel \'., only son of John and 
Mary A. (.Vail) Schoonmaker, was born 
March 13, 1867, in Newburg. He attended 
the public schools of his native town and 
graduated from Philips Exeter Academy, Ex- 
eter, New Hampshire, with the class of 1885. 
On leaving school he became associated with 
his father in business, and in 1888 opened a 
branch store on Broadway, Newburg, in as- 
sociation with Frank S. Weller. This busi- 
ness was closed in i8qi and Mr. Schoonmaker 
formed a partnership with A. R. E. Remillard 
and Frank S. Weller, conducting a dry .goods 
store until 1895. when he disposed of his in- 
terest and entered the employ of the firm of 
Schoonmaker & W'eller. In '1898 Mr. Weller 
retired and S. V. Schoonmaker acquired his 
interest and the firm became John Schoon- 
maker & Son. After the death of John in 1904 
the daughters, Elizabeth M. and Mrs. W. C. 
Scott, became interested in the business, Sam- 
uel \'. being the only active member. He 
married. February i. 1899, Lillian West War- 
dell, daughter of Robert L. and Elizabeth 
(Henderson) \^'ardell, and they have two 
sons, John, born June 10, 1900. and Samuel 
V. Jr., born May 23, 1902. 



The family name of Schuy- 
SCHUYEER ler was originally "van 
Schuyler" when coming to 
this country, and by it was meant one resid- 
ing in a place of shelter, from the Dutch 
"schuiler", a hider; or "schuil", a shelter; and 
possibly also from the German word "schu- 
ler". a scholar, the intention being to signify 
a family of education, or scholarly. The pro- 
srenitor of the familv in America commonly 
wrote his name "Philip Pieterse", excepting 
when he signed contracts, deeds or other im- 
portant documents, when he added "Schuij- 
'er", which could also be expressed bv writing 
it "Schuyler", bv placiner the two small marks 
over the letter "y". After the year 1667 he 
nsuallv wrote his name in full; but after 1672 
he had dropped the name "Pieterse", sienifv- 
ine that Peter was his father as one mitrht 
now drop the "Junior" after the death of a 
father, and he siened his will "Philin Schuii- 
ler". In the early familv records he wrote 
the names of seven of his children with the 
prefix "van". Thus one traces the transition, 
with its definite reasons, to the present form. 
The Schuyler arms : Shield : \''ert. a sin- 



ister cubit arm, vested or, cuffed or, holding 
on the hand a falcon sable, beaked, membered, 
hooded or. Crest : A falcon as in shield. 
Motto : "Semper fidelis" . Arms as blazoned 
above were on the stained glass window in 
the old Dutch Church and were a few years 
ago in the possession of a Miss Schuyler who 
showed them to Mr. M. Roosevelt Schuyler. 

Two brothers of the name of Van Schuyler, 
Philip and David, were among the earliest 
settlers of Beversvvyck, who came to this 
country from Holland, and it is from them 
all of the name in .\merica have proceeded, 
which for the first century and a half after 
their arrival was distinctively an Albany name. 
Unfortunately by the year 1900 it became 
extinct in that city, but was still held in high- 
est respect in memory. There were many of 
them who attained high distinction, especially 
in military valor, in governmental affairs, and 
as owners of very large estates. Five of the 
name were mayors in Albany, and hardly a 
more illustrious name appears in .American 
history than that of General Philip .Schuyler, 
of the revolution. 

(I) Colonel Philip Pieterse \'an Schuyler 
was the son of Pieter Van Schuyler, of .Am- 
sterdain, Holland. He was the better known 
of the two brothers who settled in New Neth- 
erland, and is recognized as the head of the 
family in America, or progenitor of the 
Schuyler family. He purchased the property 
four miles north of Albany, on the public 
highway to Saratoga, which has been the 
home of the Schuyler family to this dav. The 
original house on this bouwerie was the resi- 
dence of Arent Van Curler, a cousin of the 
first Patroon. Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, who 
came with the colonists to Rensselaerswyck in 
1630. He hafi married, in 1643, and on his 
return from his bridal journey to Holland 
settled on his farm, known as The Flatts. even 
as at present it is styled. After him it was 
owned by Richard Van Rensselaer, a son of 
the Patroon. who relinquished it when he re- 
turned to live in Holland. The entry in the 
account-book of the Van Rensselaer estate 
reads : "Debit : Philip Van Schuyler, for the 
Rouwery called de AHachte (The Flatts) and 
the Island, sold to him for 700 beavers and 
T.600 florins Holland monev. together 8.000 
florins. Contra : Credit, a bill of Exchange 
drawn on Jan Raptist \^an Rensselaer, calcu- 
lated at 2,400 florins; 650 whole Beavers; 




GENERAL PHILIP SCHUYLER 

A leader of the foremost i^nk among New York's Revolutionary officers, com- 
manding the Army of the North. In whom Washington ever reposed greatest confi- 
dence; Member of the Colonial Congress. 1779; first U. 5. Senator from New York 
State, 1789. Born at Albany. Nov. 1 1. 1733; died at Albany, Nov. 18, 1804. From the 
painting by John Irumbull. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



279 



5,200 do. : 50 do. ; 400 do. ; total 8,000 florins". 
The county clerk's records show : "Jeremias 
Van Rensselaer in his life time That is to say 
on. the two and twentieth day of June in the 
year of our Lord Christ one thousand six hun- 
dred seventy, and two for an in consideration 
of the sum of five thousand Holland guilders 
to him in hand paid did grant Bargain and sell 
unto the said Philip Schuyler his heirs and 
assigns for ever all that farm Tract and par- 
cell of Land commonly called The Flatts as 
also one Island over against said flatts com- 
monly called the great Island of the flatts situ- 
ate on the west side of Hudson river in the 
Colony of Rensselaerswyck in the like man- 
ner as the said farm heretofore has been oc- 
cupied and enjoyed by Mr. Richard van Rens- 
selaer". Colonel Van Schuyler's son. Colonel 
Pieter Schuyler, inherited The Flatts, and he 
lived there twelve years, when he leased it to 
his son PhiliD, who inherited it in turn, but, 
having no children, by his will dated June 28, 
1748, he gave the "Creat Island" to his 
brother Jeremy, and to his brother Pieter he 
left The Flatts. In the latter's will, drawn 
April 27. 1771. he left it to his grandson, 
Stephen Schuyler, and in iqio it was occu- 
pied by the widow of Richard Schuyler 
(Susan Drake), because he was the son of 
Stephen R. Schuyler and Catherine Elizabeth 
Schuyler, who was the son of Peter S. Schuy- 
ler and Catherine Cuyler, who was in turn 
the son of Stephen Schuyler and Engeltie Van 
Vechten. whose parents were Pieter Schuyler 
Jr. and Catherine droesbeck, and his father 
was Mayor Pieter Schuyler. In 1910, in the 
hallway of The Flatts, hangs the old oil por- 
trait of "Ouidor", the Indian name for Pieter 
Schuyler, meaning the "Indian's Friend", and 
in the brick mansion standing on the brow of 
the hill, west of the Troy road, hangs the 
seven-foot oil portrait of Pieter Schuyler, first 
mayor of Albanv, painted in England in 1710, 
by order of Queen Anne, and now owned by 
the children of John Cuvler Schuyler, uncle 
of the late Richard P. Schuyler. 

It is interesting to learn a few facts about 
this old mansion, as described by Mrs. Grant 
more than a century ago in her famous "Me- 
moirs of an American Lady", wherein she 
writes : 

"It was a large brick house of two, or 
rather three stories ffor there were excellent 
attics), besides a sunk storv. finished with ex- 



actest neatness. The lower floor had two spa- 
cious rooms, with large, light closets; on the 
first there were three rooms, and in the upper 
one four. Through the middle of the house 
was a wide passage, with opposite front and 
back doors, which in summer admitted a 
stream of air peculiarly grateful to the languid 
senses. It was furnished with chairs and 
pictures like a summer parlor. Here the fam- 
ily usually sat in hot weather, when there 
were no ceremonious strangers. One room, 
I should have said, in the greater house only, 
was opened for the reception of company ; all 
the rest were bedchambers for their accom- 
modation, while the domestic friends of the 
family occupied neat little bedrooms in the 
attics or the winter-house. This house con- 
tained no drawing-room — that was an un- 
heard-of luxury; the winter-rooms had car- 
pets ; the lobby had oilcloth painted in loz- 
enges, to imitate blue and white marble. The 
best bedroom was hung with family portraits, 
some of which were admirably executed ; and 
in the eating-room, which, by the by, was 
rarely used for that purpose, were some Scrip- 
tural paintings. 

"The house fronted the river, on the brink 
of which, under shades of elm and sycamore, 
ran the great road toward Saraotga, Still- 
water, and the northern lakes ;" a little simple 
avenue of morella cherry trees, enclosed with 
a white rail, led to the road and river, not 
three hundred yards distant". 

The place may be reached by taking a drive 
four miles to the north of Albany, or about 
one mile beyond the Rural cemetery, then 
turning abruptly to the east, crossing the canal 
by the "Schuyler's Bridge", and continuing a 
fourth of a mile towards the Hudson. The 
road passes between rows of elms evidently a 
century old, and the low, brick house stands 
to the right, facing the river, while across the 
road is the old family burial-ground, contain- 
insf some sixty graves, whose rows of invari- 
able brown sandstone, some tottering to the 
right or left, look wierdly like a decrepit army, 
for thus have they stood during two centuries, 
bearing testimony in verse to the exalted mem- 
ory of many a soldier Schuyler. This head of 
the Schuvler line was a man much esteemed 
bv his acquaintances and by representatives of 
the Dutch government. He was the first man 
in the colony to receive the commission of 
captain. He died at The Flatts. May Q. 1683, 



28o 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



and was buried in the old Dutch church which 
then stood at the intersection of Broadway 
and State street, Albany. 

Colonel Philip Pieterse Van Schuyler mar- 
ried, at Rensselaerswyck, December 12, 1650, 
Margarita Van Slechtenhorst, in the presence 
of tlie officers of Fort Orange, Antoni de 
Hooges, secretary of the colony, officiating. 
She was born at Nykerck, Holland, in 1628, 
died at Rensselaerswyck in 171 1, and was the 
daughter of Brant Arentse Van Shlcchten- 
horst, who came to Rensselaerswyck in 1648, 
acting as an official for Van Rensselaer. Chil- 
dren: I. Gybsbert, born at Rensselaerswyck. 
July 2, 1652, died young. 2. Geertruj, born 
at Rensselaerswyck, February 4, 1654, died 
about 1719; married, at Rensselaerswyck. Sep- 
tember 10, 167 1. Stephanus Van Cortlandt, 
born May 7, 1643, died November 25, 1700, 
son of Olof Stevense Van Cortlandt and An- 
neke Loockcrmans. 3. Alida, born at Rens- 
selacr.swyck, February 28, 1656; married 
(first) at Rensselaerswyck, February 10, 1675, 
Rev. Nicholaas Van Rensselaer, born in Am- 
sterdam. Holland, in 1636, died November, 
\fi/S:. and was the son of first Patroon Kiliaen 
Van I'iensselaer and Anna Van Wely ; mar- 
ried (second) July 9, 1679, Robert Livingston, 
secretary of Albany from 1675 to 1721, who 
was born abroad and was buried in the Dutch 
church at Albany, April 21, 1725. 4. Pieter, 
born at Rensselaerswyck, September 17, 1657; 
first mayor of .Vlbany. officiating from date 
of the charter, July 22, 1686, to October 13. 
1694; died at Rensselaerswyck. Februarv 19. 
1724; married (first) at Rensselaerswyck. in 
t68i, Engeltie (Angelica) Van Schaick. born 
at Rensselaerswyck in 1659, died there in 
1689, daughter of Captain Goosen Gerritse 
\'an Schaick and .^nnatje Lievens ; by whom : 
i. Margarita, born November, 1682; married. 
.^up'nst 2.T, 1607. Robert Livingston Jr. ii. 
Philip, baptized October. 1684, died voung. 
iii. .^nna. baptized September 12, t686. died 
aged twelve years, iv. Gertrude, baptized Au- 
gust 17. 16S9. died young. He married (sec- 
ond) at Rensselaerswyck. September 14, 1691, 
Maria Van Rensselaer, born at Rensselaers- 
wyck. October 25. 1(172. daughter of Colonel 
Tcremias Van Rensselaer, the third Patroon. 
and Maria Van Cortlandt; bv whom: v. Maria, 
baptized May, 1692. vi. Gertrude, baptized 
February ti, 1694; married. June 13. 1714, 
Johannes Lansing, vii. Philips baptized Jan- 



uary 15, 1O9O, died in 1758, without issue; 
married, December 29, 1720, Margarita Schuy- 
ler, viii. Pieter Jr., baptized January 12, 
1698; married, December 29, 1722, Catherine 
Groesbeck. ix. Jeremiah (twin), baptized 
January 12, i(J98, buried at The Flatts, De- 
cember 10, 1753; married Susaima . 5. 

Brandt, born at Rensselaerswyck, December 
18, 1659; resided on Broad street, New York, 
in 1686; died August 15, 1752; married, July 
12, 1682, Cornelia Van (Cortlandt, baptized 
November 28, 1655, daughter of Olof Stev- 
ense Van Cortlandt and Anneke Loockermans, 
by whom : i. Philip, baptized November 6. 
1(583; married, August 28, 1713, Ann Eliza- 
beth Staats, who was baptized December 21, 
i(X)o. ii. Olof, born December 12, 1686, died 
without issue, iii. John, baptized January 15. 
1(390. died without issue. 6. .-Xrent, mentioned 
below. 7. Sybilla, born at Rensselaerswyck, 
November 12, 1664, died December, 1664. 8. 
Philip, born at Rensselaerswyck, February 8, 
1666, died May 24, 1724; married (first) in 
New York. July 25, i(S87, Elizabeth De Meyer, 
who died; married (second) in Albany, May 
TO. 1 719. Mrs. Catherine Schierph, widow of 
Ritsiert Brouwer. By his first wife he had: 
Nicholas, born in New York, September 11. 
1691, died July 3, 1748; married (first) De- 
cember 2, 1714, Elsie Wendell, who died .^pril 
8. 1744; married (second) Mary Stephenson, 
who survived him. By his second wife Philip 
had no child. 9. Johannes, born at Renssel- 
aerswyck. .A.pril 5, i6(>8. died February 27, 
1747: married, in 1(195. Elizabeth .Staats, wid- 
ow of Johannes Wendell, who died June 3, 
1737. TO. Margaret, born at Rensselaerswyck, 
January 2, 1672. died May 15, 1748; married 
(first) September 8, 1(591, Jacobus Ver 
Planck, son of Isaac Ver Planck and 
Abigail Uytenbogart, who died in 1700; 
married (second) November 2. 1701, Lieu- 
tenant John Collins, wdio died April 13, 1728, 
wife surviving. By her first husband: i. 
Tannetie. baptized in Albanv. April 13. 1(193. 
ii. Philip, baptized in New York. June 3. 1(595. 
Bv her second husband: iii. Edward, bap- 
tized July ,-?o. T704 ; married Margarita 
Bleecker. and was buried in the Dutch 
church. March 29., 1753. 

(TT) Arent, son of Colonel Philip Pieterse 
and Margarita (Van .Slechtenhorst) .'^chuvler, 
was born at Rensselaerswvck (Albany, New- 
York) Tune 25, 1662, died November 26, 17.30: 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



iSi 



The codicil of his will was dated October 30, 
1730. In July, 1684, shortly after attaining 
his majority, and having fitted himself for the 
life of a merchant or trader, also possessing 
a sutificient sum of money to embark, he began 
preparations for marriage and housekeeping 
by buying a house on Pearl street, "where the 
eagle hangs out", from his mother, paying her 
two hundred beavers in two installments. In- 
stead of a door plate, in order to represent 
his name by its significance, he hung outside 
a live eagle in a cage. He selected for his 
wife, Jenneke Teller, daughter of William 
Teller, who had come to Fort Orange in 1639, 
and Margaret (Donchesen) Teller, and he 
married her in Rensselaerswyck, November 
26, 1684, two years before the city received its 
charter as Albany. A few months after their 
marriage they appeared before a notary to 
make a joint will. It was filed in Albany and 
written in Dutch, and read in part as follows : 
"The worthy Mr. Arent Schuyler and Jenneke 
Teller, lawfully wedded husband and wife, 
living here in Albany, both sound in body and 
in mind, able to walk and stand, memory and 
s])eecli unimpaired, who together having met 
and moved by their mutual affection and love, 
and together having meditated on the certainty 
of death, and the uncertainty of the hour of 
it, have directed without being persuaded or 
influenced by anybody, to have their last will 
and testament drawn up''. His wife died in 
the year 1700, and he married (second) at 
Albany, January 2, 1703. Swantje Van Duyck- 
huysen. It is recorded in one family nar- 
rative, "Taylors' Annals", that he married a 
third wife, Maria ^^'alte^, in 1724, who was 
living in Belleville, New Jersey, in 1734. Chil- 
dren : I. Mareareta, baptized at Albany, Sep- 
temlier 27, 1685. 2. Philip, September 11, 
1^187 ; married Hester, daughter of Isaac 
Kingsland. of New Barbadoes Neck, New Jer- 
sey. 3. Maria, October 6, i68q, died young. 
A. Olivia, mentioned in the father's will. 5. 
Judik. March 11, 1602, died voung. 6. Cas- 
parus, mentioned below. 7. Wilhelmus, June 
2. T7O0. 8. John, died February 12, 1773: 
married Anne Van Rensselaer. 0. Pieter, bap- 
tized about 1710. TO. Adonijah, 1717. ti. 
Eve, married Peter Bayard: died in 1737. 12. 
Cornelia. 

Arent Schuyler continued to attend his 
t'lrivine business for some time, something 
like five vears of his married life, and then 



was called more and more into public service. 
He served on a committee for providing fuel 
and other comforts for the houses occupied 
by Indians when on their trading expeditions 
to Albany. He was also on the committee to 
raise funds for fortifications and he partici- 
pated energetically in the proceedings of the 
Albany convention in opposition to the pre- 
tensions of Jacob Leisler. After the Indians 
and French had accomplished the destruction 
of Schenectady in 1690, he joined the party of 
Captain Abraham Schuyler, who were direct- 
ed to proceed to Otter Creek and remain four 
weeks to watch the lakes and surrounding 
country in case of attack. He volunteered to 
lead a scouting party into Canada at this time, 
and although it consisted of eight Indians, and 
himself, the only white man, he was undaunt- 
ed. They went through the wooded wilder- 
ness and through the lake, down the Sorel 
river to Fort Chambly, and under its walls 
killed two and took one Frenchman prisoner. 
By this exploit he was the first man of the 
English or Dutch to lead a hostile party from 
this province into Canada. He was thereafter 
widely known as a courageous man, and was 
commissioned captain. In August, 1692, the 
acting governor. Ingoldesby, was apprised of 
the fact that a delegation of southern Indians, 
who had been at war with the Five Nations, 
was on the way to visit their enemies and to 
sue for peace. They had arrived at the Dela- 
ware river, and were waiting for permission 
to continue their journey. The governor and 
his council considered this an important busi- 
ness, requiring unusual wisdom in its man- 
agement. They concluded that Captain Arent 
Schuyler, then in New York, was exactly 
suited to the delicacy of the undertaking, and 
decided to despatch him to meet the Indians, 
that he might conduct them to the governor 
and council. He was furnished with the 
proper instructions and given wampum belts 
to use. Considering the mode of travelling 
in those days, he was decidedly expeditious, 
for only six days afterwards he returned with 
the "far Indians, called Shawanoes, and some 
Senecas, who had been travelling together for 
nine years". His expense account is of pe- 
culiar interest, and sets forth that on August 
7 ?th it was necessary to pav for ferriage at 1 
Elizabethtown : on the T4th. lodging and horse 
'lire; on the 15th for horse hire to (Trenton") 
Falls and a guide to the Indians; on the i6th. 



282 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



for two Holland shirts to be given to Indian 
chiefs ; expenses at Raritan and Woodbridge ; 
on the 17th, horse hire from Benjamin 
Ckiet's to Ehzabethtown ; on the 18th, expense 
at the same place and ferriage from Davitt's ; 
at New York, charges for butcher's meat 
crackers and peas, furnished for the Indians, 
and on arrival, for the comfort and keeping 
of the Indians, "fourteen gallons single beer, 
fish, bread, and oysters", the expenses for the 
entire trip, for all, amounting to but little 
more than twelve English pounds. He pre- 
sented a belt at the end of each proposition, 
addressing them as "brethren" and they him 
as "Corlaer". On account of so many and 
frequent demands made upon him to treat 
with the Indians or engage in campaigns, Ar- 
ent Schuyler's business had been seriously 
neglected. His brother Brandt and his sister 
Gertrude (Geertruj) were both married and 
had settled in New York. Albany was then a 
frontier town and exposed to attack, so con- 
sidering everything he departed for New 
York about February, 1694, determined to re- 
sume business as a merchant. It was deter- 
mined at a council held Feliruary 3. 1694, by 
Gnvcrnor Fletcher, that as there were one 
hundred Frenchmen and fifty French Indians 
comin? into the Minisink country to debauch 
the Minisink Indians, that a trustworthy mes- 
sengfcr must be despatched to seek out their 
intent. Arent Schuyler was again selected. 
He started the afternoon of the day he was 
told of the mission, and the day after reached 
the Indian village, eight miles beyond Hack- 
cnsack. His conference was favorable, and 
after an absence of six days among dangerous 
tribes, he returned to New York. On June 
^. if^)?. Arent Schuyler and Anthony Brock- 
hoist purchased of the Indians four thousand 
acres of land at Pequannock. On November 
TT, 1695, thev purchased the title of the East 
Tcrsev nroprietors to the same tract for one 
hundred pounds. On May 20, 1697. ^^ re- 
ceived from Governor Fletcher a patent for 
land in the Minisink country, called bv the 
Indians Sankhekeneck. alias Masrhawaem ; 
also a parcel of meadow called Wainsagsk- 
meck. on the Minisink river, containing one 
thousand acres. 

He removed from New York to Pompton 
Plains, New Tersey. about 1702. where he 
remained until 1710. when he removed to a 
large farm which he had purchased from Ed- 



mund Kingsland, on New Barbadoes Neck, 
on the east side of the Passaic river, the deed 
dated April 20, 1710; the amount three hun- 
dred and thirty pounds. A negro slave be- 
longing to him accidentally found a copper 
deposit while he was plowing. He had turned 
over a peculiarly greenish and very heavy sort 
of stone. He took it to his master and it 
was sent to England to be analyzed. The 
reply was . that it contained eighty per cent 
copper, and this opened a means for Arent 
Schuyler to obtain wealth. Desiring to re- 
ward the slave he told him that he might make 
three requests, to which the fellow replied ; 
first, that he might remain with his master as 
long as he lived ; second, that he might have 
all the tobacco he could smoke; and third, that 
lie might be gi\en a dressing gown with big 
brass buttons, like his master's. Schuyler told 
him to consider and ask for something less 
trifling, and the answer was that for the fourth 
request he might have a little more tobacco. 
Before his death he had shipped to the Bristol 
copper and brass works, England, one thou- 
sand three hundred and eighty-six tons. In 
T761. on receipt of an engine from England, 
the mine was extensively operated for four 
years. Three miles above the present city of 
Newark and opposite the old town of Belle- 
ville, on the Passaic river, Arent Schuyler 
erected his mansion. It was built by him in 
1 710. and is standin?. in excellent condition, at 
the present time. It is believed that he had 
to send to Holland for the brick that com- 
posed the front, and the other walls of tlie 
brownstone were found at Belleville. It has 
been the residence of generations of the 
Schuyler familv since that time, and its simple, 
substantial architecture is a noble type. In 
the olden days there was a magnificent deer 
park about the house, stocked with no less 
than one hundred and fifty animals of that 
kind. Arent Schuyler was most liberal. 

He was an officer of the Reformed Dutch 
church, and soon after he settled on the Pas- 
saic he assisted in organizing it at Belleville. 
He gave it one hundred and fiftv pounds in 
1729, as a commencement of a fund for the 
pastor's salarv. and shortlv after added three 
himdred pounds. .After his death in i/'^o his 
widow and five children, in respect to his 
memory, contributed fifty pounds apiece, and 
in 1739 Tohn added one hundred and fifty 
pounds, arranging for the right to vote on 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



283 



calling a minister as also the privilege of sign- 
ing the call, and the consistory bound itself 
and successors not to invite a clergyman of 
another denomination to occupy the pulpit 
without his or their consent, provided always 
that they were members of the Dutch church. 
Colonel Schuyler, however, withdrew from 
the church because of a difference, and while 
leaving the fund he united with the Episco- 
palians and built a church for them in the 
same place. 

(Ill) Casparus, son of Arent and Jenneke 
(Teller) Schuyler, was baptized in New York 
City, May 5, 1695, died April 13, 1754. He 
received from his father a deed for land in 
Burlington, New Jersey, at Lossa or Wing- 
worth's Point, and he owned considerable 
property along the Delaware river. The line 
of the Schuyler family that sprang from him 
became very much distinguished for the suc- 
cession of high church dignitaries and other 
figures in the learned world that belonged to 
it, just as other lines in the same family 
gained considerable military distinction. 
Among his descendants who entered the 
church may be mentioned the Rev. Livingston 
Schuyler, Rev. Hamliton Schuyler, Rev. Cam- 
eron Mann. Casparus Schuyler married in 
Burlington, in 1723, Mary Schuyler, a distant 
cousin. 

(IV) Arent (2), only son of Casparus and 
Mary (Schuyler) Schuyler, was born about 
1720. He married. May 19, 1748, Jannetie 
Van Wagenen. 

CV) Arent (3). son of Arent (2) and Jan- 
netie (\'an Wagenen) Schuyler, was born in 
1754. He married Hester Dey in 1784. Chil- 
dren: I. Anthony Dey. mentioned below. 2. 
Aborn, born August 29, 1788: married Caro- 
line Butler, having a son, the Rev. Anthony 
Schuyler, D.D.. born July 8, 1815, a distin- 
guished member of the Episcopal church. 3. 
Peter, who died unmarried. 

(VI) .\nthony Dey, son of Arent (3) and 
Hester (Dey) Schuyler, was born October 18, 
178';. He married Sarah Ridge. October 25. 
1810. 

fVII) The Rev. Dr. Montgomery Schuvler, 
son of Anthony Dey and Sarah (Ridge) 
Schuyler, was born at New York City, Janu- 
arv 0, 1814, died at St. Louis, Missouri, in 
t8o<5. He entered Geneva (now Hobart) Col- 
lege in 1830, leaving at the end of his junior 
year, and was graduated at Union in 1834. 



After some years spent in the practice of law 
he entered the Protestant Episcopal ministry. 
He was dean of Christ Church Cathedral in 
St. Louis for more than forty years and made 
many valuable contributions to ecclesiastical 
literature. He married (first) Sarah Sand- 
ford; (second) October 10, 1843, Lydia Eliza 
Roosevelt, daughter of Nicholas I. Roosevelt ; 
( third ) Sophia Elizabeth Norton. Children : 

1 . Montgomery Roosevelt, mentioned below. 

2. Rev. Louis Sandford, who died a martyr to 
yellow fever while ministering to the sufferers 
from the epidemic at Memphis, Tennessee, in 
1878. 

(\TII) Montgomery Roosevelt, son of Rev. 
Dr. Montgomery and Lydia E. (Roosevelt) 
Schuyler, was born at Skaneateles, Onondaga 
county. New York, February 18, 1848. He 
was educated at the United States Naval 
Academy. Mr. Schuyler is a prominent mer- 
chant and clubman of New York. He belongs 
to the Century, Manhattan, Brook, Larchmont 
Yacht, New York Yacht, Fencing, and Auto- 
mobile clubs and to the Holland Society. His 
out-of-town home is at Orangeburg, New 
York. 



John Brooks, the founder of 
BROOKS the family in this country, emi- 
grated from England in 1730 
in the ship "George and Annie", landed at 
Cape Cod, and later settled in Orange countv, 
New York, where he died. Among his chil- 
dren was Jonathan, referred to below. 

(II) Jonathan, son of John Brooks, was 
bom in 1747. died September 25, 181 1, in 
Blooming Grove township. Orange county. 
New York. He was one of the prominent 
citizens in Orange county, and owned a large 
farm, which he cultivated until his death. 
He married (first) Hetty Lewis, and (sec- 
ond) Katharine Matthews. Children, five by 
first marriage: Anne, born 1770, died Sep- 
tember 2S, 1837: Thomas L.. 1772. died Sep- 
tember 6, 1841; John I., referred to below; 
Jonathan, 1776. died June 25, 1828; ^^^iIliam 
W., 1780. died November 21. 1826; Fletcher, 
married the Widow Bodine ; Hetty, died un- 
married. 

rni) John I., son of Jonathan and Hetty 
(Lewis) Brooks, was born in 1774. died Au- 
p'ust 7. 1852. He was a prominent farmer and 
landholder of Orange countv, New York, 
where he cultivated a farm of over six hun- 



284 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



dred acres until his death. He married (first) 
Hannah Denniston, and (second; Eliza Den- 
niston. Children, both by first marriage: 
Fletcher Eeekman, referred to below; Charles 
Edward, married Adeline Cannon and had: 
Thomas Lewis, Ann Eliza, Frances Denniston, 
John, Edward, Mary, Harrison, Fletcher, 
Henry, Madison, Charles. 

(IV) Fletcher BeeUman, son of John I. and 
Hannah (Denniston) Brooks, was born on his 
father's farm. November 5, 1803, died July 
i(), 1877, in Blooming Grove township, Orange 
county, New York. He inherited a large larm 
from his father, and another of equal extent 
from an uncle, both of which he devoted to 
general and dairy farming and the breeding 
of fine horses. He was a Republican in poli- 
tics, and a Presbyterian in religion, and was 
one of the founders of the Presbyterian church 
in Washingtonville, New York. He married, 
February 18, 1840, Sarah E. Welling. Chil- 
dren: 1. -Annie, born in 1841, died unmarried. 
2. Thomas \V., born March 27, 1844; married, 
September 14, 1869, Jennie E. Conkling ; chil- 
dren : F. Beekman, born September 28, 1870, 
died March 6, 1908; Walter H.. born June 28, 
1873, 'I'cd February 8, 1879: Elizabeth L., 
born October 25, 1874, died February 7, 1883; 
Clarence, born July 16, 1878, died February 
17, 1879: William W., born August 3, 1882, 
married Gertrude M. Vroom. 3. Virginia, 
born March 19. 1847, died March 30, 1908: 
married David C. Fitzgerald. 4. Charles, died 
in infancy. 5. Sarah, died young. 6. Edward, 
born .August 27. 1852 ; now living in Washing- 
tonville. New York. 7. William Randolph, 
referred to below. 

(V) William Randolph, son of Fletcher 
Beekman and Sarah E. (Welling) Brooks, 
was born in Blooming Grove township. 
Oranere countv, New York. August 29, 1854, 
and is now living there on the old family 
homestead, which he inherited from his father. 
He received his early education in the public 
schools and later was a student at a school 
in New York City. He then assisted his fa- 
ther in the cultivation of the homestead farm, 
which he inherited at his father's death, and 
which he still cultivates. He is a prominent 
citizen of Oranrre county, active in the welfare 
of the community, and served for seven years 
as asses.sor of the township. He has also 
served as one of the trustees of Washineton- 
ville, and is now one of the trustees of the 



Moffatt Public Library. He is a member of 
the Grange, and is also a member of the Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a Re- 
publican in politics, and a I'resbyterian in re- 
ligion, and is one of the trustees of the church 
in Washingtonville. He is unmarried. 



The Mount family is supposed 
MOUNT to be of French origin, the orig- 
inal patronymic, Le Mont, be- 
coming anglicised after some of the family 
settled in England at the time of or following 
the invasion of that country by William the 
Conqueror. In England the family and its 
branches are found chieHy in the counties of 
.Surrey and Buckinghamshire. In revolution- 
ary times in America the Mounts, with two 
or three exceptions, were ardent patriots, at 
least' twenty members of the family having 
served in the Continental army, and of these 
some gave up their lives for the cause. The 
family was strongly identified with the early 
history of the old church of Tennent, New 
Jersey, the names of many of its members 
being found in the baptism, burial, and com- 
municant lists of the church. They are con- 
spicuous too in the lists of contributors to the 
building and upkeep of the edifice. In the 
neighboring Fir,st Presbyterian Church of 
Cranbury three generations of the family were 
elders. Some of the original Mount family 
stock now reside in England in the counties of 
Monmouth. Middlesex, and the southern parts 
of the country. Of those who came to Amer- 
ica some settled at an early date in Mrginia, 
Oliio. Kentucky and Indiana, and there are 
also prominent families of the name in Louis- 
iana, Mississippi. Missouri, y\rkansas. and on 
the Pacific coast, most of whom owe their 
origin to early ancestors in New Jersey. 

Many members of this family have married 
into the leading families, past and present, in 
the counties of Mercer, Middlesex and Mon- 
mouth in New Jersey. The family ramifica- 
tions have extended very widely, tiiough it is 
not of course claimed that everybody bearing 
the name in America owe their origin to the 
same immigrant ancestor, or even have any 
relation at all. It is certain that many bearing 
the name of Mont or Le Mont, or some other 
name akin to these forms, have in course of 
time had their name metamorphosed to the 
more prevalent and obvious form of Mount. 
The first of the family or of the name to 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



settle in New Jersey was George Mount, who 
died in 1705. He was one of the original 
purchasers of Middletown, Monmouth coun- 
ty, New Jersey, from the Indians in 1665. 
George Mount bought land jointly with Ben- 
jamin Borden, who came from Rhode Island, 
so it is probable that he also came from the 
same locality. George Mount was one of the 
founders of the First Baptist Church of Mid- 
dletown, Monmouth county. New Jersey, in 
1667. He was also deputy to the general 
assembly, held at Portland Point in 1668. He 
married a lady of the name of Katherine, but 
whose other name remains unrecorded. They 
had at least three children, Matthias, Richard 
and Katherine. Matthias, who lived at Mid- 
dletown, Monmouth county. New Jersey, died 
in 1695, having married Mary, and had chil- 
dren Matthias and Thomas. Richard also 
lived at Middletown, like his brother, Mat- 
thias, and also owned land on Cranbury creek, 
Middlesex county. New Jersey. He died in 
1715, having married Rebecca and had chil- 
dren : Richard and George. Probably John 
was also his son ; the will of this John Mount 
is dated 1772, and in it he mentions his chil- 
dren. John, Catherine, Phebe. Alice ; his 
grandchildren, Chloe. the daughter of John 
and liis grandchild : and Joseph, son of Mat- 
thias, deceased. Thomas Mount, who lived 
at Shrewsbury, was the son of Matthias, the 
son of George, and had four children. The 
eldest of them was Samuel, who moved to 
New York and became the ancestor of the 
Mounts of that city. He married Margaret, 
daughter of Adam Dobbs. and had five chil- 
dren : Adam. Joseph, Frances, Thomas and 
^^'ilIiam. It is very probable that the Mount 
familv here dealt with is descended from 
Samuel through one of the sons mentioned 
above. 

fl) Edward Mount is the first member of 
the family here under consideration directly 
in line. So far all attempts to discover the 
links binding him to the first George have 
failed though it is almost undoubted that he 
was one of his descendants. He lived in 
New York Citv and was a master mason. He 
married Mary Polheumus, whose brother, 
A -iron Polheumus, was a prominent silk man- 
ufacturer of Paterson, New Jersey. Children : 
I. Elizabeth, married (first) a Mr. Price, and 
("second") a Mr. Hammon. 2. Edward, men- 
tioned below. 



(II) Edward (2), son of Edward (i) and 
Mary (Polheumus) Mount, was born in New 
York City in 1839, died in 1877. He was 
educated in New York City, and was a master 
mechanic for the New York, New Haven & 
Hartford railroad. He had a good deal of 
ability and a promising career, but he died 
before he reached the age of forty. He was 
a member of the East River Yacht Club, and 
a member of the Copeston Lodge, Free and 
Accepted Masons, New York City. He mar- 
ried Fredericka Merritt, who died in 1869. 
•^be was the daughter of Frederick S. and 
Elizabeth (Kranz) Merritt. of New York City. 
They had one son, James Carr, mentioned 
below 

(III) James Carr, only son of Edward (2) 
and Fredericka (Merritt) Mount, was born in 
New York City, December 25, 1863. He was 
educated in the public schools of New York 
and Philadelphia. When he grew up he went 
into the auditing department of the Wells, 
Fargo Express Company, and remained there 
for a year or two. In 1880 he settled with 
his uncle at Highland Falls. New York. On 
the organization of the Citizens' National 
Bank of Highland Falls he was made cashier, 
a position he still retains. He is a Free 
Mason, and a member of the Knights of 
Pythias. He served in the Snanish-American 
war in the Fourth United States Volunteer 
Infantrv Immunes. 



Kreutz is a German surname. 
KREUTZ and is probably derived from 

Kreuz. the German word for 
Cross. The name is well known in Ger- 
many, and is also used in connection 
with other words to form comnounded sur- 
names. The name occurs occasionallv in the 
records of the old emigration from Germany, 
verv often being slightlv changed in an effort 
to preserve the pronunciation at the cost of 
the orthographv. just as the German "Rraun" 
often becomes "Brown" in this coimtrv. 

fl) Benedict Kreutz was horn in Trier, the 
Rhine Province. Germany, died in Germany 
in 1909. He was a tanner by occupation. He 
served in the Prussian army during the years 
18J.8 and 1849. He married Lena Simon, 
there beins eight children of the marriage. 
Four of these children only grew up to adult 
life. They were Tohn. mentioned below; 
Christina, Louisa, Theresa. 



286 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



(II) John, son of Benedict and Lena 
(Simon) Kreutz, was born in the village of 
Schoenecken, Province of the Rhine, Ger- 
many, January 22, 1854. His education was 
obtained in Germany, and in 1870, at the age 
of sixteen, he came to this country, settling 
in course of time in Newburg, New York. 
From Newburg he went to Highland Falls, 
where he now lives, leading a retired life. 
He learned the baker trade in Germany, and 
when he settled in Highland Falls he engaged 
in that business, starting in a small way. He 
gradually increased his business, and at his 
retirement in the year 1908 he had the largest 
business in that section of the county. He 
was one of the incorporators of the First 
National Bank of Highland Falls, and is now 
second vice-president in the same institution. 
Mr. Kreutz is a Mason, belonging to West 
Point Lodge, No. 877, Free and Accepted 
Masons, and a charter member of the same 
lodge. He is also a member of the Indepen- 
dent Order of Odd Fellows, and of the 
Knights of Pythias. He married, in 1879, 
Sophia Gerken, born in 185 1, in New York, 
daughter of Julius and Johanna (Rolfs) Ger- 
ken, of German descent. There have been 
eight children of the marriage, four of whom 
are now living, namely : Mary, who is at 
home with her father ; Theresa, who is a 
teacher in the high school at Yonkers; John, 
mentioned below ; Eleanor, who is at school 
at the present time in New Haven, Connecti- 
cut ; Arthur. Sophia. Benedict, .'\flelaide. all 
of whom died when young. 

fill) John (2). only son of John (i) and 
Sophia (Gerken") Kreutz. was born at High- 
land Falls. New York, October 9, 1883. He 
is now in business in Eaton, Colorado. 



This surname, as far as con- 
FORSYTH cerns its place of origin, is 
prevalent chiefly in Scotland. 
The name is in all likelihood derived after 
the Norman fashion from Forcett (whence 
aNn Fawcctt), a township in the wanentakc 
of Gillingwest in the North Riding of York- 
shire. England. Most genuine Scottish names 
are patronymical in origin, that is they are 
derived from the surname of some near or 
remote ancestor with mac, after the Gaelic 
fashion, or some other prefix or suffix at- 
tached. Whether the family in its earliest 
days originated in Yorkshire, or in some other 



county in the north of England or in Scot- 
land, it is certain that it is chiefly with Scot- 
land that the family and the family name are 
associated. There are five families of the 
name, nearly all situated with their subsidiary 
branches north of the Tweed, who are the 
possessors of legalized coats-of-arms. The 
chief of these shields heraldically described is : 
Argent a cheval, engraved between three grif- 
fins segreant vert, armed and ducally crowned 
or. Crest : A denii griffin vert, armed and 
ducally crowned or. 

(I) John Forsyth, the immigrant ancestor 
in America of the Forsyth family here dealt 
with, was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1786 
or 1787, and died at Newburg, Orange county. 
New York, in 1854. He was educated in the 
public schools of Aberdeen and had for a 
schoolmate Lord Byron. He came to this 
country in 1805, intending to go to Georgia, 
but some of his father's family had settled in 
this state years before and he stayed in New 
York City for a time. Finally by the advice 
of Professor Kemp of Columbia College he 
settled in Newburg, Orange county, and found 
employment there. He began to live in New- 
burg in the year t8io. and he continued in 
his first position until 1825. in which year he 
became engaged in the building business, join- 
ing as a partner in the firm of Law. Beveridge 
& Company. His association with this firm 
and business continued until the time of his 
death in 1854. He had. however, various 
other interests and was director of the Na- 
tional Bank of Newburg, trustee of the New- 
burg Academy, and was prominently connect- 
ed with the Newburg Steam Mills. He was 
for a long time an elder in the Associate 
Reformed Church and was a generous and 
zealous member. He married (first) Jane, 
eldest daughter of John Currie; and (second) 
Anna, youngest daughter of John Brown. 
Children : John, mentioned below ; Robert 
Alexander, mentioned below ; James. 

(II) Rev. John (2) Forsyth. D.D LL.D., 
son of John (i) Forsyth, founder of the fam- 
ily in America, was born December to, 1810. 
in Newburg, died October 17. i8Ft6, in the 
place of his birth. He grraduatod from Rut- 
gers College in 1820, studied theology at New- 
bursr under Rev. Dr. McCarrell. and later at 
Edinburgh and Glasgow, Scotland. In i8^.T 
he returned to America and married Anna B. 
Hyer, widow of Rev. Matthew L. Fullerton. 




///. . >;v.v//// ^///.. Js L^/ 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



287 



From 1834 to 1848 he was pastor of the 
Union Associate Reformed Church at New- 
burg. He was then appointed professor of 
Latin and History at Princeton University, 
where he remained until 1852. In i860 he 
was appointed professor of Enghsh and Liter- 
ature at Rutgers College, and in 1871 he 
accepted the appointment of chaplain and pro- 
fessor of Law and Ethics at the United States 
Military Academy at West Point, serving un- 
til 1882, when he retired with the rank of 
colonel. For twenty-four years he was presi- 
dent of the Newburg Board of Education ; 
was a director of the Newburg National Bank, 
and trustee of the Savings Bank. 

(H) Robert Alexander, second son of John 
( I ) Forsyth, was born at Newburg, Orange 
county. New York, in 1833, died November 25, 
1873. He was a large property owner and 
was well known in financial circles in the 
metropolis of New York. He was a member 
of the village board of trustees in Newburg, 
Orange county, and was a director of the 
National Bank of Newburg. In religion he 
was a member of the Reformed Dutch church. 
He married Charlotte Pierson, daughter of 
Samuel Williams, of Newburg. Children: i. 
George W., married Emily \'. Burrill, daugh- 
ter of John E. Burrill ; no children ; they 
live in New York. 2. Mary \\"illianis, men- 
tioned below. 

(Ill) Mary Williams, daughter of Robert 
Alexander and Charlotte Pierson (Williams) 
Forsyth, was born in Newburg, New York. 
She married Edward Allen W'ickes, and they 
have two children : May Forsyth W'ickes ; 
and John Forsyth W'ickes, who married 
Marion Arnett Haven, daughter of George 
Griswold Haven, of New York, and they have 
three children. 



This family was one of the first 
SAHTH to settle in Orange county. New 
York, locating there as early as 
1727. Smith Cove, near the village of High- 
land Falls, was named for the family, and 
mention is made of that settlement in the 
records of Cornwall in 1765. 

(11 Clark Smith, the progenitor of this 
branch of the family, was for many years a 
prosperous farmer in the county. He made 
his home near Mineral Springs, then in the 
town of Monroe, which in 1889 became the 
town of Woodbury. He owned a fine farm 



of three hundred acres and was one of the 
most prosperous farmers in the community. 
He married Hannah Davenport. Nine chil- 
dren were born of this marriage: Thomas, 
Clark, Isaac, Oliver, Samuel R., Elijah, Ste- 
phen, Asahel, mentioned below ; Hannah, mar- 
ried Joseph Barton, of Cornwall, and had five 
children. 

(II) Asahel, son of Clark and Hannah 
(Davenport) Smith, was born on his father's 
farm in Woodbury, March 22, 1794. He was 
educated in the common schools of his coun- 
ty, and at an early age went to Southold, and 
there rented a farm which he managed for 
several years. He later settled in Turner, New 
York, and there purchased a farm of one 
hundred and forty-four acres, the place being 
known in later years as the Barr farm. He died 
in Turner in 1867. He was a Whig in politics, 
and held a number of town offices. He mar- 
ried, January 10, 1816, Elizabeth Turner, born 
May 4, 1778. and died in 1857 or 1858. Five 
children: Gilbert, born October 1, 1816; 
Charles, June 25, 1819; John, July 16, 1822; 
Hannah, December 7, 1827, married King 
Rider ; Stephen, mentioned below. 

(III) Stephen, son of Asahel and Elizabeth 
(Turner) Smith, was born on the old farm 
homestead at Turner, now Harriman, New 
York, June 28, 1S29. He attended the public 
schools of his native county and worked on 
his father's farm for several years. Soon 
after his marriage in 1853 he located on the 
farm owned by his wife's father, which he 
purchased, and here he has made his home to 
date. The farm covered four hundred acres 
and was one of the richest in the county. In 
1908 he sold three hundred and five acres of 
the farm to the Erie and New Jersey rail- 
roads. Mr. Smtih has met with marked suc- 
cess in liis business and is one of the most 
progressive farmers in the county. He is con- 
nected with a number of business enterprises. 
He is a director of the Columbus Trust Com- 
panv of Newburg, New York, the Highland 
Mills Telephone Company, and the Highland 
Mills Cemetery Association. In politics he is 
a Republican. He served for a number of 
years as road commissioner. In relieion he is 
a member of the Hishland Mills Methodist 
Episcopal Church. He married, in T85.S, 
Mary, daugrhter of Elijah and Susan (Barton) 
Cocks, of Monroe. One child: Emma, born 
in 1858, still living; married Charles Hand, 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



who died in 190S; children: S. Herbert; 
AHce, married John Thurston Jr.; Susie 
Cocks, now a teacher in the pubHc schools of 
Hempstead, Long Island. Mrs. Smith is a 
granddaughter of Jacob Cocks, son of Town- 
send Cocks, a pioneer settler of the town of 
Turner. 



Henry Traphagen. the 
TRAPHAGEN first member of this fam- 
ily of whom we have any 
definite information, was born June 3, 1764. 
died September 25, 18 18. He married Eliza- 
beth , born March 16, 1775, died October 

16, 1826. Children: i. Henry, born Septem- 
ber 29, 1796. 2. John H., born May 5, 1801 ; 
was twice married, his second wife being 
Catherine David, by whom he had one daugh- 
ter, Harriet A., who married John L. Sloat, 
and died April 10, 1910; both were prominent 
workers in Trinity Church. He was in the 
lumber business in Newburg. 3. William, 
born October 25, 1803. 4. William A., born 
October 25, 1805. 5. Uriah, born February 
II, 1808. 6. Mary Ann, born September 14, 
1810. 7. Peter H., referred to below. 8. 
Catherine G., born April 25, 1818. 

(H) Peter H., son of Henry and Elizabeth 
Traphagen, was born on his father's farm 
near Hurley. Ulster county. New York. March 
19, 1814, died in Newburg, New York, in 
1883. He received his early education in the 
public schools and helped his father on the 
farm until he was twelve years of age, when 
he removed to Newburg, New York, and was 
apprenticed to learn the cabinetmaker's trade. 
He continued in this occupation for some 
years until ill-health caused him to dispose of 
his business and he then engaged in carting 
and trucking in which work he remained for 
forty years until his death. He was a Metho- 
dist in religion, and was class-reader and for 
several vcars also one of the trustees of 
Trinity Church in Newburg. He was a mem- 
ber of the old Newburg volunteer fire depart- 
ment from 1830 until 1849. He was a member 
of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. 
He married Margaret Jane Stewart. Chil- 
dren: I. Marv E.. died 1882, married Wil- 
liam Wynn ; child. Frank E. 2. Peter W., 
born 1843; married (first) Jennie St. John. 

married (second^) Marion : he is now an 

attorney in Jacksonville, Florida. 3 Uriah, 
referred to below. 



(Ill) Uriah, son of Peter H. and Margaret 
Jane (Stewart) Traphagen, was born in New- 
burg, New York, Alay 25, 1847, where he is 
now living. He received his early education 
in the public schools, and then learned the 
trade of a machinist but did not like the work 
and removed to Brooklyn, New York, and 
was employed in the Hour and feed business 
for a siiort time. He returned to Newburg 
and entered the grocery business and finally 
established himself in the trucking business, in 
which he continued for thirty-five years until 
his retirement in 1904, in which year he built 
the "Traphagen" storage warehouse in New- 
burg. in the management of which he is still 
occupied. He is a Republican in politics. He 
is a member of the American Reformed 
church and is an elder in the church in New- 
burg, and for a number of years was the 
superintendent of the old Gleason Mission 
.Sunday-school. He married (first) in 1870. 
Martha M. VanKuren, died in 1889; (second) 
in 1901, Mary Tremper. Children, all by first 
marriage: i. Louis B.. born 1875; educated 
in the public schools and entered the office of 
the Newburg Ice Machine and Engine Com- 
pany, remaining for six years, then entered 
the office department of Ball & Company, in 
Erie, Pennsvlvania : is now (1913) holdirig an 
important position in the draughting depart- 
ment of the Westinghousc Machine Company, 
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 2. Margaret 
Jane, born 1879; unmarried. 3. Clarence, born 
1881. unmarried. 



The surname, Tasman, is old 
T.\.SM.\N Dutch in origin, from Hoorn, 
Holland, being a compound de- 
rived from the two words "tas", meaning a 
purse or pouch, and "man". The great navi- 
gator of the Southern Ocean, so called, gave 
his name to Tasmania. The name is not very 
prevalent in the British Isles, though the fam- 
ilv bearing it. and dealt with in this case, 
cmiirratcd from England. 

(I) Thomas Tasman, the immigrant ances- 
tor of the Tasman family in .\merica here 
dealt with, himself the son of Thomas Tas- 
man, was born in London. England, in the 
vear 1808, died in 1887. He was for a num- 
ber of years in the undertaking business, and 
later was a trunk manufacturer in Perrv Lane. 
London, Enirland. His home was called the 
W'almer House, and he was living in that 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



289 



house at the time he decided to emigrate to 
America. He settled in course of time in the 
vicinity of Nyack, Rockland county, New- 
York, and was superintendent of Oak Hill 
cemetery and undertaker in Nyack and its 
vicinity from about the year 1848 until the 
time of his death. He was succeeded by his 
son, Thomas Frederick Tasman, in the same 
business, the son acting as an assistant from 
the year 1872. Thomas Tasman married 
(first) Sarah Bathy, born in London, England. 
He married (second) Jane Myers, born at 
Nyack, Rockland county, New York. Chil- 
dren by first marriage: i. Sarah Elizabeth, 
born in 1831, married James Lyon. 2. Ma- 
tilda Martha Suasnna, born in 1833, married 
John \y. Felter. 3. Thomas Frederick, men- 
tioned below. Children by second marriage : 
4. Maria, married John Fredericks. 5. Rachel 
Ann. married James N. Dines. 

(11) Thomas Frederick, son of Thomas and 
Sarah (Bathy) Tasman, was born in Port 
Richmond, Staten Island, New York, July i, 
1838. He attended the public schools in Ny- 
ack and Blauveltville. beginning at the age of 
five years, and continuing his sttidies there 
until he was thirteen years of age. He was 
then apprenticed to the firm of George and 
John Colsey, cabinet makers, in New York 
City, for a term of eight years, and at the 
expiration of his term he became a master 
mechanic. He then returned to Nyack and 
learned the trade of boat building and car- 
pentrv and then became connected with the 
firm of A. and H. Storms & Company, manu- 
facturers of cedar ware in Nyack. He then 
engaged with a partner in the confectionery 
and ice crejim business in Nyack, and con- 
tinued until 1 87 1, when he dissolved the part- 
nership and joined his father in the tmdertak- 
ing business, which had been established in 
1857 in Nyack. He succeeded his father as 
superintendent of Oak Hill ccmeterv in 1872. 
He is an Independent in politics. He was a 
member of the board of education of the vil- 
lage of Nyack for nine years. He is a mem- 
ber of Rockland Lodge. No. 723. Free and 
Accented IVTasons : Oneko Lodg-e. No. 122. and 
Rockland Encamnment, Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows of Nvack. He is also a charter 
member of the Emnire Hook and Ladder 
"Company, No. i. Upper Nyack. which he 
Joined on Februarv 22. 1863. and is still an 
active member. He has also been superinten- 



dent of the Methodist Episcopal Sunday 
school for many years. 

He was married (first) November 26, 1861, 
in Nyack, Rockland county. New York, by the 
Rev. Dr. Day, Mary Perry, born in Nyack, 
April 24, 1835, died November 3, 1905. He 
married (second) June 10, 1910, Mary E. 
Sturtevant, born in 1856. The children, all 
by first marriage, are: i. Robert Hart, born 
July 12, 1864, married Mae Leonard, March 
5, 1889; there has been one son of this mar- 
riage, Harold Frederick, born in 189 1. 2. 
Emily Valeria, born March 13, 1869, married 
George Edwin Gregory. 3. Harry Perry, men- 
tioned below. John Gilchrist Perry, father of 
Mrs. Mary (Perry) Tasman, was born March 
24, 1799, died June 24, 1893, in his ninety- 
fourth year. He married Ann Gesner, born 
December 6, 1818, died April 17, 1854. The 
children were: i. Amanda (twin), married, 
July 19, 1851, Hageman Onderdonk. 2. Em- 
ily (twin), married Aaron Sares (or Sayres), 
July 25. 1850. 3. Henry, married, January 9, 
1859, Olive Acher. 4. Margaret, married, Oc- 
tober 18, 1852, George Smith. 5. Juliet, re- 
mained unmarried. 6. Mary, mentioned 
above, who married Thomas Frederick Tas- 
man. 7. Rachel Ann, married Robert ILirt, 
April 18, i860. 8. Hannah Elizabeth, married 
Thomas V. W. Warner, November 22, 1865. 
9. Elmira, married James A. Christie. Sep- 
tember 27, 1866. 10. David Coddington, mar- 
ried Florence Carbront, May 6, 1878. 11. 
John, married Anna Demarest, May 16. 1878. 

(Ill) Harry Perry, second son of Thomas 
Frederick and Mary (Perry) Tasman. was 
born at Nyack, Rockland county. New York, 
November 5, 1873. He attended the Nyack 
public schools from the time he was six years 
old until he arrived at the age of eiehteen 
years. Then he graduated from the Nyack 
hisrh school with his class. He then entered 
the service of the United States Indian De- 
partment, and remained in the department for 
four vears as a clerk, at the end of which time 
he resigned and went to Summit. New Jersey. 
There he engaged in the musical instrument 
and sporting goods business, remaining in this 
business one year, when he disposed of the 
bti=inpss and returned to Nyack There he 
ioined his father in the undertaking and em- 
balmine business, continuing until 1895. He 
then entered the Champion Collesre of Em- 
balmine and took the full coiirse. crradiintins: 



290 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



September i8, 1896, when he received his 
diploma. He then rejoined his father in busi- 
ness, remaining with him until 1909, when 
the firm of Thomas Frederick Tasman & Son 
was formed. He became a full partner in the 
business and is now the active member. 
Through his untiring eftorts and ambition the 
firm is doing a good business and stands high 
in the estimation of the town. He is a Re- 
publican in politics, but has never held any of- 
fice. He is a member of St. Paul's Methodist 
Episcopal Church. He is a member of Rockland 
Lodge, No. 723, Free and Accepted Masons, 
Nyack; Rockland Chapter, No. 204, Royal 
Arch Masons, Nyack; Grant Lodge, No. 385, 
Knights of Pythias, Nyack. He is an exempt 
member of the Mazeppa Engineer Company, 
No. 2, of Nyack. He is a director of the 
Nyack Building, Co-operative, Savings & Loan 
Association of Nyack, and also a charter mem- 
ber of the Young Men's Christian Association, 
Nyack Branch. 

He was married, March 29, 1896, in Spring 
■Valley, New York, by the Rev. Dr. Thomas 
Stevens, Myra Louisa Giles, born August 31, 
1876, in New York City. Children: Harry 
Giles, born January 17, 1897; he now attends 
Nyack high school and will take the full term 
and graduate in 191 5. Earl Francis, born 
February 7, igoo; he attends Nyack grammar 
school. John Peter Giles, father of Mrs. Myra 
Louisa (Giles) Tasman, was a carriage 
builder. He married Auguste Pye. Their 
children were : .^gnes Randolph, Sarah Fran- 
ces, Catherine Mae, Myra Louisa, mentioned 
above; Hjle Ann King, Andrew Albertson, 
Rhuey Albertson. 



Smith is what is sometimes called 
SMITH an occupational surname, and as 

such it is used in its various 
modifications in many countries. The word 
Smith is Anglo-Saxon in origin and comes 
from smitan, to smite, originally "any one who 
strikes or smites with a hammer, an artificer, 
a carpenter, smith or workman.'' In later times 
Smith was applied specifically to a worker in 
metals, while wyrhta. wright, was given to 
artificers in wood and other materials. Be- 
sides Smith simple, we have Smithson (the 
proper names of the Earls of Northumber- 
land, but rejected by them in favor of Percy), 
to which the Irish and Scotch Mac Gowan 



( meaning son of the Smith, but generally 
anglicised simply Smith) corresponds, as well 
as the Smithsons and Grosmiths, who, if they 
have not corrupted the spelling, are set off 
against the Fabrucci or "little Smiths" of 
Italian celebrity. So general was the appli- 
cation of the word "smith" that in the Saxon 
Chronicle we find the expression "mighty war- 
smiths" applied to valorous soldiers, and the 
great enemy of mankind is called "hell smith," 
thou.gh the phrase, being also applied to Vul- 
can, has probably a direct reference to smith- 
ery in the modern sense. Blacksmith and 
Whitesmith are also used as surnames, but 
they are rare. The Brownsmith was one who- 
prepared the far-famed "brown bills" once 
more formidable than the "Brown Bess" of 
later times. Nasmyth stands for nail-smith or 
nailer. The Arrowsmiths of old prepared the 
arrows, as the Spearsmiths fashioned the 
spears and lances. The Shoesmiths took care 
of the horses' feet. The Billsmiths made bills, 
the Shearsmiths shears and the Knyfesmiths 
knives. The Locksmiths made locks and keys 
in the olden days as they do today. Gold- 
smiths are known in every country, and the 
brass and copper workers of ancient days are 
now represented in the familv nomenclature 
by Arsmiths and Copperwrights. "Bokell- 
smyths" are mentioned in a quaint English 
poem called "Cock Lorelles Bote" in conjunc- 
tion with "blacksmyths and ferrars'' and henc; 
doubtless the otherwise unintelligible name of 
Bucksniilh. who is thus proved to be next of 
kin to the Bucklers. Again the obsolete 
Hvldsmith is a soldier, being a compound of 
the Ancrlo-Saxon hild, war, battle. One Will- 
iam Hvldsmith dwelt in Cambridgeshire, 
temp., Edward I. More than two hundred 
years ago Verstegan asked the question : 

"From whence comes Smith all be he knight or 
squire. 
But frnm the smith that forgeth at the fire?" 

"\'el it would appear from the addition or 
the alteration of a letter that some families are 
unwilling to be content with such a genealogy 
for their surname. There is little doubt, how- 
ever, that all the Smiths, Smitheses, Smithes, 
Smythes, Smijths, etc., were originally pos- 
sessors of the same occupational surname. In 
France the same fastidiousness prevails on the 
subject and Monsieur Lefevrc (a word now 
supplanted by Forgeron) often writes himself 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



291 



Lefebvre. British statistics show that in the 
years 1838-54 the Smiths registered for births, 
marriages and deaths a number amounting to 
286, 307, or about one in seventy of the total 
number of persons that were registered. 

(I) Thomas Smith was born September 16, 
1823, in Nova Scotia, died August 24, 1905, 
aged eighty-two years. He spent part of his 
youth in Nova Scotia, where he was educated. 
But the larger scope offered to a career of 
talent in the United States attracted him, and 
he finally went to Rockland county, New York. 
His business was the manufacturing of shoes, 
and he built up a concern of considerable pro- 
portions. In politics Mr. Smith was a Repitb- 
lican. and he was affiliated with the Methodist 
church. He married Hanna Penoyer (Rob- 
bins) Dutcher, widow of Abraham Dutcher, 
and daughter of Nathaniel and Elizabeth 
Robbins. The children of Abraham and Han- 
na P. (Robbins) Dutcher were: Oliver H. : 
Lavina, widow of Peter Anthony, of Closter, 
New Jersey. Children of Thomas and Hanna 
P. (Robbins-Dutcher) Smith were : Charlotte; 
Henry Edwin, mentioned below ; Evelina ; 
Washington Irving; Mary Elizabeth. 

(II) Henry Edwin, eldest son of Thomas 
and Hanna Penoyer (Robbins-Dutcher) 
Smith, was born at Clarkstown, Rockland 
county. New York, March 26, 1846. He was 
educated in the public schools, and started in 
his business career by engaging in the express, 
transportation and undertaking business. After 
he had spent some years in these lines of busi- 
ness he was appointed keeper in Sing Sing 
prison, when he was about twenty years old 
and served in that capacity for about four 
years. Some time after he left that position 
he was appointed clerk of the capitol commis- 
sion at Albany and served in that position for 
four years, the period of his engagement be- 
ing from 1872 to 1876. He then looked out 
for a complete change of environment and 
secured a farm in Ember, Wyoming, where 
he spent two years in ranching, ^^'hen he left 
Wyoming he returned to Nyack. In IQ08 he 
was elected village clerk of the Nyack munic- 
ipalitv and still holds that position, Mr. 
Smith has also seen military service. He en- 
listed December 30, 1863, in Company B, One 
Hundred and Twenty-seventh New York Vol- 
unteers. He served one year and was then 
transferred to Camp A, Fifty-fourth Veteran 
\'olunteers of New Jersey. He served under 



General Sherman in his "march to the sea," the 
capture of Charleston and until the close of 
the war. After the closing of hostilities he was 
appomted captain of Company B, Sixteenth 
Battalion of the National Guard of the State 
of New York. Mr. Smith is past mas- 
ter of Rockland Lodge, No. 723, Free and 
Accepted Masons; past commander of Wal- 
dron Post, No. 82, Grand Army of tiie Re- 
public, and secretary of the Star Publishing 
Company of Nyack. Mr. Smith is a Repub- 
lican in politics. He was elected supervisor 
and town collector for three terms in the town 
of Orangetown, also appointed clerk of the 
board of water commission and clerk of the 
board of sewer commission, serving full terms. 
He and his family belong to the Methodist 
church. 

Pie married. May 8, 1841, at Clarkstown, 
Rockland county. New York, Theresa Louisa, 
daughter of George F. and Emeline (Strong) 
Burdick. Mr. Burdick, the father of Mrs. 
Theresa Louisa (Burdick) Smith, was a man- 
ufacturer of shoes. His other children were: 
Frank W., Anna M., Daniel Strong, Lawton 
M., George, Frances, Minnie. 



Many of the large and important 
ESSEX industries of the Hudson valley 
and of New York state have 
been founded and carried to successful oper- 
ation by men of English birth and mechanical 
training. As a nation the English are thor- 
ough in their methods and in the mechanical 
arts have long led the v^'orld. The name of 
Essex in the United States is intimately con- 
nected with the early manufacture of needles ; 
the founder of this branch of the family being 
also the founder of that great industry. 

(I) Henry Essex was born in England, 
where he was educated and learned the trade 
of machinist ; he also became a skilled worker 
in metal ; after coming to the United States 
he worked in various places, finally settling 
not far from New York City, where he en- 
gaged in manufacturing. He became inter- 
ested in the manufacture of sewing needles 
and was the first in the United States to manu- 
facture that useful household necessity. T-ater 
in life he became proprietor of the "Delinore 
House" at Piermont, New York, which he 
operated from 1886 until 1889, when he re- 
tired. He was a Republican in politics, and a 



292 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



member of the Protestant Episcopal church. 
He married Harriet Lane. Children: Will- 
iam, Mary, Frank, Clara, Ella, George D. 

(H) William, son of Henry Essex, was 
born in Piermont, Rockland county, New 
York, September 8, 1853, died March 27, 1907. 
He was educated in the public school, and 
early entered the employ of the Erie Rail- 
road Company at Nyack, New York, as a tele- 
graph operator, later becoming station agent, 
a position he held continuously until his death. 
He was a faithful and trusted employee, and 
held in high esteem by his superior officers 
and by his to\vns])eople. He was a Republican 
in politics and a devoted member of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal ciiurch. He married. Novem- 
ber, 1879. Elizabeth Looser, born in Piermont, 
New York, November 4, 1861, daughter of 
Louis Looser. Children : Harry Theodore, 
of whom further ; Aimic Regina, born May 
22, 1882; William Leo, February 8, 1886, now 
a minister of the Protestant Episcopal church. 

(HI) PLirry Theodore, eldest son of Will- 
iam Essex, was born in Piermont, New York, 
September 4, 1880. He was educated in the 
public schools of Nyack, New York, and in 
1897 began business life. He formed a con- 
nection with the New York Life Insurance 
Society in that year, continuing until 1901. In 
the latter year he engaged in the real estate 
and insurance business in Nyack. and at the 
present date (1913) is still successfully oper- 
ating along the same. He is a man of sterling 
business qualities and holds the confidence of 
his fellows. He is a Republican in politics, 
and is now serving his second term as town 
clerk of the town of Orangetown, New York, 
being first elected in 1907, re-elected in 1909, 
and again in 191 1. He takes' active interest 
in town affairs ; is a member of the Mazeppa 
Engine Company, No. 2, of Nyack. and of 
the following fraternal orders : Rockland 
T-odge. No. 732, Free and Accepted Masons ; 
Crant Lodge, No. 385, Knights of Pythias : 
Onko Lodge, No. 122. Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows, and Court Ta])anze Council. No. 
225. Order of Foresters In relieious faith 
he is an Episcopalian. Pie married. Septem- 
ber 19, 1006. at .St. Paul's Chanel, New York 
City. Helen Elmira, born in Brooklyn. New 
York. Aueust 22. 1883. eldest daughter of 
Tohn Ralph and Elizabeth Ann (Von Heer") 
Young. Her father, a contractor of Brook- 
lyn, had other children : Elizabeth and Ralph. 



No biographical work on 
STUYVESANT the historic families of 
America is comjjlete 
without a full account of this famous family, 
whose progenitor was Petrus Stuyvesant, the 
last governor of New Netherlands under the 
Dutch regime. The family was of ancient 
origin in Holland. The name is derived from 
the word, "stuiven," to stir or raise dust, and 
the word "sand."' Rev. Balthazar Stuyvesant, 
or Stuyfsant, as the name was sometimes 
spelled, was a well educated and scholarly 
man. He was for some years pastor of the 
Reformed church at Berkilum, in the province 
of Friesland, Holland. He later removed to 
Guelderland, where he died in 1637. The 
heraldic description of the family seal is as 
follows: Arms, per fesse or and gules; in 
chief, a hound following a hare ; in base, a 
stag, courant : all ])roper and Courturne. 
Crest: r)ut of a j)rince"s coronet, or a demi- 
stag salient and conturne proper. Motto : 
Jovoe Proestat federi quam homini. 

(I) Petrus. son of Rev. Balthazar Stuyve- 
sant, was born in Holland, in 1592. The exact 
place of his birth is not definitely known. He 
received a liberal education and at an early 
date entered the army. He was appointed by 
the West India Company governor of the 
island of Curacao, in the Caribbean sea. His 
administration of the affairs of the compa'iv 
in the island gained him great distinction. lie 
also aclrieved military honors through his 
heroic work in an expedition against the islcmn 
of .St. Martin, a Portuguese possession, in 
1644. In the attack on the island he was 
severely wounded in his right leg. In order 
to receive proper medical treatment, he wa« 
forced to return to Holland, where it was 
found necessary to amputate the limb. ,i.pd for 
the remainder of ids life he was forced to 
wear a wooden leg. The loss of his leg did 
not lessen his desire for military exploits, and 
on July 28. 1646. he was cnnimission'^H 
director-eeneral. or governor of New Nether- 
lands. He arrived in New Amsterdam. ?^I^.y 
27. 1647. where he received a public ov?tion. 
He at once took up the administration of the 
affairs of the province with ereat visror. His 
Jurisdiction extended over the territory em- 
braced bv the present state of New York, and 
the coimtry south to the month of the Dela- 
ware river. He had charge of the administra- 
tion of the affairs in the islands of Asuba. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



293 



Bonaire and Curacao on the Spanish Main. 
He gave the colony of New Amsterdam pro- 
tection from attacks of hostile Indians and 
the aggression of European countries. He had 
a strong paHsade built across the island north 
of the town, following practically the present 
location of Wall and Rector streets. He sent 
out expeditions against the Swedes, who were 
settling on the Delaware river, and the Indians 
at Esopus. His administration of the affairs 
of New Amsterdam was distinguished for 
firmness and ability, and while it would be 
considered to-day as despotic, yet in all his 
personal relations he was honest, considerate 
and never cruel. All his actions were gov- 
erned by a high-minded sense of the dignity 
of his office. When the inhabitants com- 
plained of the high rate of taxes and insisted 
in having a voice in the management of the 
colony, he at first refused their demands, but 
finally permitted a council of nine men to be 
elected by burghers to consult with him in the 
management. He had rigid ideas as to the 
freedom of public worship and would not 
permit the clergy to depart from the orthodox 
ideas of the Dutch church. In one instance 
he fined a preacher five hundred dollars for 
expounding doctrines differing from the reg- 
ularly accepted theology of the Dutch Re- 
formed church. Fie made many improvements 
in the city. He recognized the possibilities of 
New Amsterdam as a center of trade for the 
growing colonies of America and prophesied 
the time would come when its "ships would 
ride on every sea." England too recognized 
the importance of the colony, and in 1664, 
when the English fleet appeared in the harbor 
and demanded the surrender of the city. Gov- 
ernor Stuyvesant flew in a rage and declared 
"as long as he had a leg to stand on or an 
arm to fight with," he would never surrender. 
He did everything in his power to withstand 
a seige, but his efforts were without avail as 
his force of two hundred militia and sixty 
resrulars could not successfully oppose a force 
of four men-of-war, mounting ninetv-two guns 
and manned by a force of four hundred and 
fifty men. On Sentember 8, 1664, he sur- 
rendered the city. In 1665 he was recalled to 
Holland by the government to give a report 
on his administration. In 166*^ he returned 
to New York, where he made his home until 
his death in early 1672. 

He owned valuable real estate in the city. 



His residence was known as "White-hall," the 
present \\'hitehall street being named after it. 
Governor Stuyvesant's house, the Bouwerie, 
with grounds of some eighty acres, was situ- 
ated in that part of the present city of New 
York, comprised between Third avenue, the 
East river. Sixth and 23rd streets. The house 
on this place cost 6.500 guilders, a large sum 
for those days. It was east of Third avenue, 
on lots now covered by the Trow Directory 
Building, at 12th street, and remained stand- 
ing until 1777, when it was destroyed by fire. 
Many New Yorkers of the present time can 
recall the historic pear tree enclosed within an 
iron railing, which stood on Third avenue and 
13th street, and which was planted there on 
Governor Stuyvesant's return from Europe. 
This tree survived until 1867. After the 
burning of the Stuyvesant residence, it was 
rebuilt on the same site by the grandfather of 
Mr. A. Van H. Stuyvesant. The remains of 
Governor Stuyvesant lie in the vault originally 
constructed by himself, beneath the chapel on 
his estate in the latter part of the eighteenth 
century. This chapel having fallen into decay, 
Petrus Stuyvesant ( IV) . a great-grandson of 
the Governor, induced the vestry of Trinity 
Church to erect a new edifice on the same 
site : it was known as St. Mark's Church in 
the Bowery, and was dedicated April 25, 170.=;. 
This was on the site of the present St. Mark's 
Church, at Second avenue. Tenth and Elev- 
enth streets. He was an active and devout 
member of the Dutch church. 

Governor .Stuyvesant was married in Am- 
sterdam, Holland, to Judith Bayard, descend- 
ent of a Hueuenot family of France. She 
died in New York in 1687. She was a devout 
member of the Dutch church, and was a 
woman of great talent. She spoke several lan- 
guas'es fluently and was a fine musician. Two 
children were born to them: i. Balthazar, 
born in 1647. died on the island of Nevis in 
1675 ; he was married at .Saint Eustace in the 
West Indies ; two children : Judith and Kath- 
erine. 2. Nicholas W^illiam, mentioned below. 

(II) Nicholas William, son of Governor 
Petrus and Judith (Bavard) Stuvvesant, was 
born in New York, in 1648, died there in i6q8. 
He received a liberal education, and inheriting 
a large property he was able to devote his 
time and energies to church affairs and phi- 
lanthropy. He took a prominent part in the 
social life of the citv. His residence was the 



294 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



center of the culture and refinement of the 
colony. He married (first) Maria Beekman, 
only daughter of William Beekman, vice-gov- 
ernor of Delaware. One child, Judith, who 
died unmarried in 1694. He married (sec- 
ond) Elizabeth Van Slichtenhorst, daughter of 
Brant Van Slichtenhorst. Three children 
were born of this marriage: i. Petrus, born 
in 1684, was drowned in 1706. 2. Anna, mar- 
ried Rev. Thomas Pritchard, a clergyman of 
the Protestant Episcopal church ; he died in 
1706 and his wife in 1759; no children. 3. 
Gerardus, mentioned below. 

(HI) Gerardus, son of Nicholas William 
and Elizabeth (Van Slichtenhorst) Stuyve- 
sant, was born in New York City, in 1690, 
died there in 1777. He was educated in the 
schools of his native city. He was prominent 
in the civil affairs of New York, serving for 
over thirty years as a magistrate. He was a 
man of culture and much interested in literary 
matters. He married, March 5, 1722, Judith 
Bayard, youngest daughter of Balthazar and 
Maria (Loockermans) Bayard. Four chil- 
dren were born to them: i. Nicholas Wil- 
liam, died unmarried in 1780. 2. Petrus, died 
young. 3. Petrus, mentioned below. 4. Ger- 
ardus, died in infancy. Mrs. Judith Stuyve- 
sant was a descendant of Samuel Bayard, the 
progenitor of the family in America, the line 
being: Samuel Bayard, married in Holland, 
Anna Stuyvesant, sister of Governor Petrus 
Stuyvesant. He died in Holland, and his 
widow came to New Amsterdam in 1647 with 
her three sons, Balthazar, Peter and Nicholas. 
Balthazar, son of Samuel Bayard, married 
Marritje (Mary) Loockermans, daughter of 
Govert Loockermans. Four children : Anna 
Maria, Arrietta, Jacobus and Judith Bayard, 
mentioned above. 

(IV) Petrus (2), son of Gerardus and 
Judith (Bayard) Stuyvesant, was born in 
New York City in October, 1727, died there 
August 31. 1805. He was educated in the 
schools of New York, and possessing a large 
property did not engage in active business, but 
devoted himself to philanthropy. He was 
prominent in the social circles of his city. He 
married, in 1764, Margaret Livingston, born 
in June, 1738, daughter of Gilbert and Cor- 
nelia (Beekman) Livingston. Several chil- 
dren were born of this marriage, of whom six- 
reached maturity: i. Judith, born December 
25, 1765, died March 7, 1844: .she married, 



January 19, 1785, Benjamin Winthrop, great- 
grandson of Hon. John Winthrop, of Massa- 
chusetts. 2. Cornelia, married Dirck Ten 
Broeck, of Albany; she died in 1825. 3. Nich- 
olas \Villiam, mentioned below. 4. Margaret, 
died unmarried in 1824. 5. Elizabeth, married 
Colonel Nicholas Fish, a son of Hon. Hamil- 
ton Fish. 6. Peter G., born in New York, in 
1778, died at Niagara Falls, August 16, 1847; 
he graduated from Columbia University in 
1794; studied law, and practiced his profes- 
sion in New York for many years ; he was the 
principal founder of the New York Historical 
Society, and served as its president from 1836 
to 1881 ; he made several public benefactions; 
he married (first) Susan Barclay, and (sec- 
ond) Helen Sarah Rutherford; one child by 
first marriage died in infancy ; by the provision 
of his will, Rutherford, great-grandson of his 
sister. Judith, adopted the name of Stuyvesant. 
Other children who died yoiing. 

(V) Nicholas William (2), eldest son of 
Petrus (2) and Margaret (Livingston) Stuy- 
vesant, was born in New York City, died at 
his residence, the "Bowery House," March i, 
1833. He possessed great wealth and devoted 
his time to philanthropy and church work. 
He married, January 31, 1795, Catharine Liv- 
ingston, daughter of John and Catharine (Liv- 
ingston) Reade. Nine children were born of 
this union: i. Peter, married Julia, daughter 
of Edward Martin. 2. Nicholas William, mar- 
ried Catherine Augusta Cheeseborough. 3. 
John Reade, born in 1792, died in 1853: mar- 
ried (first) Catherine Ackerley, (second) 
Mary Austin Yates. 4. Gerard, mentioned 
below. 5. Robert Reade, died in 1834; mar- 
ried, August I, 1833, Margaret .\ugusta, 
daughter of Christopher Middleberger. 6. 
Joseph Reade, married Jane -Ann Browning. 
7. Catharine Ann, married, June 8, 1826, John 
Mortimer Catlin. 8. Helen, married (first) 
May 25, 1831, Henry Dudley, (second) 
Frances Olmstead, (third) November 25, 
185 1. William S. Mayo. 9. Margaret Living- 
ston, married, February i, 1835, Robert Van 
Rensselaer. 

(VI) Gerard, son of Nicholas William (2) 
and Catharine Livingston (Reade) Stuyvesant, 
was born in New York City, March 4, i8o5, 
died there January 18, 1859. He received his 
education in the schools of his native city. 
At the age of fourteen years he went to sea 
and for some years as a bov followed that 





EajD^ojvOu 






SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



295 



calling, and during that time visited many of 
the known ports of the world, China and other 
eastern ports, was at St. Helena when Napo- 
leon died on that island, but did not land. He 
inherited a large fortune, and was thus able 
to devote himself to church benevolences and 
public philanthropy. He was one of the most 
respected citizens of New York. Upon his 
death the sheriff's jury of New York passed 
the following resolution : 

"Many of us have known him from child- 
hood up and being aware of his honorable 
course in the discharge of every duty in life, 
desire to testify to his family and the world 
our profound respect for the memory of his 
virtues and the simplicity of his life. In his 
death our city has lost one of its worthiest 
citizens and the poor have lost a friend whose 
life was one of charity and love. His memory 
should be cherished by all who venerate the 
good and just." 

He married, November 24, 1836, Susan Riv- 
ington, daughter of Augustus Van Home. 
Two children w-ere born to them: i. Robert 
Reade, born September 16, 1838, died March 
30, igo6; he married Amelia, daughter of 
Frederic and Catharine Anna (Remsen) 
Schuchardt. 2. Augustus Van Home, men- 
tioned below. 

(VH) Augustus Van Home, son of Gerard 
and Susan Rivington (Van Home) Stuyve- 
sant, was born in New York. He prepared 
for college in the schools of his native city 
and completed his education at Columbia Uni- 
versity. He is prominent in the social life of 
his city, being a member of the Knickerbocker, 
Union, Metropolitan, Tuxedo, Country and 
New York Yacht clubs, and the St. Nicholas 
Society. He married. September 12, 1864, 
Harriet Le Roy, daughter of John Steward. 
They have three children : Catherine E. S., 
Augustus Van Home Jr., Anne W. 



Marcus Levison, the first 
LEVI SON member of this family of 
whom we have definite infor- 
mation, was born in Gross Hertzhochthum 
Hessen, Germany, where he lived and died. He 
was a merchant by occupation, and a Heorew 
in religion. His wife's name was Sarah. 
Children : Rica, married Bernard Baruch ; 
Emma, married Joseph Baruch ; Aaron, re- 
ferred to below ; Isaac. 

(II) Aaron, son of Marcus Levison, was 



born in Gross Hertzhochthum, Hessen, Ger- 
many. He emigrated to America before the 
civil war, enlisted in the Union army in 1863 
and served until the close of the war. He is 
a cigar manufacturer, a Hebrew in religion, 
and a Republican in politics. He married, in 
New York City, January 16, 1870, Caroline 
Goldsmith, born in Gross Hertzhochthum, 
Hessen, Germany. Children : Solomon ; Ben- 
jamin, referred to below ; Bertha. 

(Ill) Benjamin, son of Aaron and Caro- 
line (Goldsmith) Levison, was born in New 
Rochelle, Westchester county. New York, 
July 19, 1872, and is now living in Nyack, 
Rockland county. New York. He received 
his education in the public schools of New 
Rochelle and Nyack, and then determining to 
study law, he became a clerk in the law office 
of -A. A. Demarcst in Nyack, and was admit- 
ted to the New York bar as attorney, Septem- 
ber 14, 1893, at the general term of the su- 
preme court in Brooklyn. Since then he has 
been engaged in a lucrative general practice in 
Nyack. He is a Democrat in politics; he was 
elected justice of the peace of the town of 
Orange, January i, 1904, and served until 
January I, 1910; he was elected police magi- 
strate of the village of Nyack, January i, 
1906, to serve until December 31, 191 1, and 
was elected to succeed himself, January i, 
1912. He is a member of Mount Moriah 
Lodge, No. 27, Free and Accepted Masons, 
of New York City, of Consistory No. 32, of 
New York City, of Mecca Temple, of New 
York City, and of the Rockland Coun- 
tv Bar Association. He is a member of the 
Nyack Hebrew Congregation. He is unmar- 
ried. 



This ranks among the most prev- 
SCOTT alent of surnames in the British 
_ Isles, almost sixty coats-of-arms 
being assigned to it, while the London Direc- 
tory shows about two hundred traders in the 
metrojiolis so denominated. In records of 
early date it is usually written Le Scot, im- 
plying a native of Scotland. Now as the 
tendency of Scotchmen to "go south" is prov- 
erbial in Britain, the commonness of the name 
in England is not to be wondered at ; but why 
many families that never lived out of Scot- 
land' should be called Scott, is not so readily 
explained. The Duke of Buccleuch, the head 
of the surname in Scotland, traces his pedi- 



296 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



gree to Richard Le Scot, of Murdeston, county 
Lanark, one of the Scottish barons, who swore 
feahy to Edward I., in 1296. The name exists 
in records of earher date, but the claim set up 
by one zealous genealogist for a Norman ex- 
traction has no foundation. M. de Gerville 
remarks : "It is somewhat curious that this 
Duke of Buccleuch seeks for his name in 
Normandy, and pretends that the original ap- 
pellation was I'Escott". Of the baronet fam- 
ily. Scott of Ancrum and Scott of Duninald. 
claim to be descended from the renowned 
wizard, Michael Scott, who flourished in the 
twelfth century, and assert that the Buccleuch 
Scotts are the younger branch of this house. 
In ancient times the Latin word "Scotus'" was 
applied both to the inhabitants of Ireland and 
Scotland, its meaning being similar to that of 
"(lael" in the ancient language common to 
both countries. Thus the missionaries from 
Ireland who civilized and Christianized the 
pagan countries of Europe between the sixth 
and twelfth centuries were called "Scoti", the 
plural of the Latin word "Scotus'", wliich 
meant a native of Ireland or Scotland. In 
Roman and mediaeval times Ireland was 
called "Scotia", and .Scotland was called "Sco- 
tia Minor". After the eleventh or twelfth 
centuries the Scandinavian word of Eircland 
or Ireland, displaced throughout Europe in 
current phraseology the term .Scoita, which 
was henceforth applied to .Scotland alone, 
whose other name was Caledonia. Scott is 
thus the modern form of the ancient Latin 
appellation "Scotus''. 

(I) David Scott, the fir.st ascertainable an- 
cestor of the Scott family in America here 
dealt with, was born in Dundee, Scotland, and 
died there. He had three sons: David, John, 
and Thomas, mentioned below. 

fll) Thomas, youngest son of David Scott, 
married Elizabeth Deuchass, who died in 1763. 
The children were : Alexander, Christina. 
Margaret, Elizabeth, and David, mentioned 
below. 

(Ill) David (2), youngest son of Thomas 
and Elizabeth (Deuchass) Scott, was born at 
Dundee. Scotland, in 1731, died in 1S25 at 
Little Britain, Orange county. New York. He 
was a weaver in Dundee, and came to this 
country in 1788, settling in Little Britain on 
part of General Clinton's farm, where he be- 
gan and continued to engage in agricultural 
pursuits. He was a strong churchman of the 



Presbyterian faith. He married Margaret 
Cowper (or Cooper) in 1782. The children 
were: Elizabeth, born in Scotland, in 1783; 
Christina (twin), born in Scotland; IsabelLi 
(twin), born in Scotland; William, born in 
Orange county. New York; James, mentioned 
below ; David, born in Orange county. Nev^ 
York; Jane, born in Orange county; John R., 
born in Orange county. 

(IV) James was the second son of David 
(2) and Margfaret (Cowper or Cooper) Scott. 

He married Millicent . Their son, David 

A., is mentioned below. 

(V) David A., son of James and Millicent 
Scott, was born in the town of Montgomery, 
Orange county. New York. August 18, 1825. 
died suddenly at Indian Lake, in the Adiron- 
dacks. New York, y\u,srust 24, 1890. During 
the interval of sixty-five years covered by 
these dates, but more especially during his 
active manhood, his experiences and his use- 
fulness were varied. After graduating at the 
Montgfomery Academy and subsequently at 
the Wesleyan University, he taught school for 
some years in South Carolina, but ultimately 
took up the study of the law in Newburg, and 
was admitted to the bar in 18^6. Thirty-four 
years of professional life and the manner in 
which they were passed won for him not only 
reasonable success, but gained for him the re- 
spect and esteem of his contemporaries and 
the confidence of the public. He w^as not a 
great man in any sense, had no eminent rank- 
as an attorney or coimsellor. but was never- 
theless one whose integrity was without ques- 
tion and whose judgment was a safe reliance. 
Mr, Scott held the office of surrogate of the 
county for two terms (January, i860, to Janu- 
ary, 1866) and at their expiration entered 
partnership with M. H. Hirschberg. under the 
firm name of .Scott & Hirschberg-, in which 
relation he remained until his death, devoting 
his attention especially to office work, includ- 
ing very largely the settlement of estates and 
references involving important and compli- 
cated questions. Eor the vocation of an advo- 
cate he had no marked aptitude, .\side from 
his professional life Mr. .Scott took an iiUerest 
in the influences in society having for their 
object the elevation of his fellows. He was 
an active member of St. George's Episcopal 
Church, filling acceptably the post of lay 
reader when service in that capacity was re- 
quired, and also that of superintendent of the 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



297 



Sunday-school. When death came to him it 
found him in the field promoting the success 
of the mission of his church, now the Church 
of the Good Shepherd. Next to his church 
he was a devotee of the ancient and honorable 
order of Free and Accepted Masons, finding 
nothing in its principles or ritual that could 
reasonably be condemned, and much that un- 
der association, had a power and an object 
second only to the church itself. He entered 
the order in Newburg Lodge, No. 309, in 
i860, and passed from it to Hudson River 
Lodge in which he received its highest honors. 
At different times he was presiding officer of 
lodge, chapter, and commandery, and at all 
times one of the prominent craftsmen of the 
state. His service as a trustee of common 
schools from 1887 to the time of his death 
was of unquestionable advantage to the 
schools and to the public, and in private walks 
his charities were many. Regarding Mr. 
Scott's life as a whole the evidence is cumu- 
lative that he wasted neither his powers nor 
his opportunities for usefulness — that the 
mean goal, "thyself", says one writer, "did not 
bound his vision nor confine his hand", — that 
the force of his example remains and will re- 
main even though his name shall wholly per- 
ish. 

Mr. Scott married Elizabeth, daughter of 
David N. Bradley, who died in 1876. Chil- 
dren : \\'illiam Clement, mentioned below ; 
James Bratlley. 

(\'l) William Clement, son of David A. 
and Elizabeth (Bradley) Scott, was born at 
Newburg, Orange county. New York, Febru- 
ary 21, 1869. He was educated in the public 
schools of Newburg, and fitted for college at 
Siglar's Preparatory School, Newburg. He 
entered Yale University in 1899. ^nd gradu- 
ated in the class of 1893, with the degree of 
Bachelor of Arts. In a few years he became 
connected with the Newburg Planing Mill 
Company, and has been secretary and treas- 
urer since its incorporation. He is a director 
of the National Bank of Newburg, and at- 
tends the First Presbyterian Church. He 
married, October 20, 1897, Margaret Lefever, 
daughter of John and Mary ('\'ain Schoon- 
maker. Children : Elizabeth and William C. 



The surname Taylor belongs to 

TAYLOR the class of what are known as 

occupational surnames, that is, 



surnames or family names that have been de- 
rived from the occupation or work of the orig- 
inal ancestor who first bore it, and among 
whose descendants it became hereditary. To 
this class also belong names like Smith, Gar- 
dener, Skinner and Howard in English. Mac- 
Gowan (the son of the Smith) in Erse or 
Gaelic, Boulanger (Baker) in French, and 
Schneider (tailor) in German. This type of 
names was very common among the Anglo- 
Saxons of England as distinguished from the 
Normans, who formed the ruling element, and 
who derived their names chiefly from the ter- 
ritory with which they had a governing con- 
nection. Nor was that type of name common 
among the Milesian Gaels or Celts of Ireland 
and Scotland, whose habit it was to form fam- 
ily names from the personal names of ances- 
tors, some near, some remote, at the date of 
the establishment, but in the case of the lead- 
ing families from the names of ancestors who 
lived about the eleventh century, or who took 
part in the historic battle of Clontarf. In 
Gaelic, it is interesting to note, no family 
name derived from trade or an occupation 
has ever been known to be preceded by the 
Milesian prefix "O", which never preceded 
any but names derived from the personal 
names of ancestors. In the case of all Gaelic 
names derived from trade, occupation or pro- 
fession, or preceded by "Gil" or "Kil" (from 
"giolla", servant) "Mac" is the prefix invari- 
ably used; for example: MacGowan. which is 
known to be the real name of most of the 
Smiths of Ireland, altered in many cases as 
early as the seventeenth century. A series of 
remarkable articles, dealing with the whole 
subject of Gaelic surnames, was published by 
Dr. O'Donovan. the celebrated translator of 
the "Annals of the Four Masters", in the 
defunct Dublin Penny Journal, and these ar- 
ticles contain valuable information on occu- 
pational surnames. In some cases the name 
of Taylor has been derived from a Norman- 
French form, "Taileur", borne by some fami- 
lies in England, who have the riglit to bear 
arms ; there are, however, a great many fami- 
lies in the United Kingdom of the name of 
Taylor, who have the right to bear arnis.^ The 
name is known in every part of the United 
Kingdom, and even on the continent of 
Europe under various forms. It by no means 
follows that all these names have an identical 
origin, that is, derived from an occupational 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



appellation, and it is quite certain that one 
Taylor family need not necessarily have any 
relationship to another. Thus the application 
of the expression, "the Taylor family", while 
correct as applied in a single case, is an obvi- 
ous misnomer as applied to all who bear the 
name of Taylor. Many Taylors landed in 
New England in the seventeenth century and 
families were founded in every colony prior 
to 1700. Some families of the name settled 
in Connecticut, and many of the earlier fami- 
lies are also found in New Hampshire. In 
the case of some of the English Taylors, 
whose descendants now live in Wcstficld, New 
York, and elsewhere, the family is of partial 
Norman stock, the name, it is claimed, being 
a corruption of Taliaferro, who is stated to 
have accompanied \Mlliam the Conqueror to 
England. Perhaps the first of the name in 
America was John Taylor, who came from 
Haverhill, .SufTolkshire. England, with Gov- 
ernor Winthrop, June 12. 1636. He was lost 
in the voyage of the "Phantom Ship", famous 
in prose and poetry, but many of his descend- 
ants still live. The arms of one Taylor fam- 
ily are thus heraldically described : Per pale 
azure, and or, a cheval, between three buck's 
heads all counterchanged, on a chief gules two 
hounds meeting argent, collared of the second. 
(I) Jonathan Taylor came to this country 
amount of transactions in various commercial 
lines. He did not stay definitely at Tappan, 
but in 1791 purchased a tract of land, consist- 
ing of one thousand five hundred acres in the 
town of Monroe. This became the Central 
Valley homestead of the Taylor family; later 
he went to Saratoga county. He was a soldier 
in Van Nest"s regiment. He married a daugh- 
ter of Aaron and Annetie (Jaens) Halstead. 
Children : Jonathan, Jr. ; Benjamin ; Aaron ; 
Isaac, mentioned below ; and Peggy. 

(II) Isaac, son of Jonathan Taylor, was 
born at Tappan, now Piermont, New Jersey, 
about the year 1790, and died at "Roselawn", 
the family homestead in Central Valley. He 
was a soldier in the war of 18 12, and was a 
witness and partaker in many of the stirring 
events of that time. He lived most of his life 
on the family homestead, which had been pur- 
chased by his father, Jonathan Taylor, and 
which he had a large share in developing and 
beautifying. This estate has been in the fam- 
ily possession for well over a century, and in 



its present state it is thus described by one 
magazine writer : 

"The estate, which this family has occupied for 
something hke one hundred and twenty years, bord- 
ers on the State Road, about midway between the 
village and the Highland Mills. A conspicuous sign, 
hanging beneath the trees and bearing the name 
Roselawn Inn and Cottages attracts visitors to the 
place, although the attention of every road passenger 
having an eye for rural beauty and antiquity as 
applied to old American homes cannot fail to be 
momentarily transfixed and provoked to a question as 
to its ownership." 

Isaac was well-to-do, possessing one of the 
best kept, most fertile and well-stocked farms 
of about one thousand acres that could be seen 
in that particular section of Orange county. 

He married . Children : Peter B., who 

when sixteen opened a general store which he 
conducted until 1862, finally settling at New- 
burg, Orange county, married Lavinia C, 
daughter of Nathan and Mary E. Strong ; 
Aaron Halstcafl, mentioned below. 

(Ill) Aaron Halstead. son of Isaac Taylor, 
was born on the old Taylor homestead, "Rose- 
lawn", November 15, 1831, "in a room ad- 
joining the little office in the old mansion in 
which he sits daily at his desk". He attended 
the district schools and was graduated from 
Princeton College in the class of 1850. His 
brother Peter B. inherited the family home- 
stead, but he sold it to Aaron H.. who gave it 
the name of "Roselawn". As a boy he showed 
himself to be a born horseman and at the time 
of his death was the oldest breeder df fast 
trotting stock in America. It was he who 
forty years ago originated horse auction sales 
in Orange county, giving to trotting a reputa- 
tion which has clung to it ever since, and it 
was also he who founded the finest stud of 
trotting and pacing horses in the Eastern 
States, one that attracted the eyes of this 
country and Europe. Czar Nicholas II. of 
Russia, and King Humbert of Italy, hearing 
of Mr. Taylor's remarkable success as a 
breeder, sent their most expert buvers to "size 
up" the Roselawn stud, with which they were 
so favorably impressed that they bought some 
of the finest stallions bred there. Mr. Taylor's 
school days were tmcventfnl but even during 
that period he traded in horses in a small way, 
and after his school and colleee days were over 
he took up in earnest the business that alwavs 
possessed for him an irresistible charm. With 
a small capital made by judicious investments 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



299 



he went to New York and started a livery and 
sales stable at Seventh avenue and Broadway, 
on the spot where the Times Buildins^ now 
stands. This proved a very prosperous ven- 
ture, the stable being patronized by the well- 
to-do people of that section, which was then 
a new and solely residential one. When a 
stylish rig was required by any of the fash- 
ionable people for the purpose of taking a 
spin up the old Harlem Lane as far as Burn- 
ham's, the Elm Park Club, or Steve DuBois' 
or even to the opera of an evening, Mr. Tay- 
lor's stable was considered the proper place to 
go to be accommodated in those days. At Du- 
Bois' was a balcony from which the passing 
parade could be viewed, and this club had 
among its members, Commodore Vanderbilt, 
Robert Bonner and H. M. Cushman, all prom- 
inent horsemen of the day. On the occasion 
of the visit of the Prince of Wales, afterwards 
Kinf Edward VH. of Ene^land, to this coun- 
try. Mr. Taylor was one of the invited guests 
at the ball given in the Prince's honor at the 
Metropolitan Hotel. At the outbreak of the 
civil war Mr. Taylor wound up his livery bus- 
iness and joined the Thirty-eighth New York 
Regiment, which bore an excellent record 
throughout the conflict. 

When the war was over he negotiated the 
.sale of Roselawn farm, and established a stock 
farm on the place, where many of the fastest 
trotters and pacers of that dav were bred, 
trained and sold. It was at this point that 
his life work really began, and during the 
years that followed his skill as a breeder was 
hrought to the attention of the country and of 
the horscbreerling and trotting world. After 
carefully devoting his attention for nearly 
half a dozen years to the development of a 
stud, in 1S72 he inaugurated the annual trot- 
tine horse sales at Central Valley. The sale, 
while it was of a purely experimental nature, 
proved a decided success and brought noted 
personages from at home and abroad to par- 
take of Mr. Taylor's hospitality. Among Mr. 
Tavlor's long list of celebrated horses was one 
"Pierson". who was sired by Rvsdvk's "Ham- 
hletonian", dam by "Cassius M Clav". which 
horse was disposed of to Mr. David Bonner. 
■"Roselawn". the home of Mr. Taylor, in ad- 
dition to being a place that has been known 
to all prominent horsemen and breeders of 
fast trotting stock throughout the country for 
many years, is also a revolutionary landmark. 



The colonial arms under Washington passed 
by this house of many gables in the trying 
times of '76. Mr. Taylor was a brilliant en- 
tertainer and a gentleman of the old school. 
He had a vast stock of anecdotes relating to 
the vanished figures and the delightful associa- 
tions of forty years that proved most pleasing 
and entertaining to the visitor. His powers of 
memory were very great and he insisted upon 
the strictest accuracy when speaking of horses, 
their flights of speed, their pedigrees, and the 
like, even when the events dealt with hap- 
pened as far back as nearly forty years ago. 

He married (first) Gertrude Culver of 
Brooklyn, New York, who died in 1898, 
daughter of John W. Culver. He married 
(second) Henrietta, daughter of John E. and 
Clara (McLoughlin) Kuntzc. of Charleston. 
South Carolina, who after the war came north 
and purchased eight hundred acres of land 
outside of Springfield, Illinois. 



Dr. John Nicoll. the founder of 
NICOLL this family, was the son of Al- 
exander Nicoll, of Haddieweel, 
parish of West Calder, Edinburghshire, Scot- 
land. He emigrated to this country about 
1734, and died in New York City, October 2, 
1743, aged sixty-three years. He married Re- 
becca (Dowding) Ransford, of Boston, Mas- 
sachusetts. Children: I. John, referred to 
below. 2. Margaret, married (first) Dr. Isaac 
Du Bois and (second) the Rev. Alexander 
Cumming. 

fll) John (2), son of Dr. John (i) and 
Rebecca (Dowding-Ransford) Nicoll, mar- 
ried, September 7, 1736, Frances, born in 
Little Britain, Orange county. New York. July 
14, 1709, daughter of the Rev. John and 
Frances (Fitzgerald) Little. Children: i. 
John, born August 18, 1737. died September 
27, 1783; married, January 26, 1766, Hannah 
Youngs. 2. Leonard Dowding, born May 27, 
1739, died Tune 72. 1813; married. December 
18. 1768, Ruth Birdsev. 3. Isaac, referred to 
below. 4. \\'illiam, died September i. 180S. 
(IID Isaac, son of John (2) and Frances 
(Little) Nicoll, was born July 19, 1741, died 
at Schraalenburg, Bergen county, New Jersey. 
October 9. 1804. He lived for a while at New 
Windsor, then at Goshen. New Y'ork. and 
finallv ■settled at Schraalenburg, near Hacken- 
sack. New Jersey. He married, May 20. 1763, 
Deborah, born March 3, 1739, died April 27, 



300 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



1807, (laughter of Nathaniel and Sarah 
(Smith) Woodhull, of Mastic, Long Island. 
Children: i. Frances, born May 31, 1764, 
died April 30, 1832; married, April 30, 1789, 
Albert Zabriskie. 2. John, born March 6. 
1767, died September 25, 1795; unmarried. 

3. Sarah, born September 25, 1768, died Janu- 
ary 26, 1770. 4. Nathaniel Woodhull, born 
July 16, 1770, died before May, 1801 ; married 
Ann Froeligh. 5. Walter D., born March 15, 
1772, died May i. 1807; unmarried. 6. Wil- 
liam, referred to below. 7. Sarah, born De- 
cember 23, 1776, died April 24, i860; unmar- 
ried. 8. Elizabeth, born January 2, 1779, died 
May 30, 1836; unmarried. 9. Margaret, born 
August 13. "1781, died August 30, 1846; mar- 
ried, March 23, 1812, George Monell. 10. 
Julia, born April 18, 1783, died June 16, 1868; 
unmarried. 

(IV) Captain William Nicoll, son of Isaac 
and Deborah (Woodhull) Nicoll, was born 
April 29, 1774, died in command of his vessel 
in the Chinese waters. August 2, 1807. He 
owned and commanded various merchant 
ships, and had his home at New Bridge, New 
Jersey. He married, June 16, 1796, Euphe- 
mia. born in New York City, July i, 1776, 
died at New Bridge. New Jersey, November 

4, 1821, daughter of Frederick and Mary (Ten 
Eyck) Fine, of New York City. Children : 
I. William, born May 2. 1797, died May 23, 
1870; married. September 28, 1823, Mary 
Monfort. 2. John, referred to below. 3. 
Mary Fine, born June 3. 1804, died November 
4, 1868; married, November 27, 1826, Lewis 
Moore. 

(V) John, son of Captain William and 
Euphemia (Fine) Nicoll, was born in New 
Briclgc. New Jersey. June 25, 1799, died in 
Washingtonville. Orange county. New York, 
February 24. 1874. He lived in New York 
City and in \\'^ashingtonville. He married 
(first) June 28, 1831, Julianna Howell, born 
October 9. 181 t, died September 16. 1832, 
daughter of the Rev. Andrew and Elizabeth 
( Howell ) Thompson, of Blauveltville. Rock- 
land county. New York. He married (sec- 
ond) April 23, 1835, Elizabeth Unwell 
(White) Denniston, born January 8. 1808. 
died December 21, 1855, daughter of Judge 
Nathan Herrick and Fanny (Howell) White 
and widow of Harvey A. Denniston. Chil- 
dren, one by first marriage: i. U^illiam, born 
April 24, 1832, died .\ugust 2, 1859; unmar- 



ried. 2. John Morgan, born February 10, 
1836, died July 23, 1862 ; unmarried. 3. .\u- 
gustus White, married. October 3. i8()6. Mary 
Curran Garvin. 4. Isaac, born February 14, 
1840. killed at the battle of Gettysburg. July 
2, 1863; unmarried. 5. Juliana Thompson, 
married, December 3, 1862, John Boyd 
Vroom. 6. Charles, born August 4, 1844, died 
May 10, 1848. 7. Edward, born February 24, 
1847, died March 13, 1867; unmarried. 8. 
Charles, referred to below. 9. Elizabeth 
White, married, May 9, 1877, Andrew Sid- 
dons Glover. 

(\T) Charles, son of John" and Elizabeth 
Howell ( White-Denniston) Nicoll, was born 
on the old homestead in Blooming Grove 
township. Orange county. New York, May 25, 
1850, and is now living at Washingtonville. 
Orange county. He received his education in 
the district schools of Orange county, and un- 
til his father's death assisted him on the farm. 
Since then he has conducted the farm as a 
dairy farm. He is widely known as a most 
successful farmer, is a member of the Grange, 
and has been trustee for the town of Wash- 
ingtonville for many years. He is a member 
of the Blooming Grove Presbyterian church. 
He married. June 13, 1877. Catalina Maria, 
daughter of Peter Delameter and Eliza Her- 
vev Cameron (Van Doren) Vroom. of Jersey 
City, New Jersey. Children: i. Isaac, born 
December 14. 1878 : married Ethel Holman. 
2. .A.lfred Vroom. born June 20. 1881. 3. 
Elizabeth H., born October 18. 1889. 



The English familv of 
CH.\D\MCK Chadwick originated at 
Chadwick. a hamlet in the 
neiHiborhnod of Rochdale, county of Lan- 
cashire. The arms of the Chadwicks are : 
Gules on Escutcheon, within an Orle of Mar- 
letts Argent. Crest: A Lily .\rgent Stalkefl 
and Leafed Vert. The motto is : /;; Candorc 
decus. A branch of the family in Cornwall, 
England, bear similar arms, and show the re- 
lationship: Crest on a Ducal Coronet of Mar- 
lett. Tlierc were Chadwicks from Healey 
Hall who came to this country in 1640 and 
settled in Massachusetts. It is not, however, 
possible at present to ascertain the relation- 
ship with them, but it exists nevertheless, as 
tlie present owner of Healey Hall is related to 
Joseph Chadwick. of this review. 

The first of the name of whom there is posi- 





^^a^^^'cJC 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



301 



tive information was Nicholas Chadwick, born 
about 1340, in the reign of Edward the Third, 
and who married Maud, daughter of Thomas 
de Paris, acquiring lands in Spotland, Hon- 
ersfield and Castleton in Lancashire. 

Thomas Chadwick, descendant of Nicholas 
Chadwick, was the progenitor of the Chad- 
wicks from which the name here dealt with 
springs from. He was born in 1535, and the 
line from him to the present generation is as 
follows: Anthony, born 1580; Thomas, born 
1605; Thomas, born 1631 ; Thomas, born 
1661 ; Thomas, born 1692; Thomas, born 
1713; Thomas, born 1737 (who built one of 
the first three cotton mills in Heywood, spin- 
ning cotton wool as it was then called, and 
purchased an estate called Captain Fold in 
1778, this being in the possession of the family 
at the present time) ; John, born 1776: Thom- 
as, born 1800, and was the father of Joseph, 
of whom further. 

Joseph Chadwick, the first member of this 
family in this country, and a representative of 
the Castleton branch, was born at Croft Bank 
House, Captain Fold, between Heywood and 
Rochdale, Lancashire, England, October 24, 
1841. He was educated at Town Head, Roch- 
dale. He acquired a practical knowledge of 
his present business in Manchester, and cotton 
spinning in Rochdale. He came to the United 
States in 1865, and shortly afterward secured 
a lease of the Boiling Spring Bleach and Dye 
Works, New Jersey, conducting the same for 
a period of ten years. In 1871 the site of the 
Newbursr Rleachery was purchased and the 
present buildings erected, these being among 
the largest and best equipped of tlie kind in 
the country, bleaching, dying and finishing the 
finest cotton fabrics made. Mr. Chadwick is 
president of the company, and head of the 
firm of Joseph Chadwick & Sons. Mr. Chad- 
wick has been a resident of Newburg since 
1878. He has been for many years a trustee 
of the Newburg Savings Bank, and in igo6 
was elected president of the institution, serv- 
ing in that capacity until recently, when he 
resigned the office of president in order to go 
abroad. He is a member of the Merchants' 
Club of New York, the Powelton Club of 
Newburg, the City Club of Newburg, the New 
York Chamber of Commerce and the New- 
bur? Chamber of Commerce. 

Mr. Chadwick married Margaret, dauehter 
of William Smith, of Manchester, England, 



who was a bleacher, dyer and finisher of cot- 
ton goods. Children: Thomas F., William 
E., Joseph, Margaret L. One grandson, 
Thomas M., born 19 10, and two granddaugh- 
ters, Dorothy, born igii, and Barbara, born 
1913- 



There is no name per- 
FITZ (iERALD haps generally recog- 
nized as more distinct- 
ively Irish than the famous surname of the 
Geraldines, yet the name itself is not Milesian 
Irish or Gaelic, but Norman French in origin. 
A branch of the Fitz Geralds were down to 
the reign of Queen Elizabeth of England earls 
of Desmond, and had immense ])Osscssions in 
that ancient principality, which was later 
called Cork and Kerry. Another branch be- 
came barons of Offaley, the ancient Gaelic 
name for the present King's and Queen's 
counties, earls of Kildare, and dukes of Lein- 
ster. The Geraldines who arrived in Ireland 
from Normandy through England in the 
eleventh century in course of time joined the 
Irish in their conflicts with England, and were 
charged by English writers as having became 
Irish in language and customs ; hence the 
origin of the expression "Ipsis Hibernis Hi- 
berniores" or "More Irish than the Irish them- 
selves". The Fitz Geralds wlio were created 
earls of Desmond became one of the most 
powerful families in Munster, and several of 
them were lords deputies of Ireland in the 
fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Gerald 
Fitz Gerald, the sixteenth earl of Desmond, 
was one of the greatest noblemen in Europe: 
he held the rank of "Prince Palatine" with all 
the autiiority of a provincial king. Having 
resisted the reformation in the reign of Eliza- 
beth and waged war against the English gov- 
ernment, the forces of the earl of Desmond 
were after long contests defeated, and he him- 
self was slain in a glen near Castle Island in 
the county of Kerry, November 11, 1583; his 
head was cut ofif and sent to England by 
Thomas Butler, earl of Ormond. as a present 
to Queen Elizabeth, who caused it to be fixed 
on London Bridge. James Fitz Gerald, 
nephew of Gerald, earl of Desmond, attempt- 
ing to recover the estates and honors of his 
ancestors, took up arms and joined the stand- 
ard of Hugh O'Neill, earl of Tvrone, and 
claimant to the monarchy of Ireland. This 
Tames Fitz Gerald was styled earl of Des- 



302 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



mond, but the title not being recognized by 
the English, he was designated by them as the 
"sugan earl", which signifies the "earl of 
straw". His forces being at length defeated 
and he himself taken prisoner he was sent to 
England along with Florence Mac Carthy, 
heir of the ancient kings of Munster, and im- 
prisoned in the Tower of London, where he 
died in 1608, and thus the illustrious house of 
Fitz Gerald was brought low. The vast es- 
tates of the family were confiscated in the 
reign of Queen Elizabeth and divided up 
among various English settlers, and the old 
proprietors were reduced to tilling the soil on 
their ancient patrimony. 

The Geraldines, as this great family are 
often called, claim to be descended in the line 
along which they derive their surname, from 
the same stock as the Gherardini, a noble 
Florentine family, whose progenitor, Raina- 
riao, flourished in A. D. 910. It is, however, 
sufificient for the antiquity of this distin- 
guished race to state that their pedigree is 
perfect up to Otho, who passed into England 
before the Conquest. The name itself is de- 
rived from that chief's descendant, Maurice, 
the son of Gerald (filius Geroldi), and great- 
grandson of Otho. Maurice Fitz Gerald ac- 
companied the Normans in their eleventh cen- 
tury invasion of Ireland, and thus built up the 
fortunes of the family. "Fitz" is a Norman 
French prefix and signifies son, being a con- 
traction of the_ Latin "filius" or French "fils". 
Like "Ap" among the Welsh, and "Mac" and 
"O" among the Milesian Irish, the Fitz prefix 
to the father's name was the only surname in 
use for a period among noble families. The 
origin of the word "Fitz", which has much 
puzzled some antiquarians, is this : In con- 
tracting the word "filius", the old scribes drew 
a stroke across the "1" to denote the omission 
of the following "i", and thus assimilated it 
in form to the letter "t"'. The character "z" 
is the usual contraction of "us". Then the 
word looked like "fitz", and came to be so 
pronounced. The armorial bearings of the 
Fitz Geralds of the house of Desmond are 
thus heraldically described: Ermine a saltire 
gules. Crest : A boar passant, ermine fretting 
gules. Supporters: Two male griffins argent 
chained and spiked on the breast and shoulders 
or. Motto: Crom Aboo. 

The following is the pedigree of the family 
through sixteen generations as deduced from 



the Linea Antiqua and other authentic 
sources : 

(I) Otho Geraldino, according to the Battle 
Abbey Book, went into England from Nor- 
mandy with William the Conqueror and was 
one of his chief commanders, and, according 
to Sir William Dugale's "Baronage of Eng- 
land" was the sixth of that king, created a 
baron. This Otho had two sons, Waltero and 
Robert. Waltero was the ancestor of all the 
Fitz (ieralds of Ireland, and of all the barons 
of Windsor until the male issue of the Wind- 
sor line became extinct. 

(II) Waltero, son of Otho Geraldino. 
(HI) Gerald, from whom the surname of 

Geraldine was changed to Fitz Gerald. 

(IV) Maurice Fitz Gerald was the first to 
assume the name of Gerald, which thus be- 
came hereditary. He was one of the first and 
principal invaders of Ireland, A. D. 1169. 
From this Maurice descended the two prin- 
cipal lines of the earls of Desmond and the 
dukes of Leinster. 

(V) Gerald Fitz Gerald. 

(VI) Maurice. 

(VII) Thomas, baron of Geashill, was the 
first of the family to get into Kildare, where 
he built the Castle of Geashill, and was made 
baron, as he was also of Sligo, Tirconnell and 
Kerry. 

(VIII) John, the first carl of Kildare. 

(IX) Thomas, second earl, died 1390. 

(X) Maurice, fourth earl, died 1410. 

(XI) John Cam, sixth earl, died 1427. 

(XII) Thomas, seventh earl, died 1477. 

(XIII) Gerald, eighth earl. 

(XIV) Gerald Oge, ninth earl, was im- 
peached of high treason, and in September, 
1534, died in the Tower of London. "Silken 
Thomas", the famous general, who died in 
1537, was the tenth earl. 

(XV) Edward, second son of Gerald Oge. 
The Fitz Gerald pedigree is brought down 

through a great many branches to the present 
day. 

(I) Tohn Fitz Gerald lived near Sterling, 
New York, where he was a farmer. He 
owned several acres of land, and engaged to 
a certain extent in commercial pursuits. He 
married and had children : John. .Mbert. Ho- 
ratio. William. Sydney, mentioned below ; 
Tames. Joshua. David. Martha. Pauline. 

(II) Sydney, son of John Fitz Gerald, was 
born near Goshen, New York, February 6, 



SOUTH F.RN NEW YORK 



303 



1801, died in 185S. He attended the district 
schools, and had a farm on which he Hved all 
his life. He married Hannah, daughter of 
Benjamin and Mehitable (Green) Conkling, 
of Goshen, New York. Children : Harriet ; 
Harvey, died young; Edward, married Mary 
Howell ; Loise ; Harvey, married Carrie 
Tichnor; Emma; Pauline; Henry M.; David 
C, mentioned below. 

(HI) David C, son of Sydney and Hannah 
(Conkling) Fitz Gerald, was born near Gosh- 
en, on his father's farm, July 4, 1843. He was 
educated in the country schools of Goshen, 
and graduated from Eastman's Business Col- 
lege, Poughkeepsie. He then became a clerk 
in a manufacturing house in New York, and 
later became connected with his brother, with 
whom he continued in partnership for the 
next twenty-eight years in the manufacture of 
varnish. In 1887 he purchased a farm of one 
hundred and forty acres, part of which was 
called Brooks Farm, in the town of Blooming 
Grove, and later another Brooks Farm of one 
hundred and forty acres. Both of these farms 
he still retains, living on one of them and en- 
gaged in the dairy business and in general 
farming. He is a member of the Grange, is 
u Republican in politics, and is a member of 
the Presbyterian church. He married, in 1878, 
Virginia, born in 1847, fli^d in 1908. daughter 
of F. Beekman Brooks. There has been one 
son, Sydney B., born December 3, 1881, a 
graduate of Berkeley School, New York, and 
for the past nine vears connected with Fisk, 
Robinson Banking House of New York City. 



Robert Rumsey or Rumsie, the 
RUMSEY fotmder of this family, was in 

Fairfield, Connecticut, as early 
as February 23. 1664, when his name appears 
for the first time on the town records. He 

married Rachel . Children : Benjamin, 

Isaac, Robert, referred to below ; Rachel, Abi- 
gail. Elizabeth, Daniel. 

(II) Robert (2), son of Robert fi) and 
Rachel Rumsev. was born in Fairfield. Con- 
necticut, and died there. His wife's name is 
unknown. Children: Joseph, referred to be- 
low; Daniel, horn in 1724, died February 7. 
1761, unmarried: John, born in 1726. died 
December 28, 1700, married, March 19, 1752, 
Esther Jones ; William ; Nathan. 

(III) Joseph, son of Robert (2) Rumsey, 
was born in Fairfield, Connecticut, about 



1720, died in Redding, Connecticut, Novem- 
ber 26, 1760, aged forty years. He married 
Sarah . Children : Isaac, referred to be- 
low ; Sarah, married, February 19, 1766, 
James Russica ; Joseph, married, December 2, 
1762, Sarah Morehouse; Daniel, baptized 
October 8, 1747; William; Ephraim, baptized 
February 25, 1753; Hczekiah, baptized May 
9. 1756; John, baptized October 8, 1758. 

(IV) Lsaac, son of Joseph and Sarah Rum- 
sey, was baptized as an adult, in the First 
Congregational Church of Redding, Connecti- 
cut, April 16, 1778. He married. May 23, 1761, 
Abigail St. John. Children: Jeremiah, re- 
ferred to below; Abigail, baptized February 
28, 1762: Ruth, baptized April 10, 1765 ; Noah, 
baptized June 5, 1768. 

(V) Jeremiah, son of Joseph and Abigail 
(St. John) Rumsey, was born in Redding, 
Connecticut, and baptized in the First Congre- 
gational Church there. He removed from 
Redding and purchased a farm near Cromwell 
Lake, then in the town of Monroe, Orange 
county, New York, where he died in i860, 
aged ninety years. He was a blacksmith and 
farmer. He married three times and had nine 
children by his first wife and five by his sec- 
ond wife, among whom were Samuel D., re- 
ferred to below; Alfred T., born in 1804, died 
in February, 1878, married Catharine Alex- 
ander. 

(VI) Samuel D., son of Jeremiah Rumsey, 
was born in what is now the town of Wood- 
bury, June 9, 1797, died in Orange county. 
New York, April 15, 1868. He was educated 
in the county schools, and learned the trade 
of carpenter, at which he did an extensive 
business throughout Orange countv, building 
several mills and water wheels. In 1832 he 
bought a farm of fifty-two acres of land and 
afterwards purchased sixteen acres of his 
father's farm. This land he tilled until his 
death. He also owned considerable moun- 
tain land, comprising one hundred and four- 
teen acres bordering on Twin Lake and fifty 
acres on Summit Lake, which belonged to 
Selah after his father's death. He married 
(first) Rebecca Lent and (second) Jane Lent, 
the sister to his first wife. Children of first 
marriage: David, Abigail. Juliet, Phoebe, Sam- 
uel, Hannah; children by second marriage: 
Martha; Eliz.-ibeth. married Charles Lewis, of 
Woodbury Falls, New York; Selah, referred 
to below. 



304 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



(VII) Selah, son of Samuel D. and Jane 
(Lent) Rumsey, was born in the Rumsey 
homestead, April 14, 1851, in what is now 
the town of Woodbury, Orange county, New 
York, and is now living in Central Valley, in 
the same county. He received his education 
in the district schools of the county and at 
Cornell Institute in Woodbury, and until his 
father died helped him on the farm. He 
then purchased the interests of the other heirs 
of his father and conducted a dairy farm and 
built uj) an extensive trade until be sold out 
to the llarriman interests a few years ago. 
He was also a horse breeder in a small way. 
He is a Methodist in religion, and a Republican 
in politics. He married, in 1882, .'\. Estelle, 
daughter of Alonzo Decker, of Newburg, New 
York. Children: i. Frank D., born in 1887; 
graduate of the Jamaica Normal School, took 
a special course at Columbia University, and 
is now a teacher of manual training at Colum- 
bus, Ohio ; married Maude Clayton, of Lake- 
wood, New Jersey ; child, Alice Lydia. 2. Les- 
lie A., born in iSgr ; now attending the Stout 
Institute, Menominee, Wisconsin. 



This surname appears to be 
FITCHETT French. The Fitchetts were 
of French origin. The im- 
migrant ancestor of this family in America 
probably came here early in the eighteenth 
century. During the Wyoming massacre the 
family was driven from Pennsylvania. One 
division of it went south and located on the 
eastern shore of Maryland. Another division 
went with stock across the Delaware, and then, 
going up the Hudson river, settled in Pough- 
kecpsie. New York. Another party settled at 
Coxsackie, New York, and some of its mem- 
bers went on to East Troy, New York, and 
so on to Canada. Thus traces of the family 
can be found in all the places mentioned above, 
though the exact links binding them tofrether 
elude research. One branch of the family 
settled in Canada, while members of other 
branches are found in Pennsylvania, New 
York, and in the west and south. The most 
that can be done is to follow individual lines 
back for some generations, with tlie ultimate 
hor)e that the links mav be eventually com- 
bined, nresuming that there was a common 
orif^in in the majority of cases. 

(I) Tames Fitchett, the first ascertainable 
•ancestor of the Fitchett family in America 



here under consideration, was born in town 
of Nanticoke, Westmoreland county, now Lu- 
zerne county, Pennsylvania, July 25, 1776, 
died March 4, 1862. He lived at the begin- 
ning of the nineteenth century on the old road 
leading out of Poughkeepsie. Not very much 
is on record in regard to him, though he 
appears to have been a man well known and 
highly respected on the country side. He was 
engaged in agricultural pursuits. There is no 
evidence that he ever held or sought to hold 
any public position, though he took a consid- 
erable interest in public affairs. He married 
Susan Myers, born September 18, 1782, died 
July 31, 1846. He had fourteen children, 
among whom was Charles Harvey, mentioned 
below. 

(II) Charles Harvey, youngest child of 
James Fitchett, was born at Poughkeepsie, 
New York. October 23, 1826, buried at Wood- 
lawn with his wife. He was educated in the 
Quaker schools outside Poughkeepsie, and his 
first occupation was in transporting the mails 
and packages for the United States govern- 
ment from Albany to Chenango county. For 
years he kept a livery and boarding stable. He 
was at one time United States ganger, and also 
held various local offices. He belonged to the 
order of Free Masons, and he served in the 
Twenty-first Regiment in the civil war. His 
rank was that of major, he having been pro- 
moted from first quartermaster under Colonel 
Wright. He was an Episcopalian in religion, 
and was a vestryman of Holy Innocents 
Church at Highland Falls, New York. He 
married Caroline, daughter of Wilmct Rob- 
erts, of Chenango county. New York. 

(III) Frederick Roberts, son of Charles 
Harvey and Caroline (Roberts) Fitchett, was 
born at Lafavette place, Poughkeepsie, Dutch- 
ess county. New York, June 3, 1858. He was 
educated at the Seminary at Amenia, New 
York, at \\'ilson's School, East Hampton, and 
under Professor Lyons on Sciences, No. t8o 
Fifth avenue. New York City. On completion 
of his studies he entered the dry goods busi- 
ne=s. making a specialty of linens, white goods, 
and laces with the firm of P>ates, Reid & 
Cooley, New York. He remained in the busi- 
ness until 1805, when he retired, and in IQ07 
he was one of the founders and incorporators 
of the First National Bank of Highland F"alls, 
New York. He was its first president, and 
he still remains in that position. He has been 




Jh//iam c/eraH4cn 




Ranted 3^. ^eieou-ion 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



305 



president of the Morgan Public Library at 
Highland Falls, New York, for several years, 
and is a member of the Arch Deaconry of 
Orange, Sullivan, Ulster and Rockland coun- 
ties. On Mr. Fitchett's father's side he is 
related to the Swifts and Warners of Pough- 
keepsie and the Holbrooks and Nashes of New 
York. He married, Jinie 3, 1902, Susie E., 
daughter of Robert Burns, of New York City. 



John Ferguson, the founder 
FERGUSON of the family in this coun- 
try, was bom in county Dol- 
lar, Scotland, and died in New York City in 
1846. He emigrated to America previous to 
1800 and landed at New York from whence 
he made his way on foot to Albany, where he 
engaged in the hardware business, and became 
a very successful merchant, eventually estab- 
lishing a branch of his business in Newark, 
New Jersey. He was an extensive owner of 
real estate, became prominent in banking and 
financial circles, and was one of the founders 
of the Chemical National Bank in New York 
City. He married Janet, daughter of John 
McNish, of Falkirk, Scotland. Children : 
Adam : William, referred to below ; John ; 
James F., referred to below; Henry A.; 
George P. 

(H) William, son of John and Janet (Mc- 
Nish) Ferguson, was born in New York City, 
September 12, 1837, died in Central Valley, 
New York, March 9, 1906. At the outbreak 
of the civil war he enlisted as a private soldier 
in the Fifth Reeiment New York Volunteers. 
known as the "Duryea Zouaves'', and served 
throughout the war, being promoted to the 
rank of major, and honorably mustered out 
of the service at the close of the war. He 
then settled in New York City, where he lived 
until igo2. when he removed to Central Valley 
and purchased a farm on which he resided 
until his death. He married, in 1863, Amanda, 
dauehter of Edwin Houghton. Child len: 
William E., referred to below; Jessie A , mar- 
ried J. \V. Mayfair; Henry A., now a physi- 
cian practicing in New York City; Kntherine; 
Emma. 

(H) Dr. Tames F. Ferguson, son of John 
and Janet f McNish) Ferguson, was born in 
New York City, October 10, 183Q. died at his 
home near Central Valley. New Yoil:, ]anii;iry 
6. iqo4. He graduated from the University 
of New York in 1861, and from Bellevue Hos- 



pital Medical College, 1862. He was the 
founder of the widely known sanitatiuin, "Fal- 
kirk", at Central Valley, New York. He 
served with the Second New York militia 
during the civil war; at the first battle of 
Bull Run he was wounded and taken to Libby 
Prison, later released on parole through efforts 
of his mother. As major and surgeon of the 
One Hundred and Sixty-fifth New York Vol- 
unteers he again mustered into service, Sep- 
tember 9, 1862, and at the siege of Port Hud- 
son was in charge of the field hospital. He 
was brevetted lieutenant-colonel of New York 
Volunteers. He was discharged at Franklin, 
Pennsylvania, in 1864. He was a memlier of 
Kane Lodge, No. 454, Free and .'\ccepted 
Masons, and attained the thirty-third degree 
in Scottish Rite Masonry. He was a member 
of the Lotus and Army and Navy clubs of 
New York. He was unmarried. 

(HI) William E., son of William and 
Amanda (Houghton) Ferguson, was born in 
New York City, July 5, 1864, and is now living 
in Centra! Valley, Orange county. New York. 
He received his early education in the public 
schools of New York City, and then enga,ged 
in mercantile business for a number of years, 
and in 1888 became associated with his uncle. 
Dr. James F. Ferguson, in the management of 
"Falkirk .Sanitarium" at Central Valley, New 
York, and at the death of his uncle in 1904. 
succeeded to the proprietorship of the sani- 
tarium, which he conducted until 1906, ivhe'i 
he sold it to Dr. Carlos F. McDonald. He 
then purchased a farm near Central Valley 
which he still cultivates. He is a Republican 
in politics, and represented the town of Wood- 
bury in the Orange county board of super- 
visors in 1908-09, and resigned that office when 
he was elected town superintendent of high- 
ways of Central Valley for a term of two 
vears. He is a member of the City Club of 
Newbure. and is also a member of the New 
York Athletic Club in New York City. He 
married, March 20, 1912, Donna, daughter of 
Captain Donald Morrison, of Detroit, Michi- 
gan. Her father is the senior master-mariner 
navigating the Great Lakes. 

This name and the family hear- 
SCHEK ing it are German in origin. It 
is not an old American name. 
not figuring in the li.sts of that older Ger- 
man emigration that directed itself towards 



3o6 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Pennsylvania and adjoining states in the; 
eighteenth century. The founder of this 
family in America came here in the nine- 
teenth century, and the present is the third 
generation descended from him. Brief as 
its history on American soil is compared 
with that of the older families of New Eng- 
land and New York it has been a praise- 
worthy record, full of creditable accomplish- 
ment and full of promise for the future. 

(I) Ignatius Schek, the immigrant an- 
cestor in America of the family here dealt 
with, was born in \\'urtembcrg, ( iermany, 
March 14, 1817, died June 18, 1887, in Bar- 
donia, New York. He came here as a young 
man and made for himself by energy, self- 
denial and sterling probity a comfortable 
competence and a "-espected position. He 
was a carpenter and cabinetmaker by occu- 
pation in Germany, but he had a knowl- 
edge of other trades and considerable ver- 
satility. Therefore when he came to Amer- 
ica he did not altogether follow the trade 
to which he had been for the most part 
accustomed in Germany, but seeing that the 
growing populations and industry of the 
towns and villages in New York state were 
in need of continually enlarging accommo- 
dations he determined to engage in the 
building business. .A.ccordingly he estab- 
lished himself in the business of builder 
and contractor in the town of Clarkstown, 
and there spent nearly the whole of his life 
on American soil and it was near there that 
he died. He was a Democrat in politics, 
a prominent man of afTairs, and in religion 
a German Presbvterian. He married 
(first) February 26. 1856. in Clarkstown, 
Rockland county. New York, Catherine 
Schultheis. He married (second) in 1863 
at Clarkstown, Rockland county. New 
York, Mary Egedee. Children: Charles: 
William, mentioned below: John. 

(IT) William, second son of Ignatius and 
Catherine (Schultheis) Schek, was born in 
Bardonia, New York, August 14, 1858. He 
is a carpenter and builder and has been 
actively engaged in business affairs in the 
town of Clarkstown. He is a German Pres- 
byterian, and in politics a Democrat. He 
was elected a justice of the peace of the 
town of Clarkstown in 1882 and served in 
that office for over sixteen years. He mar- 
ried, October 30, 1879, in Clarkstown, New 



York, Sarah Ann Wilson, born August i, 
1859, died October 31, 1909, daughter of 
John Walter and Susan Ann Clearance 
(Angell) Wilson. John Walter Wilson was 
born in London, England, August 7, 1826, 
died April 10, 1870. Susan Ann Clearance 
Angell was born September 23, 183 1, in 
Devonshire, England, daughter of Thomas 
and Sarah (Jones) Angell, of Devonshire, 
England. The children of William and 
.Sarali Ann (Wilson) Schek were: William, 
mentioned below ; Cora May, born August 
22, 1885, married Thomas Clark, and has 
Harry Clark, born January 13, 1907: Harry, 
born November 4, 1891. 

(Ill) William (2), elder son of \\'illiam 
(i) and Sarah Ann (Wilson) Schek, was 
born in West Nyack, Rockland county, New 
York. At an early age he received private 
tuition in Bardonia, New York, and then 
attended public school in Nanuet, where he 
received instruction preparatory to entering 
the high school at Nyack, and finally grad- 
uated with his class in June. 1808, and re- 
ceived his diploma. He attended the Trin- 
ity Preparatory School in New York City 
early in 1899 and remained there until 1900. 
He then attended the New York University 
Law School, remaining there two years. He 
next attended the New York Law School 
and remained one year, and then took one 
year's course in Paine's Business College in 
New York City. After that he went to 
study law in the office of the law firm of 
Gwillim & Meyers, 150 Nassau street. New 
York City, remaining associated with the 
firm from September 19. 1800. until May i, 
1002. when said firm became known as Har- 
ris, Corwin, Gunnison & Meyers, and he has 
been associated with it ever since. In 1904 
he was admitted to the bar in the supreme 
court, second department, in Brooklyn, New 
York. His specialty lies in surrogate's prac- 
tice, real estate law, mortgages and loans 
and a commercial practice. 

He is a Democrat in politics, being secre- 
tary of the Rockland County Democratic 
Committee, and was elected a justice of the 
peace of the town of Clarkstown, New York, 
in November, 1905. for a full term of four 
years and re-elected again in looQ for a 
second time. He is a member of the Im- 
proved Order of Redmen, Nyack Tribe. No. 
209. He was elected deputy great sachem 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



307 



of the order for Rockland county. He is a 
member of Oneks Lodge, No. 122, Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, in Nyack. He 
is also president of the West Nyack Fire 
Engine Company, No. i. He is, moreover, 
a member of the Lawyers' Association of 
the County of New York. He and his fam- 
ily are members of the German Presbyterian 
church at Germonds, New York . 

He married, September 6, 191 1, in the 
German Presbyterian church in Germonds, 
New York, the Rev. John H. Jensen, pas- 
tor, officiating, Emile Pauline, born in New 
York City, August i, 1890, daughter of 
Emil and Theresa (Kuder) Klein. Emil 
Klein was born November 14, 1862. in 
Cologne, Germany. He is a prosperous 
farmer and hotel keeper in West Nyack, 
New York. He served as commissioner of 
highways of the town of Clarkstown, New 
York, for many years and is highly re- 
spected by his fellow townsmen. He came 
to this country from Germany when a young 
man. He married Theresa Kuder, born 
April 17, 1868, in Wurtemberg, Germany. 
Their children are: Emile Pauline, born in 
New York City, August i, 1890, married 
William Schek Jr., above mentioned ; Helen, 
horn May 25, 1894, married Irving Crumley; 
Anna, born January i, i8q6; Lillian, born 
May 7, 1900 ; Emil Jr., born March 9, 1903. 



Matthias Millspaugh, 
MILLSPAUGH or Miltzpagh, as the 

name was originally 
spelled in some cases, was one of the Ger- 
man pioneers of Orange county. New York, 
formerly part of Ulster county. He was one 
of the Palatines. He and Joseph Mingus 
were in a company that settled in the town 
of Montgomery, and Mr. Millspaugh was 
the progenitor probably of all the family of 
this surname. He married the widow of 
Johannes Mingus and, after buying the 
rights of the heirs, became owner of the 
Mingus farm about 1721. About this time 
Matthias Millspaugh, Henry Crist, Silvanus 
Crist and others made a settlement on the 
opposite side of the Wallkill river from the 
present village of Montgomerv. All of the 
settlers were German Palatines and be- 
longed to the Reformed church. Matthias 
and Philip Millspaugh were naturalized bv 
the New York assembly in 1735. In 1768-78 



Philip and Jacob Millspaugh were living in 
Montgomery. In 1790 the family had multi- 
plied greatly, but had remained in Mont- 
gomery. In that year, according to the first 
federal census, the following were heads of 
families there: Abraham, Adam, Benjamin, 
Christopher, Daniel, Frederick, Isaac, Jacob, 
Jacob Jr., Johannis, John, Peter, Philip Sr., 
and Philip Jr. But one will of a Millspaugh 
is on record before 1800 in Ulster county. 
Stephen Millspaugh, of Montgomery, yeo- 
man, made his will March 19, 1789, and be- 
queathed to Jonathan, eldest son of his 
brother Matthias, and to Philip, son of his 
brother Philip. The will was proved May 

5. 1789- 

The surname is found in the early records 
of Orange and the adjacent counties as 
Miltzpatch, Miltzpach and Milsbagh. The 
immigrants bearing the name were from 
both Germany and Holland, and in some 
cases they came to the United States with 
grown-up families. The valley of the Wall- 
kill was settled by German, Dutch, and 
French emigrants, who, being frugal and in- 
dustrious, very soon became possessed of 
competence and wealth. Of the Millspaugh 
family that settled in Orange county, Jacob, 
the father, was evidently an old man, as 
the records do not mention any land pos- 
sessed by him. The printed records begin 
with Matthias, his son, who was born in 
Germany or Holland, as the Journal of the 
New York Assembly for 1735 shows a bill 
for the naturalizaiiuu of several persons, 
among them Matthias Milsbagh, Philip 
Milsbagh and otheis. 

Philip served as a soldier in the revolu- 
tionary war. His children were Frederick, 
Moses, David. Levins. Jeremiah, and Mary. 
Jeremiah married Sallie Crist, November 30, 
1800, she having been born on February 24, 
1779, dving January 31, 1847. There were 
five children of this marriage, two of whom 
died in infancy; those who grew to adult 
life were: Gilbert who became a tailor; 
Harvey, al.so a tailor: and Catherine Ann. 
It is possible that the family here dealt with 
is descended from this Jeremiah, though the 
exact links have not as yet been traced. 

(I) Renwick Millspaugh. undoubtedly a 
member of the Millspaugh family whose 
earlier generations are outlined above, was 
born at the city of Newburgh, Orange coun- 



3o8 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



ty, New York, May 28, 1830, died September 
19, 1885. He was educated in the common 
schools, and was an auctioneer and furniture 
dealer all his life. He took considerable in- 
terest in the public affairs of his city, state 
and nation, though he did not hold any pub- 
lic office. He was an attendant of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal church. He married, in 
1854, Emma Young, born October 11, 1836, 
died in February, 1885. Children: i. Wil- 
liam, died in infancy. 2. Ida, died in infancy. 
3. Eva, died in infancy. 4. Caroline, now a 
teacher in a Washington public school. 5. 
Thomas H., of whom further. 

(H) Thomas H., son of Renwick and Em- 
ma (Young) Millspaugh, was born October 
8, 1865, in the city of Newburgh, Orange 
county. New York. He graduated from the 
Newburgh Academy in 1882, and was an 
assistant to his father until 1887. when he 
became connected with H. C. Higginson. 
In 1899 the Higginson Manufacturing Com- 
pany was organized and he was made secre- 
tary of the company. On Mr. Higginson's 
retirement in icpg Mr. Millspaugh became 
president of the company, a position he still 
holds. Mr. Millspaugh is a member of the 
Newburgh Lodge, No. 309, Free and Ac- 
cepted Masons, and was its master in 1895; 
Highland Chapter, No. 52, Royal Arch 
Masons ; Hudson Commandery, No. 35 ; 
Ringold Hose Company: and the City and 
Wheelman's Club, of Newburgh. Orange 
county. New York. 

He married, on April 13. 1887, Frances, 
daughter of Charles and Frances (Green) 
Moss, of the city of Newburgh. There has 
been one son by this marriage, Kenneth R. 



The surname SenflF is German 
SENFF in origin. In the German 

"Senf" means "mustard", and it 
is probably from that word that the surname 
is derived. In Germany the name has been 
borne bv many noble families and to it are 
attached several coats-of-arms. It is a prev- 
alent name in Germany and Holland, but is 
not borne very extensively in this country. 
Doubtless a number of the German immi- 
grants who came to this country in large 
numbers in the eighteenth century brought 
the name with them, but the family here 
dealt with is only here in the third genera- 
tion, the grandfather of the youngest gener- 



ation having been the immigrant ancestor in 
this country. 

(I) Henry Senfif, M.D., the immigrant an- 
cestor in America of the Senfif family here 
dealt with, was born in Briickeburg, 
Schaumberg Lippe, Germany, April 4, 1804, 
died May 5. 1868, in New York City. He 
came to this country in 1832 and settled in 
New York City. He was engaged in the 
drug business and secured employment in 
that line, but later he studied medicine and 
surgery, graduated from New York Col- 
lege of Physicians and Surgeons, and be- 
came, when he had completed the course, 
assistant surgeon at West Point. While at 
West Point he was private tutor to Robert 
E. Lee, and was a prominent Abolitionist. 
He remained there two years, and then re- 
turned to New York. He practiced his pro- 
fession in the city and became prominent. 
He married, June 7, 1838, Susan W., daugh- 
ter of Frederick C. and Catherine (Billigar") 
Havemeyer. Children : Louise L., married, 
July T2, i860. Dr. Edward E. Lee; Charles 
H., died August 23, 191 1; Frederick \\'., 
mentioned below. 

(II) Frederick W.. younger son of Dr. 
Henry and Susan W. (Havemeyer) SenfF. 
was born in New York City. August i. 1840. 
He was educated in the public schools and 
in the New York Free Academy. For about 
two years he was in the drv goods business, 
and in 1868 he went to Europe, where he 
studied chemistry. On his return he settled 
in New Windsor. Orange county. New 
York, where he now lives, though he has 
never practiced his profession on accoimt of 
his eyes. Mr. SenflF is vice-president and 
director of the Newburg Savings Rank, 
member of the board of managers at St. 
Luke's Hospital, member of the Citv and 
Auto clubs at Newburg, and a member of 
the Reformed Club, New York City. He 
married, October 23, 1878, Geor.giana Have- 
meyer. There has been one daughter of the 
marriage. Louise S.. who married Kenneth 
Cameron, of Newburg, Orange county. New 
York. 



The Stokes family would nn- 
STOKES near to be of Norman origin. 

following the derivation of the 
surname, a branch of the ancieiU and illustri- 
ous house of Montespedon. Several of its 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



309 



members went to England from Normandy 
soon after the conquest by William in the 
eleventh century and there obtained large pos- 
sessions and were people of high standing. 
The surname was known under various forms 
in both England and Ireland. A Sir Adam de 
Stokke was seized of the manors of Stokke 
and Rutishall. Wiltshire, England, about 1300. 
His son, Thomas de Stokke, held the manor of 
.Sende with other lands in Wiltshire. John 
Stokes represented Wiltshire in parliament in 
the time of Charles H. John Stokes, of Dun- 
moylan House, county of Limerick, about the 
year 1622, married Sara O'Conail, daughter 
of Jefferey O'Conail, and granddaughter of 

!Da or Daid O'Conail, of Iveraigh, their de- 
scendants still retaining the family seats at 
Tralee and Cullenymore in Ireland. From the 
year 1201, the third of the reign of King John 
of England, to 1357, the thirty-first of the 
reign of King Edward HI., a period of over 

Sone hundred and fifty years, we find in the 
records of the Acts of the succeeding kings 
that the members of the Stokes family were 
connected with the various courts, being called 
as witnesses to important state papers as char- 
t ters, letters patent, etc., showing that they 
I; stood high in the esteem and confidence of the 
various monarchs. Lower sa\s that the sur- 
name Stokes is in its origin simply a plurali- 
zation of the name Stoke. 

( I ) Thomas Stokes, the first American an- 
cestor of the Stokes family here dealt with, 
was born in London in 1765, the son of Wil- 
liam Stokes, of that city, and died in New 
York City, October 10, 1832, aged sixty-seven 
years. He came to New York in 1798 and 
became one of the most distinguished men of 
that generation in philanthropic and religious 
work. Before coming to this country he was 
a merchant of considerable wealth and one of 
the founders of the Lond'^n Missionary So- 
ciety. In this country h_ was one of the 
founders of the American Bible Society, the 
New York Peace Society, and the American 
Tract Society. He had been accustomed to 
preach to the poor of London, though he was 
not a reeularly ordained minister. He was 
as'iociated with Robert Raikes in his earliest 
efforts to organize Sunday-schools in the city 
of London and its suburbs. On arriving in 
New York he was baptized in the East river 
by the Rev. Charles Lahatt. pastor of the 
Bethel Baptist Church of New York. When 



by the efiforts of Archibald Maclay the Mul- 
berry Street Baptist Church was gathered Mr. 
Stokes united with the body and was at once 
elected deacon, an office which he held until 
the time of his death. "The General Conven- 
tion", which was the first organization of the 
American Baptists for the promotion of for- 
eign missions, was formed in Philadelphia, 
May 21, 1814, Mr. Stokes was present, a 
deeply interested spectator. When in 1821, in 
consequence of failing health, John Caldwell, 
the treasurer of the Baptist Missionary Con- 
vention, was compelled to resign, Mr. Stokes 
consented to undertake the duties of the posi- 
tion which, however, he resigned two years 
later desiring that the trea.surcr be located at 
Boston. In 1825 he assisted in the organiza- 
tion of the Tract Society and was placed upon 
its board of managers. 

He married Elizabeth Ann, daughter of 
James Boulter, of Lowestoft. England. Chil- 
dren: Thomas Boulter; Richard Arnold, died 
young; William Armstrong, died young; Eliz- 
abeth Ann, married John Dickcrson ; Edward 
Halesworth ; Alfred Arnold; James Boulter, 
mentioned below ; Sarah, married Charles Col- 
gate ; Henry; Josiah ; William .Armstrong; 
Mary, married Clinton Gilbert ; Benaiah Gibb. 
(IF) James Boulter, the fifth son of Thomas 
and Elizabeth .Ann (Boulter) Stokes, was bom 
in 1804. died in 1881. Early in life he was 
engaged in business with his father, but later 
became a member of the firm of importers of 
Phelps, Dodge & Company, .\fter remaining 
in this business connection for about forty-one 
years he assisted in establishing the banking 
house of Phelps, Stokes & Company. Being 
greatly interested in charitable and religious 
institutions, he contributed generously to their 
support and was associated with Peter Cooper 
and others in the development of the public 
school system. He married, in 1837, Caroline, 
daughter of Anson G. Phelps, who was de- 
scended in the sixth generation from George 
Phelps, the pioneer, who was one of the set- 
tlers of Windsor. Connecticut. Children : An- 
son Phelps, mentioned below ; James Jr. ; 
Thomas ; William E. Dodge ; Elizabeth James, 
married Francis H. Slade; Olivia Egleston 
Phelps ; Dora, married Henry Dale ; Caroline 
Phelps. 

(HI) Anson Phelps, eldest son of James 
Boulter and Caroline (Phelps) Stokes, was 
born in New York City, in 1838. He was a 



3IO 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



partner in Phelps, Dodge & Company, and 
afterwards in the banking business of I'helps, 
Stokes & Company, with his father. Later he 
was principally occupied in looking after his 
real estate and other investments. He is or 
has been a member of the Tuxedo, Metropoli- 
tan, Knickerbocker, Union League, City, Law- 
yers, Reform, New York Yacht, Seawanhaka- 
Coriiithian Vacht, Riding, City and Church 
■ clubs, the Century Association, the National 
Academy of Design, and Society of Colonial 
Wars, and patron of the Metropolitan Mu- 
seum of Art, and the American Museum of 
Natural History. He was twice vice-commo- 
dore of the New York Yacht Club, and was 
first president of the Reform Club. He wrote 
•'loint-Metallism", of which many editions 
have been published. He married, October 17, 
1865, Helen Louisa, daughter of Isaac Newton 
Phelps, who was descended in the sixth gen- 
eration from George Phelps, of Windsor, the 
ancestor of her husbands' mother. Children : 
L N. Phelps; J. G. Phelps, graduated from 
Yale in 1892; Anson Phelps Jr., graduated 
from Yale University in 1896; PLirold M. 
Phelps, graduated from Yale University. 1909; 
Sarah Phelps, married Baron Halkett ; Helen 
Olivia Phelps; Ethel V. Phelps, married John 
Sherman Hoyt ; Caroline M. Phelps, married 
Robert Hunter; Mildred Phelps, married Dr. 
Kausoni .^])afor(l Hooker. 

(The Phelps Line.) 

The modern surname of Phelps is spelled in 
the Massachusetts colonial records as Feljjs, 
Phelips and Phelps. It is a name well known 
in England, Ireland and Scotland, and is a 
variation of Philips, an ancestral cognomen 
meaning the "son of Philip", and is in many 
cases an anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac 
Philib. 

(I) George Phelps emigrated to America in 
i6-^o. whence there is no record, but supposed- 
ly from Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, Eng- 
land, where a family of the name was living 
at that time. He was born about the year 
1606, died May 8, 1687, at Westfield. From 
the Dorchester, Massachusetts, records we 
learn that "January 1632 George Phelps with 
others is to have a great lot of six acres a 
piece". In 1634 he was chosen one of the ten 
men "to order the afl'airs of the colony for one 
vear" and in 1635 he was chosen freeman. He 
located at Windsor in 1635 and in later years 
he served on the jurj' both in Hartford and 



Springfield, Massachusetts. He married 
(nrst) at Windsor in 1637, Phillury, daughter 
of Philip Randall, who died in 1648; (second) 
in 1 048, Frances Dewey, a widow. Children 
by first marriage : Isaac, born in 1638, mar- 
iied Anne Gay lord ; a child, died m 1647; 
Abraham, born in 1641, married Mary Pm- 
ney; a child, died in 1O47; Joseph, mentioned 
beiow. Children by second marriage: Abi- 
gail, born in 1969; jacob. married Dorothy In- 
gersoll; John, married Sarah Buckland; Na- 
thaniel, born in 1653. 

(II) Joseph, son of George and Phillury 
(Randall) Phelps, was born at Windsor, Con- . 
necticut. June 24. 1647, died at East Windsor 
in i(x)^. He settled in Westfield, Massachu- 
setts, and removed to the east side of the 
Great river ( Connecticut ) and was among the 
first settlers of East Windsor, now South 
Windsor, Connecticut. It would appear that 
the company to which Joseph Phelps belonged 
owned lands in East Windsor previous to this 
date, but returned to Westfield during the 
Indian troubles. Joseph Phelps, who had be- 
come a captain of the militia, was made a 
freeman in 1672. He married (first) June 
26, 1673. in Westfield, Massachusetts, Mary, 
daughter of John and Mary (Stanley) Por- 
ter; (second) Hester, daughter of John and 
Phillury (Thrall) Hosford!" Children by first 
wife: Mary, born in 1674, married Nathaniel 
Hosford ; Sarah, married Samuel Pinney ; 
Joseph, mentioned below; Hannah, born in 
t68o, married John Younglove ; Mindwell, 
born in 1682, married Obadiah Hosford. 
Children by second marriage : Daniel, died 
in irx)o, in infancy; Hester, born in 1691, 
married Samuel Kent; Abigail, born in 1693, 
married Samuel Marshall : Pienoni. died in 
1709. 

(Ill) Captain Joseph (2) Phelps, eldest 
son of Joseph (i) and Mary (Porter) Phelps, 
was born in East \\'indsor, Connecticut, De- 
cember 13. 167S, died September 3, 1751. He 
settled in East Windsor, Connecticut. He was 
established and confirmed to be lieutenant by 
the general assembly in May, 1730, and to be 
captain of the South Company or trained band 
on the cast side of the Connecticut river in 
the town of Windsor in May. 1732. He 
joined the church in 1700, and Abigail Bissell, 
afterwards his wife, joined the church at the 
=ame time. At that time the Rev. Timothy 
Edwards was pastor of the East Windsor 
church and in his rate book he carefullv uses 



312 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



daughter of Gerrit Eshuysen, and (third) Eg- 
bertje, daughter of Dirck Hage Bruynsen, 
who died September 9, 1728. Children: i. 
Albert, referred to below. 2. Child, died in 
infancy. 3. Dorothea, baptized in the Dutch 
church in New Amsterdam, May i, 1661 ; 
married Isaac Casparse Halenbeck, of Albany. 
4. Gerrit, born in 1663, died in infancy. 5. 
Gerrit. born in 1665, died in infancy. 6. Hil- 
legond. baptized November 3, 1666; married, 
April 18, 1699, Lodowijck Ackerman. 7. Cor- 
nelia, baptized May 29, 1762; married, April 
3, 1697, Pierre Gerard Cavalier. 8. Hendrick, 
baptized December 2, 1674; married, Septem- 
ber 9, 1698. Maria van der Beeck. 9. Samuel, 
baptized February 28, 1677. 10. Joshua, bap- 
tized May 19, 1678. 

(11) Albert, son of Hendrick Albrachtsen 
and Anna Maria (Rembach) Bosch, was born 
in Leyden, died in New Amsterdam before 
April 23. 1 701, as he is mentioned as deceased 
in his father'.s will. November 19, 1686, he 
was granted the water lot opposite the prop- 
erty owned by his father, it being the lot east 
of Fraunces' Tavern. He married, May i, 
1668, Elsje, daughter of Jeuriaen Blanck. 
Children: i. Jeuriaen, baptized January 20, 
1669; married, October 16. 1695. Geese Anna 
Bruijn. 2. Hendrick, baptized September 10, 
1670. 3. Anna Maria, baptized May 5. 1672: 
married Edward Marshall. 4. Justus, referred 
to below. 5. Catharina, baptized, June 11, 
1677. 6. Margariet, baptized April 12, 1679. 
7. Albertus-Conraedus, baptized July 23. 1681 ; 
married. July 17, 1703, Maria Yaets. 8. Cas- 
parus, baptized August 25, 1683. 

(IH) Justus Bush, son of Albert and Elsje 
(Blanck) Bo.sch, was baptized in the Dutch 
church in New Amsterdam, October 28, 1675, 
died in Westchester county. New York, be- 
tween June 25;, 1737, and December 4, 1738. 
the dates of the execution and the proving of 
his will. He married Annetje Smith van Bos- 
wijck, who died between October 6 and 30, 
1745, and from the signature to her will we 
get the first record of the modern spelling of 
the name as "Bush." Children: i. Annatje. bap- 
tized luly 3, 1698. died young. 2. Justus, bap- 
tized December 3, 1699 ; ancestor of the Green- 
wich, Connecticut, branch of the fainilv. 3. 
Geeritje (later corrupted to Charity) baptized 
October 30, 1701 ; married William Smith. 4. 
Elisabeth, baptized December 3, 1703; mar- 
ried. May 13, 1726, Jan Abrahamsen. 3. Hen- 



ricus, referred to below. 6. Annatje, baptized 
May II, 1708; living unmarried in 1745. 7. 
Albertus, baptized June 11, 1710; married, 
January 22, 1739, Catharina Smith. 8. Johan- 
nes, baptized June i, 1712. 9. Bernardus, bap- 
tized December 15, 1714. 10. Isaac, baptized 
March 2, 1718. 11. Abraham, baptized Feb- 
ruary 17, 1720; married Ruth Lyon, the an- 
cestor of the Westchester county branch of 
the family. 

(IV) Henricus, son of Justus and Annetje 
Smith (van Boswijck) Bush, was baptized in 
the Dutch church in New York City, July 2, 
1706. According to family tradition he is the 
ancestor of the Orange county. New York, 
branch of the family, but the records at pres- 
ent accessible are not sufficient to determine 
the question positively, as his brothers Al- 
bertus, Johannes, Bernardus and Isaac also 
removed from Westchester county and the 
branches descending from them have not yet 
been discovered. One of these brothers, how- 
e\er, had a son Henry, referred to below. 

(V) Henry, probably the son of Henricus, 
and certainly the grandson of Justus and An- 
netje Smith (van Boswijck) Bush, settled on 
what is known as the old Donovan place in 
Hempstead, now Sloatsburg, Rockland coun- 
ty. New York, in 1760. He served as a soldier 
in the revolution. One family tradition states 
that he came to -Sloatsburg from Greenwich, 
New Jersey, but this is manifestly an error 
and arises from a confusion of the south 
Jersey town with the Connecticut town of the 
same name where Henry's uncle, Justus, had 
settled. The records of Greenwich, Connecti- 
cut, also prove that Henry could not have 
been the son of Justus, but must have been 
his nephew. He married Rachel De Graw. 
Children : Rachel, Martha, Rebecca, Mar- 
garet, Samuel. John, Peter, referred to below ; 
Henry. William. 

(VI) Peter, son of Henry and Rachel (De 
Graw) Bush, was bom in Sloatsburg. Rock- 
land county. New York. November 11, 1783, 
died at Greenwood, now Arden, May 4. 1836. 
He was a contractor and worked throughout 
all that section of country, and was at one 
time an iron manufacturer at Arden. He 
married (first) in 1806. Mary Smith, born 
May 2. 1778, died November 4. 1815. He 
married (second) in 1816, Abigail Smith. 
Children by first marriage: i. Matilda, born 
January 16, 1807, died October 28, 1866: mar- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



313 



ried, November 5, 1829, Cornelius \';in \'aler. 
2. Mary Ann, born May 2, 1809, died May 23, 
1894; married, December 23, 1829, Thomas 
Lewis. 3. Henry, born June 4, 181 1, died 
July 16, 1856. 4. James S., referred to below. 5. 
Alargaret, born November 27, 1814, died May 
19, 1881. Children by second marriage: 6. Eliz- 
abeth, born March 13, 1817, died Decemlier 
26, 1S52. 7. Samuel Gurnee, born September 

19, 1818, died unmarried, April 19, 1850. 8. 
Peter B., referred to below. 9. Nathaniel 
Drake, born October 29, 1821, died October 

20, 1897 ; was architect for the New York 
City police department for a number of years 
prior to his death. 10. Rachel, born August 
I, 1823; married John Knapp, September 21, 
1843, died July 26, 1846. 11. Sarah, born 
November 20, 1825 ; married William H. Wey- 
gant, February 23, 1847, died April 10, 1859. 
12. Eleanor, born October 20, 1827; married 
Alexander Thompson, February 19, 1856, died 
January, 1904. 13. Cornelius V., born No- 
vember 5, 1829, died unmarried, November 
19, 1853. 14. Arminda, born December 7, 
183 1, deceased; married John W. Rea, March 
19, 1854. 15 Phebe. born July 11, 1833; mar- 
ried Charles Woodall, February 10, 1870, died 
September 25, 1878. 16. Hudson MacFarlan, 
born March 28. 1836: married Martha C. 
Ford, February, 1864, died July 4, 1912. 

(VII) James S., son of Peter and Mary 
(Smith) Bush, was born at Southfield, Orange 
county. New York, December 25, 1812, died 
at Arden, October 4, 1878. He was educated 
in the public schools of Orange county, and 
was a farmer until 1838. when he was ap- 
pointed a keeper at Sing Sing prison. Three 
years later he was made assistant warden, but 
in 1843 he returned to his farm at Arden 
where he passed the remainder of his life. 
For over twenty-five years he furnished the 
furnaces at Sterling, Southfield and Green- 
wood, New York, with limestone. He was 
a communicant of the Protestant EpiscoDal 
church, and one of the originators of the Re- 
publican party in Goshen, New York. He 
married, January 3. 1843, Eliza J., born at 
Sin? Sing. August 21, 1824. died at Arden. 
April 8. 1897. daughter of James and Eliza- 
beth (Griffith) Minerly, of Sing Sine. New 
York. Children: i. James H.. born Novem- 
ber 6. 1843. died Tanuary 8, 1896: married, 
May 16, 1868, Alice Hance. 2. Elizabeth, 
born March 26. 1845, died April 8. 1897: mar- 



ried James S. Hollenbeck. 3. Matilda V., born 
March 20, 1847, died February 28, 1880; mar- 
ried, October 5, 1868, David AI. Hollenbeck. 
4. Mary, born December 21, 1849, died Janu- 
ary 5, 1850. 5. George H., born February 14, 
185 1 ; married, November 4, 1874, Emily 
Cooper. 6. Peter B., born June 23, 1853; 
married Margaret Conklin, June 23, 1878. 7. 
Hudson G., born May 7, 1857; married, Oc- 
tober 15, 1879, Mary A. Weyant. 8. Reeves 
D., born June 23, i860; married, December 
I, 1889, Mary A. Grady. 9. Gillmore O., 
referred to below. 

(VIII) Gillmore O., son of James S. and 
Eliza J. (Minerly) Bush, was born at Arden, 
Orange county. New York, March 3, 1863, 
and is now living at Tuxedo, New York. He 
received his education in the district schools 
of Orange county and at the Paterson Busi- 
ness College, and then he went to Newburg,. 
New York, and worked on the construction 
of the West Shore railroad until 1881, when 
he went to Ansonia, Connecticut, and worked 
at the trade of machinist. In the spring of 
1886 he settled permanently in Tuxedo, and 
on the following May ist was appointed a 
policeman. He served as such for four years 
and then resigned, but six months later, May 
I, 1891, he was appointed to the position of 
chief of police of Tuxedo, which he has held 
ever since. He was the first collector of taxes 
for the new town of Tuxedo and served as 
such for three terms. In 1889 he was ap- 
pointed by President McKinley postmaster of 
Tu.xedo and served in that position for twelve 
years. Since 1886 he has been deputy sheriff 
of Orange county. He is a member of Ram- 
apo Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, of 
Suffern, New York, and when Lorillard 
Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, of Tux- 
edo, was formed, he was transferred and be- 
came a charter member of that lodge. He 
married, April 19, 1894, Harriet, born August 
8, 1872, daughter of George W. Dater. of 
Sloatsburg, New York. Children : Adrian 
Dater, born May 24, 1896; Esther M.. July 
27. 1901 ; Gillmore O., February 24, 1907. 

(\'II) Peter B., son of Peter and .Abigail 
f Smith) Bush, was born at a place called the 
"Shore" near Caldwell Landing on the Hud- 
son river. New York. June 8, 1820, died 
March 6, 1013. at Harriman, formerly Tur- 
ners, New York. He was educated in the 
district schools of Orange county, and assisted 



314 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



his father in various pursuits. When his 
father died he undertook the management of 
the homestead farm at Greenwoods, now Ar- 
den, and prior to 1862 he bought out the 
interests of the other heirs. In the same year 
he also bought the Van Valer farm of one 
hundred and twenty-three acres of land in 
Monroe township, and on this farm he lived 
up to the time of his death in the ninety-third 
year of his age. He married Harriet, born in 
1834, died April 25, 1900. daughter of David 
and Mary (Townsend) Ford. Children: Min- 
nie R., born September 21, 1859; Horace G., 
referred to below ; Samuel G., born November 
27, 1864, married. April 7, 1892, Carrie Ball, 
children: Harriet Ford, Inez, Mildren, How- 
ard S. 

(VHI) Horace G., son of Peter B. and 
Harriet (Ford) Bush, was born in the town 
of Monroe, Orange county. New York, March 
13, 1863, and is now living on the homestead 
farm in Harriman, Orange county. New 
York. He received his education in the dis- 
trict schools of Orange county, and then as- 
sisted his father in his agricultural pursuits 
until 1892, when he undertook the active man- 
agement of the farm, which he still continues, 
doing a highly prosperous dairy, fruit and 
general farming business. He is a Republican 
in politics, and a member of the Presbyterian 
church. During 1906 and 1907 he was the 
Republican supervisor for the town of Mon- 
roe, and formerly a member of the board of 
education of Harriman. He is a member of 
Standard Lodge, No. 711, Free and Accepted 
Masons, of the town of Monroe. He mar- 
ried, January 27, 1897, Mary T., born in 
Monroe, August 31, 1874, daughter of Asahel 
and Sarah (Thompson) Smith, of the town 
of Monroe. Children : Florence, died in in- 
fancy ; Peter B., born August 21, 1901 ; Horace 
S.. August 22, 1903 : Charles A., August 22, 
1912. 



Tosiah Patterson, the first 
PATTERSON member of this family of 
whom we have definite in- 
formation, was the son of John Patterson, of 
the town of Monroe, Orange county. New 
York, where he was born in 1824, and where 
he died in 1897. Josiah Patterson was for 
many years in the employ of the Peter B. 
Parrott Iron Company, and on the death of 



his father-in-law, who was the superintendent 
of the Peter Lorillard estate, now Tuxedo 
Park, succeeded him to that position, which 
he held for over fifty years. He was a mem- 
ber of Goshen Lodge, Free and Accepted 
Masons, of New York. He married Maria, 
daughter of Benjamin and Maria M. 
(Schultz) Van Schaick. Children: 1. J. 
Frank, born in 1862 ; now living at Towanda, 
Pennsylvania ; married Mary Reed. 2. Charles 
S., referred to below. 3. Maria, born in 1866; 
married C. S. Chapman, of Ridgewood, New 
Jersey. 4. Fanny, born in 1876; married 
Thomas G. Barbour, of Ridgewood, New 
Jersey. 

(11) Charles S., son of Josiah and Maria 
(\'an Schaick) Patterson, was born in Tux- 
edo Park, Orange county. New York, January 
25, 1864, and is now living there. He received 
his education in the common schools of 
Orange county, and then became connected 
with the Tuxedo Park Association, of which 
his father was the superintendent. He was 
assistant superintendent for twelve years, and 
when his father died he succeeded to his 
father's position as superintendent, which he 
has held ever since. He was a member of 
Monroe Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, 
of New York, until the formation of Loril- 
lard Lodge at Tuxedo, when he withdrew and 
became a charter member of that body. He 
is a member of Suffern Chapter, Newburg 
Commandery, Mecca Temple, of New York 
City, a trustee of the Tuxedo Free Library, 
and director of the Goshen National Bank of 
Orange County, of the Erie & Montgomery 
railroad, of the Goshen and Deckcrstown 
railroad, of the Tuxedo Park Association, of 
the Tuxedo Electric Light Company. He is 
a Republican in politics, and has served and 
still is supervisor of the town of Tuxedo, a 
position he has held for fifteen years. He 
married Edith, born in 1874, daughter of 
George W. Dater, of Sloatsburg. Child, Mary 
Van Schaick. 



This rather prevalent and beautiful 
ROSE surname is not easy to account for. 

The rose has in all ages been re- 
garded as the "Queen of Flowers", and as 
such has ever been associated with poetrv and 
symbolism. It may have become a surname 
from the device of the original bearer whether 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



315 



displayed upon a patrician banner or on a sign 
post. Salverte mentions a noble family of 
i-'oland in tne twelfth century who were 
known to have adopted their surname, Rose, 
from the device on their shield, and he ad- 
duces other instances of a similar practice. 
The Roses of Nairnshire, Scotland, settled 
there from the time of Alexander Hi., origi- 
nally wrote themselves De Roos, signifymg 
something of a Dutch origin. Hugh Rose, ot 
Geddes, by marriage with the heiress of Byset, 
acquired the lands of Kilravock, and had a 
crown charter of the barony from King John 
Baliol. The water-Bougets, borne by tne an- 
cient Lords De Roos of Hamlake. are found 
in the arms of many families of Ross and 
Rose, showing at least a presumed community 
of origin and name. In the Hundred Roll of 
England we find De La Rose, uie meaning of 
which is not clear. In the same record Eil' 
Rose is also met with, so that Rose rnust have 
been a personal name. In Ireland and often 
in Scotland Rose and Ross are in many cases 
derived from the ancient surname, O'Ruis, 
anglicized Ross and Rush (see "O'Hart's 
Pedigrees", vol. I). To Ross is attributed 
other origins. In Doomesday Book there was 
in Kent, England, a tenant called Anschibil de 
Ros, and in Buckinghamshire another named 
Ansgobus de Ros. These probably came from 
Ros, a commune in the arrondissement of 
Caen, France. It is sometimes of local British 
origin. The barons Ros or Rose of Hamlake, 
county Yorkshire, England, sprang from one 
Peter, who in the reign of Henry I., assumed 
his surname from the lordship of Ros. There 
are several towns in North and South Britain 
of the name of Ross, and surnames, Ross and 
Rose, have sometimes been derived from these, 
which are probably from the Gaelic or Erse 
word "Ros", meaning "a promontorv"". In 
some cases the name had reference to the com- 
plexion of the original bearer and may have 
been a modification of the word meaning "red" 
in various languages, as, Le Rous, Rufus, 
Ruadh. There is no doubt that in many cases 
Rose is simply a modification of Ross. Fer- 
guson claims that Ross is Teutonic in origin, 
deriving it from Old Saxon "hros". Old 
Norse, "hross", etc., meaning "a Horse". 
Skene maintains, however, that the name is 
Gaelic in origin. "It is well known", he says, 
"that the surname Ross has always been ren- 
dered in Gaelic, Clan Aurias, or Clan Gille 



Aurias". Here in America both Ross and 
Rose are often derived from the Dutch sur- 
names, Roosa and Roos. It is not improbable 
that Rose, in the case of the family here dealt 
with, is derived from one of these Dutch sur- 
names, the tradition being that it is of Holland 
descent. 

(i) Jacob Rose was born about the tinu 
of the revolutionary war, and was an agricul- 
turist of Ulster county, New York. Little is 
known regarding the details of his life, but 
he was a successful farmer, and was a man 
of character and ability. He gathered to- 
gether a considerable competency, as repre- 
sented in the property he owned, and engaged 
to some extent in various commercial pursuits. 

(II) John, son of Jacob Ro.se, was born in 
Ulster county. New York, in the early years 
of the nineteenth century, died at Poughkeep- 
sie, Dutchess county. New York, at the age 
of seventy-nine. He owned a goodly number 
of acres, operated a farm, and at the samo 
time carried on the work of a blacksmith's 
shop. He married Sybil, born in Ulster coun- 
ty, New York, daughter of John Beaver. John 
Beaver was one of the proprietors of the 
town of Esopus, New York, and was a very 
wealthy man in his day. He married a Miss 
Clark, who came from an old New England 
family. Mrs. Rose, who was a devout mem- 
ber of the Methodist Episcopal church, died at 
the age of eighty-two. Children : Hilend, 
Oscar, Sally, John C, mentioned below, Reu- 
ben, Benjamin, Levi, Frances. 

(III) John C, third son of John and Sybil 
(Beaver) Rose, was born at Esopus, Ulster 
county, New York, October 4, 1828, died in 
1896. He was one of the leading examples 
of the self-made men of Orange county, and 
was proprietor of the village and brickyards 
of Roseton, which were situated about six 
miles north of the city of Newburg on the 
West Shore railroad. His success was large- 
ly the result of his idea that barges for trans- 
portinsj brick could be constructed in a cheap 
and easy manner, and this plan he successfully 
carried into effect. He owned sixteen brick 
machines and had a bank of the finest clay for 
the purpose. He was educated at the district 
schools of his home neighborhood. He con- 
tinued to reside in Dutchess county until 1865, 
when he removed with his family to Haver- 
straw, where he embarked in the manufacture 
of brick in partnership with his brother. Hi- 



3i6 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



lend Rose. A year later he sold out his inter- 
est and engaged in the construction of barges 
for the transportation of brick. The first 
barge thus made was called the "Silas G. 
Mackay" and the second "Hilend C. Rose", 
after which many others were built in rapid 
succession. In the year 1875 Mr. John C. 
Rose resumed the manufacture of brick at 
Haverstraw where he had six machines, and 
this plant he continued to operate uninter- 
ruptedly until 18S2, in which year he sold out. 
He was then compelled through failing health 
to travel in Europe for part of a year, receiv- 
ing great benefit. In the year 1883 he once 
more embarked in business near Newburg, 
where he purchased a large tract of land, buy- 
ing out various parties, until he owned nearly 
three hundred acres. His sixteen brick ma- 
chines had a capacity of twenty-four thou- 
sand bricks per day each, and the two en- 
gines which ran the same were of one 
hundred and one hundred and seventy 
horse power respectively. On an average 
about forty million bricks were turned 
out of the factory annually, the larger number 
of them being shipped to New York City by 
barges. After locating at Newburg Mr. Rose 
secured a postofifice which was called in his 
honor Roscton, and his son, Hilend C, was 
appointed first postmaster. Another son, -Al- 
bert, became an incumbent of the postoffice. 
In 1884 the firm of Rose & Company was in- 
corporated with a capital of ninety thousand 
dollars, Mr. John C. Rose being president and 
treasurer, and his son, Hilend C, being vice- 
president and secretary. Mr. John C. Rose 
was a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
church in which he held various offices and 
was superintendent of the Sunday school. He 
was active in the ranks of the Prohibition 
party; was a trustee of the national funds, 
chairman of the county committee, and helped 
to nominate candidates for different offices of 
importance. 

He married (first) Phoebe Myers, who died 
in 1870, daughter of William Myers, a farmer 
in the county. The marriaee took place in 
1856 in Dutchess countv. New York. He 
married (second) at Marlboro, Ulster county. 
New York, in the year 1873, Martha, daughter 
of John Pj. and Maud (Barclay) Railey. He 
married (third) Martha Miller. Children by 
first marriage: Addie J., married Dr. Seidler, 
of Newark, New Jersey ; Albert Duane, de- 



ceased, married Madeline Shurter; Hilend C, 
mentioned below; Joseph H., mentioned below. 
(IVj Hilend C, son of John C. anil Phoebe 
(Myers) Rose, was born at Haverstraw, New 
York, August 3, i860, died September 22, 
1894, at Newburg, Orange county, New York. 
He was educated in the public schools of 
Haverstraw, and by a private tutor, Professor 
Davison, of Yonkers. New York, an uncle of 
his future wife. Early in life he became 
associated with his father in the brick busi- 
ness, and in 1883 he became a partner of his 
father and began the manufacture of brick at 
what is now Roseton. He was at one time 
president of the company. He sold out his 
interests in 1892 to the Rose family on account 
of failing health. It was due largely to his 
perseverance and skill that the business of 
the company was built up to its high standard 
at the time he retired in 1892. He was a 
member of the Presbyterian church (Union) 
at Newburg. and young as he was at the time 
of his death was already a well known and 
respected figure in his community. He mar- 
ried. December 21,. i88g. Emma, daughter of 
Dr. Benjamin and Margaret (West) Davison, 
of Nyack, New York, where Dr. Davison was 
a well known and prominent physician. There 
were two children of the marriage: Sybil, 
who died in infancy; Hilend Clark, who is 
now attending the Hotchkiss School. 

(IV) Joseph H.. youngest son of John C. 
and Phoebe (Myers) Rose, was born at New 
Hamburg, New York, September 2, 1865. He 
was educated in the public schools of Haver- 
straw, and at the Mountain Institute, Haver- 
straw. He became associated with his father 
early in life in the brick business and this con- 
tinued until the death of his father in 1896, 
when he succeeded him as president of the 
firm. He continued in this cai)acity until 
the year 1903, when he retired from 
active business life. Mr. Joseph H. Rose 
is a director of the Newburg National 
Bank. He is a member of the City and Pow- 
cllton clubs ; Hudson River Lod.ge, No. 607, 
Free and Accepted Masons ; Highland Chap- 
ter, No. 52, Royal Arch Masons; Hudson 
River Commandery, No. 35, Newburg; and 
the Elks, No. 247. Mr. Rose married. June 
13. 189T. Mabel, daughter of Samuel Corwin, 
of Marlboro, New York. There has been one 
child of the marriage, Joseph H. Jr. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



317 



This surname is Ger- 
RHINELANDER man in origin and in 

its original form was 
written "Rheinlander". Its obvious meaning 
was "a native of the Rhincland", and it was 
probably applied centuries ago to the original 
bearer after he had emigrated from the region 
around to some other German speaking part 
of the European continent. It is quite easy 

tto surmise how such a surname arose, being 
i akin in its origin to family names in Germany 
like "Englander", meaning "the Englishman", 
"Spanier". meaning the "Spaniard", the 
French "Allemand", meaning "the German", 
and "Scott", meaning the "Gael", and so on. 
It .is obvious that the name Rheinlander is 
li German in origin, as the family lived on the 
Rhine for centuries before the French an- 
nexed it in the time of the Louis, and it could 
only be a person bearing the distinct and 
different national characteristics of that re- 
gion. In the same way the surname "Scott" 
though English itself must have been applied 
in the case of the original bearer to one, who 
thousfh living in England, had come from some 
Gaelic speaking part of what is now the Unit- 
ed Kingdom and bearing the characteristics of 
the Gael, for through Roman and medireval 
times the term "Scoti" or "Scots" was applied 
to the inhabitants of Ireland and of Scotland 
indiscriminately, the singular form "Scotus", 
meanintj either "Irishman" or "Scotsman" in 
old Latin. Names therefore like Rhinelander 
and Scot, the one in German, and the other in 
Enelish, have an exactly parallel origin, being 
at first a sobriquet to distinguish a particular 
individual, being then applied to his children, 
and so becoming permanent and hereditary. 
The name of Rhinelander has been conspicu- 
ously identified with the past two hundred 
years of New York's history. 

(I) Philip Jacob Rhinelander, the first of 
the Rhinelander family in this country, was 
born near the town of Oberwesel, on the 
Rhine, over which district France at that time 
held sovereignty, and died about 17,^7. at New 
Rochelle, Westchester county. New York. He 
arrived in New York in the year i6?6, follow- 
ing the troubles arising from the Revocation 
of the Edict of Nantes, and finally settled in 
New Rochelle, where he acquired considerable 
property. His children were : Philin Jacob : 
Bernard, among whose children were \\'illiam. 
born in 1745. married Hester Devaux and had 



a daughter called Mary Magdalen, and Jacob, 
born October 27, 1740, dying without issue; 
William, mentioned below. 

(II) William, son of Philip J. Rhinelander, 
was born in New Rochelle, Westchester coun- 
ty. New York, in 1718, died in New York 
City, in 1777, being buried in Trinity church- 
yard. \\illiam Rhinelander established him- 
self as a merchant in New York City, and he 
is the ancestor of the members of the Rhine- 
lander family who have been prominent. He 
purchased and long resided in a house on 
Spruce street upon land which is still in the 
possession of the family and which is the old- 
est Rhinelander property in New York. He 
was in the shipping and real estate business, 
and established the precedent of investing his 
estate in city realty. He married Magdalen, 
daughter of Stephen Renaud, of New Ro- 
chelle 

(III) William (2), son of William (i) and 
Maedalcn (Renaud) Rhinelander, was born 
in New York, in 1753, died in 1825. He was 
the trustee of the family estate, and like his 
ancestors and descendants was an extensive 
land owner. He was his father's partner, 
while the latter was in business, succeeding 
him when he died, and continued his policy of 
investing in city realty. In 1790 he purchased 
the Cuyler sugar house in New York, which 
was sold under forfeiture, having been used 
as a British prison during the revolution, and 
succeeded in adding- greatly to the family for- 
tunes as a buyer of real estate. He married, 
in 1785. Mary, daughter of Christopher and 
Mary (Dyer) Robert, sister of Colonel Rob- 
ert, a continental officer in the revolution, and 
great-granddaughter of Daniel Robert and 
Susanna (Du Gailean) Robert, Husruenots. 
who emigrated to America in 1686. She was 
also the aunt of Christopher Rhinelander Rob- 
ert, who founded Robert College in Constanti- 
nople. Children: A daughter, married Ho- 
ratio Gates Steven-; : a daughter, married Rob- 
ert T. Renwick; Philip, married Mary Colden 
Hofifman ; William Christopher, mentioned be- 
low. John Robert, married but left no issue; 
Frederick William, whose son and grandson 
of the same name were well known New 
Yorkers ; Bernard, married Nancy Post. 

(IV) \^■illiam Christopher, son of William 
(2) and Mary (Robert) Rhinelander. was 
born in New York in 1700, died in 1878. The 
large estate which he inherited was greatly 



3i8 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



increased by his skillful management and wis- 
dom in making investments, his course being 
to follow the family policy of holding and 
improving city real estate. While the war of 
1812 was going on he served as quartermaster 
in Colonel Stevens' regiment, and was after- 
wards lieutenant. When in New York he 
resided at 14 Washington Square. He mar- 
ried, in 1816, Mary, daughter of John and 
Mary (Pixton) Rogers, and granddaughter of 
John Rogers, who married Mary Davenport, 
sister of Benjamin Franklin. Children: Alary 
Rogers, married Lispenard Stewart ; Julia, re- 
mained unmarried ; Serena, remained unmar- 
ried ; William, mentioned below. 

(V) William (3), only son of William 
Christopher and Mary (Rogers) Rhinelander, 
was born in New York, September 19, 1825. 
He attended private schools, and afterwards 
went to Columbia College, graduating from 
that institution in 1845. He was long asso- 
ciated with his father in the management of 
the large vested interests of the family, and 
after his father's death in 1876 he became the 
trustee of the estate. He married, in 1853, 
Matilda Cruger, daughter of Chief Justice 
Thomas Jackson and Matilda ( Cruger) 
Oakley. Judge Oakley was graduated from 
Yale College, and in addition to holding 
the position of chief justice of the superior 
court of New York from 1850 until the date 
of his death in 1858. had been a member of 
congress in 1814-15, and again in 1828-29. He 
was also elected attorney-general of the state 
of New York in 1819, and was requested to 
be a candidate for the presidency of the Unit- 
ed States but declined. Judge Oakley's wife, 
the mother of Mrs. William Rhinelander. was 
the daughter of Henry Cruder, who was born 
in New York in 173Q, died in 1827. Remov- 
ing from New York to England he became 
mayor of the city of Bristol in 1781. and was 
twice a member of the British parliament for 
that constituency, serving his terms between 
1774 and 1784. During that time he had as 
his colleague the celebrated Irish orator and 
statesman, Edmund Burke, and with him op- 
nosed the taxation of the American colonies. 
Returning to New York in 1790. he became 
a state senator in 1792. Henry Cruger was 
the grandson of John Cruger, who came to 
New York prior to 1700. and was a notable 
merchant of New York and mayor of the city 
from 1739 to 1744, marrying Maria, daughter 



of Major Hendrick Cuyler, of Albany, who 
served in the French and Indian war. The 
children of William and Matilda Cruger (Oak- 
ley) Rhinelander: i. Thomas Jackson Oak- 
ley, born January 15, 1858; he was bred to 
the law, graduating from Columbia College 
in 1878, and from Columbia Law School in 
1880; he made, however, no effort at prac- 
ticing his profession, confining himself to the 
care of the Rhinelander Estates and Real Es- 
tate Company ; he is a member of the Union 
Turf and Field. Metropolitan and Country 
clubs, and the Columbia College .Mumni Asso- 
ciation. He is or has been president of the 
Delta Phi Club, vice-president of the Seventh 
Regiment Veteran. League, a governor of t]ie 
Seventh Regiment Club, historian general of 
the .Society of Colonial Wars, and a member 
of the Seventh Regiment, the Society of the 
Sons of the Revolution. Foreign A\'ars. Colo- 
nial Order and Huguenot Society of .Xmerica. 
and the St. Nicholas societies. He married, in 
1894. Edith Cruger, daughter of Charles Ed- 
win and Letitia (Campbell) Sands, and has a 
son, Philip Rhinelander. 2. Philip, mentioned 
below. 

(VT) Philip, junior son of William (3) and 
Matilda Cruger (Oakley) Rhinelander. was 
born October 8. 1865. in New York City. He 
was graduated from Columbia College in 1882. 
He studied law to enable him to safely man- 
age his estate. He has traveled extensively, 
and is a member of many corporation and 
philanthropic boards. In company with his 
elder brother, he purchased the ancient castle 
of Schoenbersr-on-the-Rhine. near Oberwessel. 
overlooking the old town, and in close vicinity 
to the lands owned by their ancestors. This 
castle is on the site of a Roman fortress built 
by Julius Cajsar. It has suffered much from 
the lapse of time and the wars of many cen- 
turies, having been commenced as far back as 
A. D. 951. Mr. Rhinelander is a member of 
numerous clubs, including the L^nion, Down- 
town. Calumet. l'>a(lminton. St. Elmo. Bal- 
tusrol Ciolf and .\iuoniobile Club of .\merica. 
He is a member of the Huguenot Society, 
Sons of the Revolution, Society of the War of 
181 2, St. Nicholas Society, and Society of 
Foreign Wars. His home is on East 33th 
street. New York City, and he maintains an 
office on William street. He married. .Vpril 
II. 1888. in New York Citv. Adelaide, born 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



319 



November 9, 1866, in New York City, daugh- 
ter of Isaac L. and Cornelia (Brady) Kip. 



The name and family of Pot- 
POTTER ter are supposed to be Norman 

in origin. Ferguson says : 
"It has been remarked that names derived from 
trades are more common in France than England. 
I should rather say it is the termination — er which 
is more common, and that among the multitude of 
names with this termination there are many which 
accidentally coincide with names of trades. We 
have in almost all cases, both in French and Eng- 
lish, names which contain the roots and names 
which form other compounds. Regarded from 
this point of view French and English names mu- 
tually throw great light on each other. When I 
doubt whether Potter means a maker of pots it 
very much strengthens my suspicion to find not 
only a French Pottier, but also Potiere with a 
corroborative termination." 

If the various families of Potter who settled 
in this country were connected at all, it must 
have been very remotely in their ancestry, 
coming, as they did, from widely distant local- 
ities. The census of 1774 shows in Rhode 
Island Potters, five hundred and eight-nine 
(probably many of these were slaves) in a 
total population of -fifty-four thousand four 
hundred and sixty. 

( I ) Robert Potter, the founder and immi- 
grant ancestor of the Potter family in Amer- 
ica here dealt with, came from Coventry, Eng- 
land, in 1634. He was made a freeman of 
the Massachusetts Plantation, September 3. 
1634. He is mentioned first as being a farmer 
at Lynn, Massachusetts, and as removing, 
probably to Roxbury, soon after being made a 
freeman of the colony. The records mention 
his first trouble with his church at Roxbury, 
which finally resulted in the necessity of his 
leaving the colony, which he did, and settled 
in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. At this time 
Robert Potter had become a follower and 
friend of Samuel Gorton, the ereat religious 
di<:turber, and thev together with their asso- 
ciates purchased the tract of land called the 
fSbawomett Purchase, in Rhode Island, but 
afterwards named by them "Warwick." in 
honor of the Earl of Warwick, who had so 
much befriended them in their troubles with 
the Plantation of Massachusetts. In 1638 Rob- 
ert Potter apneared asjain before the court 
and was admitted an inhabitant of the island 

kof Aquidneck, Rhode Island, the same year. 
Gorton, Potter and iheir associates seem to 



have been religious agitators. They agreed 
with the sect of Quakers in the rejection of 
church ordinances and in some few other 
points ; they, however, differed from them in 
many points deemed the most essential. From 
the records it appears that they did not get 
on very peaceably at Portsmouth. In the fol- 
lowing proceedings of the colony of Rhode 
Island, March 10, 1642, it was ordered that 
"Robert Potter and Richard Garden, Randall 
Houlden and Sampson Shotton be disfran- 
chised of the privileges and prerogatives be- 
longing to the body of this state and their 
names canceled from the records." On the 
day following it was ordered by the colony 
of Rhode Island: "That if Robert Potter. 
John Wickes. Randall Houlden, Richard Car- 
den or Sampson .Shotton, shall come upon this 
island armed, they shall be, by the constable 
calling to himself sufficient aid, disarmed and 
carried before the magistrate and there find 
sureties for tlieir good behavior ; and further 
be it established, and if that course shall not 
regulate them or any of them, then a further 
due and lawful course of law already begun 
with John Wickes." In 1642 Robert Potter 
sold his house and land in Portsmouth to his 
brother-in-law, John Anthony. In 1643 he, 
with others of the Shawomett purchasers, 
was notified to appear at the general court at 
Boston to hear complaint of Pomham and Soc- 
conocco as to "some unjust and injurious deals 
toward them by yourselves." This summons 
they declined to obey, so they were all carried 
to Boston and sentenced to be confined in 
dift'erent towns, their wives betakine them- 
selves to the woods, suffering hardships that 
resulted in the deaths of at least three of the 
women, one of them being the wife of Robert 
Potter. In the same vear Robert Potter was 
also excommunicated from his church, as ap- 
nears in the records of the First Church of 
Roxbury by the Rev. John Eliot. There is 
no record of the exact date of Robert Potter's 
coming to this country on the ship in which 
he was a passensrer. excepting that he was a 
passenger with the Rev. Nathan Ward, after- 
wards a minister of Ipswich. Massachusetts, 
who left a written account of his visit to Rob- 
ert Potter in prison. 

Robert Potter married (firsts in 1643, 

Isabel — — ; (second) in 1686, Sarah , 

who after his death married (second) John 
Sanford, of Boston. Children by first wife: 



320 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



I. Elizabeth, married Richard Harcutt. 2. De- 
Mverance, married James Greene. 3. Isabel, 

died August 24, 1724; married (first) 

Moss, (second) WiUiam Burton. 4. John, 
mentioned below. 

(II) John, son of Robert and Isabel Potter,- 
was born at Portsmouth, Rhode Island, in 
1639, died in 1694. He was enrolled a free- 
man in 1660. February 6, 1660, he testified 
that in his conscience that he did believe his 
father sold a certain house, etc., in Portsmouth 
to his uncle, Anthony, and engajjcd that when 
he came of age he would confirm the sale. On 
.August 24, 1676, he was a member of the 
court martial held at Newport for the trial of 
certain Indians charged with being implicated 
in King Philip's designs. Three years later 
he was grantcfl on his petition by the assembly 
thirty-six shillings due him for service some 
years since, being constable, in securing and 
sending Indians to Newport. On June 15, 
1687, the petition of Sarah Potter, of War- 
wick, to court was deferred to justices of the 
peace of Providence, Warwick and Rochester, 
and three months later John deeded to his eld- 
est son Robert two hundred acres for love, 
etc. John Potter married (first) June 2, 1664, 
Ruth, daughter of Edward and Judith Fisher; 
(second) Sarah (Wright) Collins. Children 
by first wife: i. Robert, born at Warwick, 
Rhode Island. March 5, 1663. 2. Fisher. July 
12, 1667. 3. John, mentioned below. 4. Will- 
iam, May 23, 1671. 5. Samuel. January 10. 
1672. 6. Isabella, October 17, 1674: married 
John Budlong, son of Francis and Rebecca 

(Lippit") Rudlong. 7. Ruth, November 20. 
1676. 8. Edward, November 2=;. 1678; mar- 
ried, December 27, 1711, Tane (Rurlingham) 
Potter, widow of John Potter. 9. Content, 
October 2, 1686, died in 1703: married, Jime 
I. T70^, Sarah Wright. 

(III) John (2), son of John (i) and Ruth 
f Fisher^ Potter, was born at Warwick, Rhode 
Island. November 21, t66o, died Februarv 5. 
171 T, being killed bv the fall of a tree. The 
iury of inquest on his death judged him "to 
be axedentolly excesery to his own deatli oc- 
casioned by the fall of a tree." He married 
Jane, daughter of Roger and Mary Burling- 
ham. His widow married, December 27, 171 1, 
his brother Edward, and it is a very singular 
fact relating to these two brothers that thev 
each had a son named John, who grew to 
maturity having the same mother, namely, 



Jane ( Burlingham) Potter. The children of 
John, all born at Cranston, Rhode Island, 
were: i. John, mentioned below. 2. Fisher, 
died April 28, 1789; married, November 10, 
1728, Mary, daughter of Samuel and Mercy 
(Harding) Winsor. 3. Mary, married, in 
1721, Robert Knight. 4. William, married, 
February 19, 1721, Martha Tillinghast. 5. 
Amy, married John Holmya. 6. Alice. 

(IV) John (3), son of John (2) and Jane 
(Burlingham) Potter, was born at Cranston, 
Rhode Island, before 1695. He lived on the 
Rivulet farm, one mile from the Quaker meet- 
ing house at Cranston. This house was built 
by his grandfather, who was born in 1639. 
John Potter married, December 12, 1717. 
Phebe, born in 1693, daughter of Thomas and 
Ann (irunce. Children, all born at Cran- 
ston, Rhode Island: i. John, born December 
8, 1718; married. May 24, 1739. Hannah, 
daughter of James and Elizabeth Baker. 2. 
Joseph, born July 10, 1720, died before 1762 ; 
married, January i, 1747, Mary, daughter of 
John and Frances (Holden) Low. 3. Mary, 
born June 20, 1722; married, December 19. 
'7,^9- Joseph Edwards Jr. 4. Robley, born 
February 15, 1724; married, December 29, 
1742, Timothy, son of John and Rebecca Rus- 
sel. 5. Caleb, born October 31. 1725. 
6. Stephen, born August 14, 1727, died 
November 29. 179'^: married (first) October 
31, 1749, Mary Freeborn, (second) Ruth 
Freeborn, two sisters, daughters of Gideon and 
Ruth Freeborn. 7. Naomi, born May 18, 1729, 
died January 27. 1806; married. January 14, 
1749, Captain Randall Holden. 8. Ruth, born 
May 18, T731 ; married Ezekiel Searles. 9. 
W'illiam, born June 19, 1733. to. Thomas, 
mentioned below. 11. ."^arah, born March i, 
1736; married Mahalie Ilammett. 

(V) Thomas, yoimgest son of John (3) and 
Phebe (Grunce) Potter, was born at Crans- 
ton, Rhode Island, March 23. 173^;, died No- 
vember T-^, 1795. He married, October 16, 
T/^'^. Esther, born 1738. died t8oo. daus^hter 
of l^benezcr and Alary CHust) Sheldon. Chil- 
dren: T. Mary, born July 31, 17^6. died May 
'.^' 1757- 2. Joseph, mentioned below. ■^. 
Rhodes, April 3, 1759. ^'^^^ August 0. 1760. 
4. Sylvester, i;. Phebe. fi. Rebecca. 7. Thomas. 
8. Amy. 9. Clarke T. B. B., born October 28, 
T778. 

(VI) Joseph, eldest son of Thomas and Esther 
(Sheldon) Potter, was Iiprn August 12. T757. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



321 



died November 2^, 1824. He removed with his 
family in 1792 to Beekmau (now La Grange), 
Dutchess county, New York. He married, 
December 27, 1781, Anne Knight, born in 
1760, died 1833. Children: Philadelphia, born 
1782; Paraclete, 1784; Joseph, 1787; Sheldon, 
1789; Robert Knight, 1791 ; Egbert Benson, 
1797; Alonzo, mentioned below; Horatio 
(Right Rev.), 1802. 

(\"n) Right Rev. Alonzo Potter, D. D., 
LL. D., bishop of the Protestant Episcopal 
church of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, son of 
Joseph and Anne (Knight) Potter, was born 
at Beekman, New York, July 10, 1800, died 
July 4, 1865, on board the steamship "Colo- 
rado,'' in the harbor of San Francisco, Cali- 
fornia. He was first sent to the district schools 
of his native hamlet, and was there favored 
with the instruction of a Mr. Thompson, a 
man capable of appreciating him. At the age 
of twelve he entered the academy at Pough- 
keepsie. and having secured a scholarship later 
went to Union College. He was confirmed at 
Christ church, Philadelphia, by the venerable 
Bishop White, and began his theological 
studies at the General Theological Seminary. 
He was called to be a tutor at the Union 
College at twenty and within a year was ad- 
vanced to the professorship of mathematics. 
He was made a priest by Bishop Bonnell, and 
after a period as rector at Boston was made 
Bishop of Pennsylvania. His biographer says 
of him : "He lived more in his three score 
years than most of those who stretch to the 
utmost limit of earthly continuance do in their 
larger span." He married (first) Sarah Maria 
Knott; (second) Sarah Benedict; (third) 
Frances Seton. Children, all born at Schenec- 
tady, New York: Hon. N. Clarkson, born 
April 25, 1825; Howard, Julv 8, 1826; Rob- 
ert Brown, mentioned below ; Edward T.. Sep- 
tember 25, 1831 ; Henry C, (Right Rev.), 
May 2t;, 183!?: Rev. Eliphalet. 1837; Maria, 
1839: James Nelson, 1841 ; William A., 1842; 
Frank Hunter, 183 1. 

(VHI) General Robert Brown Potter, son 
of the Right Rev. Alonzo and Sarah Maria 
(Knott) Potter, was born Julv 16, 182Q, died 
at Newport. Rhode Island. Februarv 19, 1887. 
His military career began in New York City, 
and he was intimately connected with the 
Ninth Army Corps, whose chief was General 
Ambrose E. Burnside, of Rhode Island, and 
therefore it can be said as of Homer in ancient 



days that three cities can claim the honor of 
his well-earned fame. After his college course 
at Union College, under the care of his grand- 
father, young Potter established himself in 
New York as a lawyer, and at the beginning 
of the civil war was in successful practice 
in New York City. After the war broke out, 
having no immediate ties, his wife having died 
in 1858, a year after their marriage, he de- 
termined to go to the front, and immediately 
prepared himself by study and drill to take the 
position to which his ambition called him. 

On the organization of the Fifty-first Regi- 
ment in New York he received the commis- 
sion of lieutenant-colonel. His superior was 
Colonel Ferrero, and Charles W. Le Gendre 
was major. The regiment was moved to An- 
napolis and soon after was attached to Burn- 
side's little army at Annapolis, and brigaded 
under General Reno. They had their baptisms 
of fire at Roanoke Island, where Potter led 
three companies of his regiment to the assault 
of the batteries and was the first to enter the 
works. At Newbern the Fifty-first had again 
the post of honor and stormed the entrench- 
ments on the left of the rebel lines. Here 
Major Le Gendre was shot through the mouth, 
and Lieutenant-Colonel Potter received a ball 
in the groin, which passed through his body, 
and here Potter showed that cool courage in 
which he was not excelled, not even by Grant. 
He remained on the field, in spite of his 
wound, until the close of the memorable day, 
and his judgment in pointing the line of at- 
tack decided the victory in favor of the Union 
troops. From Newbern the Fifty-first was 
moved to support General McClellan, and 
soon after General Pope in what is known as 
the second Bull Run campaign. Here they 
held the left of the Federal lines, covering 
Pope's retreat, and here again, at the critical 
point of the day, the Union lines broken, 
Reno's brigade was called to retrieve the dis- 
aster, and Colonel Potter led the gallant Fifty- 
first in full view of the remainder of the 
army, and broke the rebel lines. At South 
Mountain, where the lamented Reno fell, the 
Fifty-first was again in the post of honor, and 
at Antietam, Potter achieved for himself an 
almost romantic fame. The Union troops were 
disordered and the bridge over Antietam 
Creek, the key to the Federal position, lay in 
front of the enemy's line and under the full 
fire of their artillery. Potter, seizing the flag 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



of his regiment, crossed the bridge, calling on 
his men to follow him, and thus secured the 
position, and in the words of McClellan at 
the time, "he saved the day." Some day, 
it has been said, this action will be as noted 
in history as is the similar dash of Napoleon 
over the bridge at Arcolo or over the bridge 
at Lodi. At Antictam, again. Potter was 
slightly wounded. The Fifty-first, of which, 
after the promotion of Ferrero to be brigadier- 
general. Potter had sole command, was sent 
with General Burnside, his old commander and 
life-long personal friend, to take part in the 
western campaign ; Potter took a place on 
Burnside's staff, and by General Grant's spe- 
cial order received an independent command. 
During the siege of Knoxville, Potter com- 
manded the division in front of the lines, and 
with a greatly inferior force so manoeuvred 
for seven trying days as to check the advance 
of General Longstreet (detached to the cap- 
ture of the beleagured city from General 
Hood's army) and to admit of the relief 
and re-enforcement of that port. It will be 
remembered that the final assaults of the rebels 
were defeated on the entrenchments in an 
almost hand-to-hand fight. Potter had now 
reached his true position as a commander of 
large bodies. In the Wilderness campaign he 
was constantly under fire, and unusually active 
in his division. Here Major Le Gendre, now 
colonel of his old regiment, the Fifty-first, was 
finally disabled, losing an eye. The assault, 
after the explosion of the memorable mine at 
Petersburg, fell to General Burnside's com- 
mand. Unfortunately this officer (General 
Burnside). of but too facile a nature, left to 
lot the choice of the officer who should lead 
the assault, and that fell to an incompetent 
officer. General Grant in his memoir says: 
"In fact. Potter and Wilcox were the only 
division commanders General Burnside had 
who w^ere equal to the occasion." Neither of 
them was chosen. The eventful history of 
the mine explosion needs no further reference. 
An intimate friend of General Potter states 
that he had matured a plan for destroying the 
bridge over the .\i>pnmattox, which would have 
confined General Tree's armv and saved further 
fighting. A touching incident is related by a 
friend of General Potter. He had mounted 
his horse in front of Fort Sedgwick, called 
"Fort Hell" by his men, to lead his regiment 
to battle, when he was struck by a ball and 



wounded in the groin, as stated above. While 
he lay desperately wounded on the field he was 
visited by President Lincoln, who spoke ten- 
derly to him, and cheered him with some of 
his characteristic words. After the war he 
was assigned by the secretary of state to the 
command of Rhode Island and Connecticut 
district of the military department of the East, 
with headquarters in Newport, and in the 
autumn of the same year he married his sec- 
ond w'ife. A graceful compliment was paid 
to Mrs. Potter, who was in receipt of a novel 
but acceptable wedding present in the form of 
a full major general's commission for her hus- 
band, sent under the seal of the war depart- 
ment of Secretary Stanton, the general's brevet 
having already been received. In 1866 he was 
appointed colonel of the Forty-first United 
States Infantry (colored), but never assumed 
command. This closed his brilliant military 
career. General Hancock said of him that 
he was one of the twelve best officers (West 
Point graduates not excepted) in the army, 
and with his well-known modesty he (General 
Potter) was wont to say that he might have 
made a first-rate officer with the advantages of 
an early education at West Point. 

After the gigantic failure of the .Atlantic 
and Great Western Railroad Company he was 
appointed receiver, a position of labor and 
trust, and for three years he lived in a car on 
the line of the railroad. Later, in the hope 
of improving his somewhat shattered health, 
he went to England, residing in W'arwick 
county, following the hounds, and maintain- 
ing by his generous hospitality the credit of 
his native land and a true American gentle- 
man. On his return he purchased "The 
Rocks," which he made his residence, and 
during the summer season he entertained in a 
liberal manner. He spent his winters in Wash- 
ington, making common household with his 
brother. Congressman Potter. General Pot- 
ter had a good deal to bear in his latter days 
in the way of bodily pain, and not a little of 
it may have been occasioned, it may be pre- 
sumed, by the rigors of the civil war. endured 
by him with immense patience and courage. 
A memorial was erected to his memory at the 
place of his burial, referring to his services 
to his country, and testifying to the sincere 
admiration in which he was held by his 
countrymen. 

He married (first) .\pril 14, 18,57, Frances 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



323 



Tileston ; (second) Abby Austin Stevens, 
daughter of John A. Stevens, a distinguished 
financier, and president of the Bank of Com- 
merce. Children; Robert Burnside, men- 
tioned below; Warwick, born October 31, 
1871, died October 11, 1893; Austin, born in 
New York. January 16, 1873; Frances Tiles- 
ton, married James L. Breese. 

(IX) Robert Burnside, son of General Rob- 
ert Brown and Abby Austin (Stevens) Pot- 
ter, was born at New York, January 29, 1869. 
He was educated at Groton School, Harvard, 
and the Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris. He is 
by profession an architect and was a member 
of the firm of Robertson & Potter, architects, 
160 Fifth avenue. New York, from 1900 to 
iQio. He was graduated from Harvard in 
1891 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and 
has a diploma as architect from the French 
government. He is a member of the American 
Institute of Architects and is well known in 
his profession. Mr. Potter is a member of 
several prominent clubs and societies, among 
them the Knickerbocker Club, the Country 
Club, the New York Yacht Club, the Architec- 
tural League, The Society of Beaux Arts, 
Architects, and the Societe des Architectes 
Diplomes par le Gouvernement, Paris. His 
permanent address is Antietam Farm, Smith- 
town, New York. 



This family surname is found 
PYNE written both as Pyne and Pine, 

Lower stating that its derivation 
is from the proximity of the dwelling place of 
the original family to a pine forest. The 
American possessors of the name are said 
to be a mixed Eng^lish, French. Spanish and 
German descent. The immediate home of that 
branch of the family that left England for 
America was the county- of Devon in the south 
of England. The eldest branch of the Pyne 
family of Devonshire, which in 1797 assumed 
the additional name of Coffin, is descended 
directly in the male line from Oliver Pyne, of 
Ham in Morwenstowe, who settled at East 
Down in 1307. His grandfather, the second 
son of John de Pyne, of Upton Pyne and Ham 
in Morwenstowe, inherited Ham and other 
manors about 1332, while the elder brother re- 
ceived the main possessions of the family, in- 
cluding Upton Pyne. This John de Pyne, 
member of parliament in 1332, was a son of 
Sir Herbert de Pyne, and was sixth in descent 



from Sir Herbert de Pyne, who was lord of 
the manor in 1122. This earlier Sir Herbert 
was probably the grandson of the Seigneur de 
Pins, one of the hundrci and eighteen knights 
who fought at Hastings in 1066, and who may 
or may not have been killed in that battle, as 
nothing definite is known in regard to his 
settling in England. It is thus possible that 
his grand.son, Sir Herbert, was after all the 
first of the family to make his home in the 
conquered country, coming over with King 
Henry I. in the year iioo. The ancestral home 
of the family, the Shute House, still stands 
in Devonshire, and the coat-of-arms, belong- 
ing presumably to the first Anglo-Norman an- 
cestor, was as follows ; Gules, a chevron 
ermine between three pine cones, or. 

Ancestors in a direct line were Colonel John 
Pyn, M. P., of Curr Mallet, to whom refer- 
ence is made by Disraeli in his life of Charles 
I. ; James Pyne, who lived at Brook House, 
Kent, as late as 1400; John de Pyne, M. P., 
1332; Sir Thomas de Pyne, 1314; Sir Robert 
de Pyne, 1243 ; Sir Thomas de Pyne of Combe 
Pyne and Shute, 1240, High Sheriff of Devon; 
Sir Herbert de Pyne, 1225; Nicholas de Pyne, 
1191, crusader under Richard Coeur do Lion; 
Gilbert de Pyne, in command at the siege of 
the castle of Brionne under the Duke of Nor- 
mandy, 1090. 

During the last century the family name was 
borne in England by many persons of culture 
and rare artistic and literary attainments. 
James Baker Pyne, born in 1800, was a noted 
landscape painter, traveling extensively 
throughout the continent. William Henry, of 
a previous generation, born in 1769, died in 
1843, was also a noted painter, beside being an 
author of considerable celebrity ; he was 
known as "Ephraim Hardcastle." and became 
connected with Ackerman, the publisher, to 
several of whose publications he contributed 
both drawings and writings. The famous Lon- 
don publishing house of Rivington was 
founded bv a connection of the Pyne family. 
Charles Rivington, who was born in 1688. in 
Derbyshire, England, bein? the son of Thurs- 
ton Rivington. of that locality. This firm, 
whose sisrn was the "Bible and Crown," pub- 
lishing chicflv theological works, were the pub- 
lishers also of Samuel Richardson's "Pamela." 
After the death of the founder, the business 
was conducted by his sons John and James, 
and finally passed into the hands of the Messrs. 



324 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Longman, in 1893, the style of the firm ap- 
pearing as Rivington, Percival & Company. 

James Rivington, born in 1724, died in 1803, 
son and successor of the founder of the pub- 
Hshing house, made a fortune in the business 
wliich, however, he rapidly dissipated, and 
coming to America he settled as a bookseller 
in Philadelphia, in 1760. The following year 
he opened a book store at the lower end of 
Wall street. New York, and in 1762 com- 
menced selling books in Boston. He failed, and 
re-commenced in New York, where in April, 
1773, he began the publication of Rivington s 
New York Gazetteer, supporting the British 
government. This brought him into trouble 
with the colonists, who destroyed his printing 
press and, melting the type, turned it into 
bullets. Rivington returned to England and 
procuring a new outfit was appointed king's 
printer for New York, where he again set up 
his presses and started Rivington' s Nezv York 
Laval Gazette, 1777, which afterward became 
the Royal Gazette; in this were published some 
of Major Andre's verses. About the year 1781 
he is said to have changed his politics, fur- 
nishing General Washington with important 
information; he remained in New York aftei 
its evacuation by British troops, and changed 
the title of his paper to Rivington' s Nezv York 
Gazette and Universal Adviser. But his busi- 
ness declined, his paper came to an end in 
1783, and he passed the remainder of his life 
in comparative obscurity. He died in New 
York in January, 1803, his name being pre- 
served in the annals of the city and applied 
to one of its principal streets ; a portrait, which 
has been engraved, is in possession of one of 
the Appletons. James Rivington was twice 
married and left children. 

(I) Percy Rivington Pyne, namesake of 
the publisher, and immigrant ancestor of the 
Pyne family in America, was born in Eng- 
land and came to this country in 1828. He 
became prominent in public affairs and as a 
philanthropist, and was president of the Na- 
tional City Bank. He was also the head and 
practicallv the creator of the Delaware. Lack- 
awanna & Western railway. His wife was 
Catherine S., daughter of Moses Taylor, one 
of the foremost merchants and financiers of 
the city in his day. Their son, Moses Taylor, 
is mentioned below. 

iW^ Moses Taylor, son of Percy Rivington 
and Catherine S. (Taylor) Pyne, was born 



in New York City, December 21, 1855. ^le 
was educated at Princeton University, from 
which he was graduated with the degree of 
A. M. in 1877; and took a subsequent course 
at the Columbia Law School, becoming a coun- 
sellor at law in 1880. In 1903 he received 
the degree of Litt. D. from Columbia Uni- 
versity. He has large interests in railway and 
industrial corporations, and is a director of 
the National City Bank and other institutions. 
In politics Mr. Pyne is a Republican; he is a 
member of the Episcopal church, being a war- 
den and vestryman of Christ Church. River- 
dale. Trinity Church, Princeton, and Zion and 
St. Timothy churches. New York. Belongs 
to the Union, University, Century, Metropol- 
itan and droller clubs of New York City. On 
lune 2, 1880, he was married at Trenton. New 
Jersey, to Anna Margaretta, daughter of Gen- 
eral Robert Field Stockton (see Stockton 
VII). Children: Percy Rivington. mentioned 
below ; Robert Stockton, born in New York, 
May 27, 1883, died at Pomfret, Connecticut, 
February 25, 1903 ; Moses Taylor, born in 
New York. November 5, 18S5. 

(Ill) Percy Rivington (2), son of Moses 
Taylor and Anna Margaretta (Stockton) Pvne 
was born June 23. 1882, in New York City. He 
received his preparatory education at St. 
Paul's School, Concord, New Hampshire, 
which is recognized as one of the foremost 
schools of its kind in the country, and from 
there he entered Princeton Ufniversity, from 
which his father and several other ancestors 
were graduated. Ho completed his course after 
four years of scholastic and social prominence, 
and was graduated Bachelor of Arts in the 
class of 1903. In 1904 he began his financial 
career in connection with the Farmers' Loan 
(S: Trust Company, and in 1 007 he became 
associated with the management of the Moses 
Taylor estate. On February 8, Tqog, Mr. 
Pyne organized the bankinsf and stock broker- 
age firm of Pyne, Kendall & Hollister, with 
offices in the new National Citv Bank build- 
ing at No. 55 Wall St.. and he has since been 
successfullv engaged in business in that con- 
nection. He is a member of the board of 
directors of the Commercial Trust Company 
of New Jersey, the East River Gas Company, 
the New Amsterdam Gas Company. Syracuse 
Sc Bin?hamton Railroad. Cayusra & Susque- 
hnnna Railroad, the Delaware. Lackawanna & 
W'estern Coal Company ; he is president and 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



325 



director of the Prospect Company of New 
Jersey ; and is trustee and chairman of the 
East Side branch of the Young Men's Chris- 
tian Association. Mr. Pyne has attained dis- 
tinction among the younger men identified 
with the great financial interests of Wall 
street, and brings to his business and social 
life a splendid equipment of natural ability 
with all the advantages of a thorough educa- 
tion, excellent physical training, culture, and a 
long honored name, and his firm has taken a 
place of great prominence in the financial 
world. 

In social life Mr. Pyne has been particu- 
larly successful and distinguished, and he is a 
member of the leading clubs and societies of 
this and other cities. In New York City he 
belongs to the Union, University, Racquet and 
Tennis, Metropolitan, New York Yacht, 
Brook, Down Town, Aero, Automobile. 
Princeton, Underwriters, Touring Club of 
America, Manhattan, Intercollegiate, \\'hite- 
hall, and Motor Car Touring Society. Other 
clubs and societies to which he belongs are : 
Meadowbrook, Short Beach, Rockaway Hunt- 
ing, Morris County Golf, Baltusrol Golf, Gar- 
den City Golf. National Golf. Tuxedo, South 
Side Sportsmen's Club, Westbrook Golf, 
Archdale Quail, Islip, Touring Club of France, 
Automobile Association of London, and St. 
Nicholas Society. 

(The Stockton Line.) 
This is a family that for seven hundred 
years has been prominent in the public life 
of England and America, producing men of 
marked ability and distinction. Crusaders, 
knights, judges, naval and military heroes, 
civic officers, diplomats, governors, senators 
and congressmen have brought their honors 
to the family name through the long centuries. 
The name is derived from two Saxon words, 
"stoc," a tree trunk, and "tun," an inclosure, 
indicative of the original locality of the fam- 
ily in feudal times, which was a forest in- 
closure. The earliest ancestors were lords of 
the manor of Stockton, which they held under 
the barony of Malpas. Stockton manor is in 
the town of Malpas. Cheshire countv, Eng- 
land, and it is known that David de Stockton 
inherited it from his father in the year 1250. 
One of his descendants. Sir Richard Stockton, 
was knighted on the field by King Edward IV. ; 
his son, John Stockton, was lord mayor of 



London in 1470 and 1471 ; and a Sir Edward 
Stockton was vicar of the church at Cookham 
in Berkshire, and a leader during one of the 
early expeditions to the Holy Land. John 
Stockton, Esq., was a gentleman of note, who 
died in 1700, as was also one Owen Stockton, 
who died in 1610. 

The arms of the family are : Gules. A chev- 
ron vaire, argent and azure, between three 
mullets, or. Crest: A lion rampant, support- 
ing an Ionic pillar. Motto: Omnia Deo Pen- 
dent : All depends on God. These arms were 
engraved on the silver brought over to Amer- 
ica by the immigrant ancestors in the old colo- 
nial days. 

The first person of the name of Stockton 
who came to this country was the Rev. Jonas 
Stockton, M. A., who with his son, Timothy, 
then aged fourteen years, came to Virginia in 
the ship "Bona Nova," in 1620. He was for 
many years incumbent of the parishes of Eliz- 
abeth City and Bermuda Hundred, and be- 
came the progenitor of numerous descendants, 
many of whom have become distinguished. 
The next Stockton to emigrate from England 
was, according to Hotten's "Lists," Thomas 
Stockton, aged twenty-one, who sailed from 
London for Boston in the ship "True Love," 
September 16, 1635. Of him nothing more 
is known. Finally came Richard Stockton, the 
founder of the New Jersey family. The de- 
scendants of the original stock have spread 
throughout the entire country, from the Great 
Lakes to the gulf and from sea to sea, and in- 
clude eminent men in all the walks of life. 
There are at this time in the United States 
twenty-one towns of the name of Stockton, 
from those in Maine and Massachusetts to the 
larsrest of all. in California, which was named 
in honor of the commodore. 

(T) Richard Stockton, immigrant ancestor 
of this family in .America, is found in Charles- 
town, Massachusetts, as early as 1639, where' 
he is witness to a deed. The next reference 
to him is among the original patentees named 
in the charter of the town of Flushing, Long 
Island, where he appears to have been a prom- 
inent man and is rated among the well-to-do 
citizens of the place. He was commissioned 
lieutenant of horse of Flushing. Anril 22, 
1665. and declined, with the consent of Gover- 
nor Nicholls. an election to the same position 
in the foot guards He took a prominent part 
in the controversies between the town and 



326 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Governor Peter Stuyvesant on religious mat- 
ters, and became converted to the tenets of 
the Society of Friends, after which he removed 
to Springfield township, Burlington county, 
New Jersey. Here he purchased about two 
thousand acres of land, on January 30, 1690, 
from George Hutchinson, and resided on this 
estate, known as Annanicken, until his death 
at an advanced age in September, 1707. His 
wife, Abigail, survived him, and was living at 
late as April 14, 17 14. when she conveyed some 
property to her sons. Children : Richard, 
mentioned below; John, born in 1674; Job, 
Abigail, Mary. Sarah, Hannah, Elizabeth, born 
1680. 

(H) Richard (2), son of Richard ( i) and 
Abigail Stockton, probably born in England 
and accompanying his parents to America, re- 
moved with them also to Flushing and after- 
ward to New Jersey, where he resided first in 
Springfield township and later on at Piscat- 
away. In August, 1696, he purchased from 
Dr. John Gordon a tract of four hundred acres 
of land on the north side of Stony Brook, 
which includes all of what is now the campus 
of Princeton University and the grounds of 
the Theological Seminary. In T701 he pur- 
chased from William Penn for the sum of nine 
hundred pounds an estate of about six thou- 
sand acres on Stony Brook, of which the pres- 
ent city of Princeton is nearly the center. A 
portion of his estate. Mnrven. built bv him in 
T/Oi. has remained in the family to the pres- 
ent day and is now the residence of his de- 
scendant, Mr. Bayard Stockton. By reason of 
his laree possessions and his unblemished 
character, Richard Stockton held an impor- 
tant place among the earlv settlers. On No- 
vember 8, T6f)T. he married at the Chesterfield 
Friends' monthly meetine. Susanna, daughter 
of Robert and Ann Witham, and widow of 
Thoma": Rnbinson. She was born November 
29, 1668. di^d in April, T749. having survived 
her second husband and married again to 
Judp^e Thomas Leonard, of Princeton. Rich- 
ard Stockton died in Julv. 1700. Children, all 
born at Piscatawav: Richard, born 1603; 
Samuel. 1605; Toseph, 1607; Robert. 1699; 
John mentioned below. Thomas. 170^. 

(IIP) lohn. son of Richard (2) and Susan- 
na ("Witham-Rohinson) .Stockton, was born 
at Piscatavvay, New Jersev. .^uc■ust to. 1701, 
died in 17^8. He inherited Morven. and was 
instrumental in securing to Princeton the col- 



lege of New Jersey; he was a member of the 
Presbyterian church. On February 21, 1729, 
he married Abigail, daughter of Philip and 
Rebecca (or Hannah) (Stockton) Phillips, his 
cousin. She was born October 9, 1708, lived 
at Maidenhead, died September 15, 1757. John 
Stockton died May 20, 1758. Children : Rich- 
ard, mentioned below ; Sarah, John, Hannah, 
married Elias Boudinot ; Abigail, Susanna, 
John, Philip. Rebecca, Samuel \\'itham. born 
1751. Hon. Elias Boudinot, husband of Han- 
nah Stockton, mentioned above, was one of 
the most distinguished men of his time and a 
great philanthropist. He was president of the 
continental congress, commissary-general of 
prisoners during the revolution, and director 
of the mint. He was also eminent as a law- 
yer in New Jersey, having read law with 
Richard Stockton, "the Signer." After the 
war he was elected to the first, second and 
third congresses, having been one of the sign- 
ers of the treaty of peace with England. He 
was author of a number of political and re- 
ligious books and was vcrv wcalthv. He was 
born in Philadelphia, of Huguenot descent, in 
1740, and died at Burlington, in 1821. leaving 
an only daughter. 

(IV) Richard (3). son of John and .Abi- 
gail (Phillips) Stockton, was born at Prince- 
ton, New Jersey, October 3. 1730, died Febru- 
ary 28. 1781. He was known as the "Signer." 
having been one of those who signed the Dec- 
laration of Independence, and was a member 
of the continental congress. His studies were 
pursued first at the .'\cademy of Nottingham, 
Maryland, and later at the college of New 
Jersey, where he was graduated with the first 
class, in 1748. He then studied law with 
David Ogden in Newark, and was admitted 
to the bar in I75;4- He was a judee of the 
supreme court and a member of the king's 
council for New Jersev. before the revolution, 
and having espoused the cause of the colonists 
became one of the most prominent and influ- 
ential men of the time. He married Annis 
Boudinot. sister of Elias Boudinot. his brother- 
in-law, as previously mentioned. Annis Bou- 
dinot Stockton was a woman of remarkable 
culture and wit, a writer of graceful verse, 
and a friend and correspondent of General 
Washington, whom she warmly culocjized. 
Children : Richard, mentioned below ; Lucius 
Horatio: Julia, married Dr. Baniamin Rush. 
in April, 1777; Susan, married Alexander 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



327 



Cuthbert, of Canada ; Mary ; Abigail. Dr. 
Benjamin Rush, husband of JuHa Stockton, 
mentioned above, was one of the most 
eminent men that this country has ever 
produced. He was born in Pennsyl- 
vania, in 1745, a descendant of John 
Rush, one of Cromwell's soldiers who came 
to America in 1683. Dr. Rush graduated at 
Princeton in 1760, studied medicine under Dr. 
John Redman, of Philadelphia, and in 1768 
was graduated from the medical department of 
the University of Edinburg. He became ac- 
quainted with Benjamin Franklin and settled 
in Philadelphia, becoming in the course of time 
the most eminent physician of his day. He 
was a most distinguished patriot, a signer of 
the Declaration of Independence, and surgeon- 
general of the continental army. He became a 
member of the constitutional convention and 
was appointed treasurer of the United States 
mint. He founded Dickinson College and the 
Philadelphia Dispensary, and was a noted phi- 
lanthropist ; his publications were numerous, 
and some of them were standard works for 
many years. Dr. Rush died in Philadelphia in 
the year 1813, leaving two sons, who also at- 
tained distinction. 

(Y) Richard (4), son of Richard (3) and 
Annis (Boudinot) Stockton, was born April 
17, 1764, died at Princeton, March 7, 1828. 
He was graduated from Princeton in 1779. and 
studied law at Newark with his uncle, the 
Hon. Elias Boudinot. At the age of twenty- 
five he stood at the head of the New Jersey 
bar, and maintained that position for forty 
years. In politics he was a Federalist. He 
was presidential elector in 1792 and 1801, and 
in 1796 was elected to the United States sen- 
ate, filling the unexpired term of Frederick 
Frelinghuysen and serving until March 3. 
1799. He also served one term in the lower 
house of congress from 1813 to 1815, declining 
re-election to both offices. He was an eloquent 
speaker and an exceptionally able common 
lawyer, and was consulted by eminent lawyers 
from other states. His wife was Mary, daugh- 
ter of Robert and Mary (Peale) Field, of 
Burlington county. New Jersey. She was born 
October 10, 1766, died December 25, 1837. 
Children: Mary Field, born February i, 1790, 
married William Harrison and died in August, 
1865; Richard, 1791 ; Julia, 1793; Robert 
Field, mentioned below; Horatio, 1797; Car- 



oline, 1799; Samuel Witham, 1801 ; William 
Bradford, 1802; Annis, 1804. 

(VI) Commodore Robert Field Stockton, 
son of Richard (4) and Mary (Field) Stock- 
ton, was born at Princeton, August 20, 1795, 
died there October 7, 1866. He studied at 
Princeton, but left school and entered the 
navy upon the outbreak of the war with Great 
Britain. He received a commission as mid- 
shipman, September i, 181 1, and joined the 
frigate "President," under Commodore Rod- 
gers, at Newport, going on a cruise in which 
many perils were encountered and many, Brit- 
ish vessels captured. He won the title of 
"Fighting Bob," and covered himself with 
glory. Accompanying Commodore Rodgers to 
Baltimore he found himself in command of 
three hundred sailors in defence of that city. 
For his services at Baltimore he was highly 
commended and was promoted to the rank of 
lieutenant. September 9, 1814. He cruised in 
the Mediterranean and fought a duel with a 
British officer at Gibraltar. He became inter- 
ested in the American Colonization Society, 
and visited Africa to acquire the land which' 
became the Republic of Liberia. He was pro- 
moted to the rank of post-captain ; and finally 
became commodore, being commander-in-chief 
of the land and sea forces at the conquest 
of California, of which he became military 
governor. Commodore Stockton was also in 
after years United States senator from New 
Jersey, and did much to improve the family 
estates which he had inherited. He married 
Harriet Maria, daughter of John Potter, of 
Charleston, South Carolina, in 1823: she died 
in 1862. Children: Richard, born 1824; John 
Potter; Catherine Elizabeth; Mar\-, born 1830, 
married Rear-Admiral John C. Howell ; Rob- 
ert Field, mentioned below; Harriet Maria, 
Caroline, Julia, Annis. 

(Vin General Robert Field (2) Stockton, 
son of Commodore Robert Field (i) and Har- 
riet Maria (Potter) Stockton, was born Jan- 
uary 22. 1832. died at Trenton, New Tersey, 
May 5, 1898. He was graduated from Prince- 
ton in 185 1, and three years later was ad- 
mitted to the bar. On January 30, 1858, he 
became brigadier-general, and was adjutant- 
general of the state, which office he held until 
April 12, 1867. when he resigned. In 1867 he 
was brevetted major-eeneral. From 1877 to 
1880 he was comptroller of New Jersey. In 
1866 he became president of the Delaware 



328 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



& Raritan Canal Company, holding that post 
until 1872. He was a member of the military 
order of the Loyal Legion of Pennsylvania, 
and an honorary member of the New Jersey 
Society of the Cincinnati. He married, Sep- 
tember 7, 1852, Anna Margaretta Potter, of 
Washington. D. C, who was born at Philadel- 
phia, July 26, 1833. Children: Harriet Maria, 
born September 30, 1854, married William 
Lewis Dayton ; Anna Margaretta, born July 
13, 1856, married at Trenton, New Jersey, 
June 2, 1880, Moses Taylor Pyne (see Pyne 
II) ; Mary Potter, born 1857, at Morven ; Rob- 
ert Field, born i860, died 1864; Robert Field, 
born June 9, 1864: Isis Yturbide, born 1868, 
married George William Burleigh, of New 
Hampshire; Sarah, born 1870, died 1871 ; 
William Woodburn Potter, born 1872, died 
1874. 



The name has been variously 
LUMMIS spelled Lummis, Lumas, 
Lumus, Lomas, Loomes, 
Loomis, Lummas and Lumis, by different 
branches of this one family and throughout 
the changes wrought by centuries. Its original 
derivation is from the Welsh, "lom," meaning 
bare, naked or exposed, and "niaes," a field, 
therefore the significance is "the place in the 
open field." The arms of the Lummis family, 
as used by them in this country: Argent be- 
tween two jjalets gules, three fleurs de lis 
in pale sable, a chief azure. Crest : On a 
chapeau a pelican vulning herself proper. Mot- 
to : Ne cede inalis. 

(I) Edward Lummis was the progenitor of 
the family in America. He emigrated to this 
country in 1635. Curiously there are two 
entries in the records of his arrival, both bear- 
ine date of the same year. 1635. In the "Suzan 
and Ellin." 1635. came Edward Lumus. aged 
twenty-four years, and in the "Elizabeth." 
April 17, 1635. imbarqued for New England. 
came Edward Loomes. aged twenty-seven. 
Both ships sailed from the port of London. 
England. 

Edward Lummis made his home in Ins- 
wich, Massachusetts, where he was soon called 
into active military service in defending the 
colony aeainst the Indian attacks. In 1637, the 
Indian"; being frcatly feared by the colonists, 
the military officers were ordered to maintain 
watch and ward every dav, to cause all men to 
bring their arms to the meeting-house, and 



to see that no person traveled above a mile 
from his dwelling, except where houses were 
near together, without bearing some arms. At 
last the summons to arms came in the war 
against the Pequods. and in April, 1637, seven- 
teen young men marched away, over the road 
to Salem, to join the little army of valiant 
fighters. Six more followed in May. Among 
them was Edward Lumas. Upon the road they 
engaged with some of the Pequods, and 
pursued them until their ammunition gave out, 
when they used their muskets as clubs. Two 
of the Indians were killed and two of the party 
of colonists were wounded. In 1041 Edward 
Lumas appears in the town records of Ipswich 
as a commoner. Under date of December 29, 
1648, is recorded a list of those who subscribed 
their names to allow Major Daniel Denison the 
sum of £124-7 yearly so long as he shall be 
their leader to encourage him in his military 
helpfulness. Edward Lummis appears on the 
list as a subscriber. On February 7, 1653, 
Edward Lummis made his mark as a witness 
to the will of Mark Quilter, of Ipswich. In 
March, 1659, Edward Lomase brought a suit 
against Cajitain William Traske for taking 
possession of and selling twenty acres of land 
beloneing to nlaintifF, which suit was later 
withdrawn. Edward Lomas appears as a mem- 
ber of the grand jury at the court held at Ips- 
wich. .Sentember 2=;. 1660. 

In 1661 Edward Lomas served as the con- 
stable of Ipswich, and the same year he was 
given liberty to fell two white oak trees. He 
also served as constable there in the succeeding 
year. In 1664 he owned a share and a half in 
Plum island. On March 22. 1660. Edward 
Lummas, aeed about fifty-eisrht years, deposed 
that Goodman Wood, the baker, came to him 
and asked whether he had seen a heifer, and 
he replied: "I wi'l tell you how you may 
know her by this: If yon com neare and hold 
out ynur hand to her, the heifer will com to 
vou. for I used to pive her Bis Cake," which 
deponent did, and she came to him. When 
caid Wood took the heifer, he told dopenent 
that if anybody had a better c'aim. he would 
pive her up. Sworn in court. This deposition 
was made in connection with the case of 
Obadiah Wood vs. Richard Kimball for tres- 
pa«<;. taking a heifer out of his vard and de- 
taining her. On February tt. 1667. Edward 
Inma";. bavin" been a soldier against the 
Pequod Indians, and not having any land 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



329 



granted to him, as others had benefited, the 
town now granted him six acres of land. On 
March 2, 1667, Edward Chapman sold to Ed- 
ward Lummus "my dwelling-house wherein 
said Lummus dwells, with barn and one and 
one-quarter acres the street called Mill st. 
towards southwest, and the house and land of 
widow Stacy southeast." February 13, 1678, 
on a list of the names of those persons who 
had the right of commonage according to law 
and order of the town appears Edward Lomas. 
On the list of those who by law were allowed 
to have their votes in town affairs voted to 
be recorded at the town meeting, December 2, 
1679, appears the name of Edward Lomas. 
Edward Lummus was a weaver by trade, and 
lived on the corner of Baker's Lane and 
Scott's Lane, Ipswich. Massachusetts. He had 
a wife, Mary, who made a deposition in 1672, 
in which she states her age to be about sixty- 
six years. On May 25, 1682, Edward Lum- 
mis conveyed to his son, Jonathan, his home- 
stead, house, barn and an acre of land, to- 
gether with twelve acres purchased of Mr. 
Cogswell, then deceased. His will stated that 
the twelve acres were on the opposite side of 
the street from his house. Besides the afore- 
mentioned land, the town records of Ipswich 
show that on February 27, 1648, Edward 
Lummis was granted thirty acres of upland, 
and in 1649 five acres of meadow. 

Edward Lummis died August 29. 1682, and 
his will was probated September 26, 1682. His 
son, Jonathan, was charged "for recording 
your father's will and inventory 6 shillings." 
Children of Edward and Mary Lummis were: 
I. Jonathan, resided in Ipswich, Massachu- 
setts. 2. Edward, settled in New Jersey. 3. 
Samuel, see forward. 4. Nathaniel, removed 
to Dover. 

(II) Samuel, son of Edward and Mar)^ 
Lummis, was born at Ipswich, Massachusetts, 
June 7, 1639, died February 24, 1720. He 
testified in court on April 2. i6s7. that he saw 
Edmond Bridges "in sermon time get a piece 
of paper of Daniel Warner, Jr., and write on 
it, and over his shoulder read these words : 
'Goodman Tode, I would entreate you,' and he 
gave it to Tod after the lecture, and said his 
father sent it. His father denied it later in 
the shop." This testimonv was given in con- 
nection with the case of Edmond Bridges, who 
was fined for writing a note in Rowley meet- 
ing-house in lecture time to John Tod, for five 



shillings, in his father's name. In March, 1661, 
Samuel Lumas appeared as a witness in the 
case of John Godfry vs. Edward Clarke for a 
debt. In 1678 Samuel Lumas appears on a list 
of inhabitants of Ipswich. On December 19, 
1684, he sold to his neighbor, Joseph Quilter, 
one acre adjoining Jonathan Lummus' land in 
Ipswich. Samuel Lummis lived at the Ham- 
let, now Hamilton, Massachusetts. He was 
buried there in the ancient graveyard of that 
place and the inscription upon his tombstone 
reads : 

Here lyeth the Body of 
Mr. Samuel Lummus who 

was Born June ye 7th. 

1639 & Died ye 24th. Feby 

1720 asred 80 

years. 

Samuel Lummis married (first), November 
18, 1664, Sarah Smith, by whom he had three 
children. Between the years 1676 and 1679 he 
married (second) Hannah White. She was 
the daughter of John White, and was born in 
Wenham, Massachusetts. She had previously 
married, January 23, 1663, Ensign John Divoll, 
who lived at Lancaster, and was killed by the 
Indians, February 10, 1675-76, while in charge 
of the Rowlandson garrison house. She and 
her children were taken prisoners by the In- 
dians, but were ransomed on May 12, 1676, 
and she died before July 12, 1717. Children 
of Samuel Lummis: i. Edward, see forward. 
2. Samuel, born February 14. 1667. 3. Mary, 
born January 10, 1669. 

(Ill) Edward (2), son of Samuel and 
Sarah (Smith) Lummis, was born in Ipswich, 
Massachusetts, October 12, 1665. died Febru- 
ary, 1740. About the year 1697 he removed 
from Massachusetts to Cohansey, Salem coun- 
ty. New Jersey, as shown by the following 
abstract of a deed: On May 3, 1697. John 
Bellowes, of London, merchant, by his attor- 
ney. Thomas Budd, of Philadelphia, merchant, 
deeded to Thomas Jones, Jonathan Moore- 
house, Joseph Seelcye and Joseph Sayrc, late 
of New Eng-land, now of Ccsariae River, alias 
Cohansev, New Jersey, planters, four hundred 
acres to be surveyed on said river. The gran- 
tees in this deed allotted the said land among 
themselves "ye first Twelve .\dventurcrs,yet 
settled on ve place," Thomas Jones except, and 
John Bennett, Thomas Bennett Jr.. John Bate- 
man, Nicholas Johnson, John Mills, Joseph 
Grimes, Edward Lumis, Joseph Smith. John 
Smith, John Ogden, Joseph Wheeler and 



330 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



others. The provincial law enacted at Bur- 
lington in May, 1697, enacts "that the tract of 
land in Cohansey purchased by several people 
lately inhabitants of Fairfield in New England 
be from and after the date hereof erected into 
a township and be called Fairfield." This law 
would indicate that Edward Lummis may have 
been an inhabitant of Fairfield, Connecticut, 
before going to Cohansey, New Jersey. 

On June 10, 1697, in an agreement between 
the "purchasers in Fairfield," Edward Lumis 
was assigned one hundred acres and Daniel 
Westcott or Waistcoat one hundred and fifty 
acres, they agreeing with others to give secur- 
ity for nine pounds English per one hundred 
acres. This land was evidently part of the 
tract of land deeded the same day, June 10, 
1697. to the planters, an abstract of which 
deed is as follows : "Thomas Bridge, of Ces- 
ariae River, New Jersey, gentlemati, deeds 
1. 000 acres in Fairefcild in Cesariae River on 
the east side of Cohansey River and north side 
of Saw Mill Creek, to the above-mentioned 
planters of Fairfield, among whom are Edward 
Lumis and Daniel Westcott." 

He was a member of the grand jury of 
Salem county, New Jersey, December 15, 
1708; December 26, 1710, and June 26, 171 1. 
He was appointed constable on April 12, 1709, 
for the south side of Cohansey, and was com- 
missioner of roads, November 27, 1722, or 
surveyor of highways. His will was dated 
October 28. 1738; was proved May 5, 1740, 
and calls him as of Cohansey, yeoman. It 
mentions his wife, Abigail, and the following 
children : Edward, Abigail, Samuel, Sarah, 
Daniel, see forward ; Mary, Tamson, Lydia, 
Elizabeth. Some time before November 3, 
1702, he married Abigail, daughter of Daniel 
and .Abigail Westcott, or Waistcoat. 

CIV) Daniel, son of Edward (2) and Abi- 
gail f Westcott) Eummis, was a yeoman of 
Cumberland county. New Jersey. His will 
bears the date June i. 1764. His wife was 
named Tudith, and they hadthe following chil- 
dren : Jonatha!!, Daniel. Sarah, Tamson, Ebe- 
nezer, see forward : Joseph. Catherine, Han- 
nah. 

(V) Ebenezer. son of Daniel and Tudith 
I.ummis, was born in May. 1748. died Novem- 
ber 28, t8oi. He married C first! .Susannah 

. l)orn February 26. 1753, died December 

27. T700: ( second "> Lvdia . wl>o was 

mentioned in his will, which was dated Octo- 



ber 14, 1801, wherein he was described as of 
the township of Deerfield, Cumberland coun- 
ty, New Jersey. He had the following chil- 
dren: William Nixon, see forward; John, 
Ebenezer, Daton or Dayton, Susaimah, Sarah. 

(VI) Dr. William Nixon Lummis, son of 
Ebenezer and Susannah Lummis, was born in 
Woodbury, New Jersey, April 15, 1775, died 
April 16, 1833, at Sodus, Wayne county. New 
York. He studied medicine in Philadelphia 
under the famous physician. Dr. Benjamin 
Rush, who later became his intimate friend. 
In tlie early part of 1800 Dr. Lummis left 
Philadelphia asd explored the Genesee val- 
ley of New York state, finally making his home 
in Sodus, Wayne county. New York, where he 
resided for the remainder of his life. He held 
many town offices, and was a most active 
citizen. From the records of the town of 
Sodus one learns of his various activities. In 
181 3 the town by vote complied with certain 
provisions of a new school law. Inspectors 
were appointed, and it was voted to raise by 
tax a sum twice the amount apportioned by 
the state. John Holcomb, Byram C.reen and 
W'illiam Wickham were elected the first school 
commissioners, and the inspectors were Enoch 
Moore, Thaddeus Bancroft. William N. Lum- 
mis, William Danforth. Daniel Arms and 
Peter Failing. 

At a special meeting held at the house of 
Daniel Arms, in Sodus, September i. 1814. the 
following were chosen: Ephraim Coon, Esq., 
to preside: John Fellows and William N. 
Lummis. clerks. The war of 1812 was being 
fought at the time, and among the resolutions 
adopted was the following: 

"Rpsolved. That William N. Lummi?. William 
Wickliam. John Fellows. Thomas Wafer and .\sher 
Doolittle he a Committee of Safety for the town of 
Sodus. Resolved, That a notice signed by a ma- 
jority of the Committee, giving notice of the an- 
proairh of the enemv. he deemed sufficient to justify 
.said official act. Resolved, That the Committee of 
Safety offer a subscription paper to the good people 
of the town of Sodus for the purpose of obtaining 
funds for the defense of said town, and that such 
subscrintion shall be demanded onlv in case of the 
enemv's obtaining command of Lake Ontario. ' 

Upon the records of Dwight Post, Grand 
.'\rmy of the Republic, made for the purpose 
of decoration, we find the name of William 
N. Lummis as a .soldier of the war of t8i2. 
When the British made their attack upon 
Sodtis, his house was one of those destroyed 
by fire. When he died there, .April 16, 1833, 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



331 



his remains were interred at that place, but 
in May, 1910^ they were removed, with those 
of his two infant sons, to the cemetery at 
Rose, Wayne county. New York, at the in- 
stance of his grandson, Benjamin R. Lummis, 
of New York City. In the local newspaper, 
The Herald, at the time of the removal of 
these remains, it is stated of Dr. William N. 
Lummis that "he took up one thousand acres 
of land on both sides of Sodus Bay, intending 
to establish an old English tenantry farm. On 
his estate he organized the first postoffice at 
Lumisville, and was appointed its first post- 
master." 

The military history of William N. Lummis 
is as follows : In order to enable the inhabi- 
tants in the exposed frontier places, like the 
little village of Sodus, in the Oswego Military 
District on Lake Ontario, to defend them- 
selves. Governor Daniel D. Tompkin.'^ author- 
ized Major-General Amos Hall, commanding 
the Seventh Division, to issue muskets and ac- 
coutrements to the inhabitants, which was ac- 
cordingly done, and the residents of Sodus 
were supplied with arms to meet any attack. 
On the evening of June 15. 1813, the British 
squadron on Lake Ontario, under Commodore 
Sir Tames Lucas Yeo, arrived off the Genesee 
river, and sent an armed detachment to the 
villaee of Charlotte, at the head of navigation 
on that river, whence it carried off a large 
quantity of stores. The next day the squad- 
ron started eastward, evidentlv intent on fur- 
ther incursions, and appeared off Sodus Bay. 
on Fridav. July 18. 1813. Brigadier-General 
William Burnet, commanding the district, hav- 
ing on the evening of the 15th received infor- 
mation that the British had landed at Genesee 
river, ordered into service the Seventv-first 
Reeiment New York State Militia Infantrv, 
under Lieuteanant-Colonel Commandant Phil- 
etus Swift, and part of the Militia Rifle Bat- 
talion in the county, under Commandant Elihu 
Raneer, but they did not arrive until a little 
after sunrise on Monday morning, June 21. 
On the evening: of Saturday, Tune iq, i8i.'^. 
a partv of about one hundred officers and 
men. fully armed, from the British squadron, 
landed at Sodus Point for the purpose of de- 
stroving the public stores, which had been re- 
moved, however. Brieadier-General Burnet 
Tiad notified the inhabitants of .Sodus of the 
expected inva<;ion. and they immediatelv as- 
sembled at his call to the number of forty. 



under Captain Enoch Turner, who resided at 
Lyons, eleven miles distant. Captain Turner, 
while living in Herkimer county, had been 
from June 13, 1805, until his removal to Lyons, 
May 23, 1812, a captain in the Second Bat- 
talion, Sixth Regiment New York State Artil- 
lery, and was an officer of experience. On 
notification of the arrival of the British squad- 
ron luider Sir James Yeo, and under Brig- 
adier-General Burnet's orders. Captain Turner 
at once took command of the Independent 
Sodus Company. This company, including 
William N. Lummis, took post at a bridge 
over a ravine, to resist the advance of the 
British. Here a sharp fi.ght ensued, in which 
seven of the enemy were killed, while in the 
Independent Company one man was mortally 
wounded and three others wounded. So firm 
was the resistance that the British detachment 
was repulsed and fell back to the boats, but in 
doing so. out of revenge, on Sunday morning, 
burned the empty public storehouse, five dwell- 
ings, including that of Mr. Lummis, and the 
old Williamson Hotel. Soon afterward they 
embarked, taking along with them about two 
hundred and thirty barrels of flour and a few 
barrels of whiskey and pork, private prop- 
erty. On Monday morning the Seventy-first 
Regiment State Militia arrived, and the serv- 
ices of the Independent Company of Citizens 
under Captain Turner were no longer needed, 
so thev were released from further duty. Their 
service, was from June 17 to June 20, 1813. 

After he had completed his collegiate edu- 
cation, he studied medicine, attendine the lec- 
tures of Dr. Rush at Philadelphia. His ambi- 
tion as a student is indicated by the fact that 
he took coupious notes of the whole course, 
which filled several quarto volumes, and are 
the only report extant of that course. An 
acquaintance thus formed between master and 
pupil, they afterwards maintained a corre- 
spondence of intimacy and friendship. Com- 
mencing the practice of medicine in Philadel- 
phia, he continued there until declining health, 
consequent upon an attack of yellow fever, in- 
duced him to seek a change of climate. He 
went on a tour of exploration to the Genesee 
country soon after 1800. In a trip by water 
with some friends, thev were overtaken bv a 
storm oft' the mouth of the Genesee river. The 
party landed, and went up to view the falls. 
upon the site of Rochester they came to a sol- 
itary log cabin, knocked, and were bid to 



33^ 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



enter. Upon entrance they found that in the 
absence of the family a parrot had been the 
hospitable representative. The family re- 
turned shortly, and gave them a supper of 
potatoes and milk, the best that residents of 
a place now the site of an important city 
were accustomed to in those days. Deciding 
to make Sodus Point his home, he made con- 
siderable investments in lands there, and soon 
removed his family to their new home. He 
resided at the Point until the commencement 
of the war of 1812, when he removed two 
miles farther up the lake, where he purchased 
lands and erected a flouring mill. Later he 
added a sawmill, an iron forge and several 
other branches of business, besides improving 
the land by dividing it into farms and build- 
ing houses thereon for the tenants. The lit- 
tle settlement was named "Maxwell," after his 
wife, Sarah (Maxwell) Lummis, niece of Gen- 
eral \Villiam Maxwll. who was on General 
Washington's staff. His medical practice was 
only such as the exigencies of the new region 
demanded, and was in large measure grat- 
uitous. He bestowed much of his time and 
talents to the cause of internal improvements. 
If not the projector, he early and zealously 
espoused the opening of a communication be- 
tween Lake Ontario and the Erie canal, by 
means of a branch terminating at Sodus Bay. 
This branch was ordered dug by Mr. Lummis 
and General Adams and exists today and is 
called bv politicians, "The .\dams ditch." It 
is the shortest route from the Great Lakes to 
the sea. To indefatigable industry and perse- 
verance he added extraordinary business tal- 
ents, and to a vigorous intellect he added a 
thorough education, while he delighted in cul- 
tivating literary tastes and pursuits in hours of 
relaxation, all of which made him an agree- 
able and instructive companion. The inscrip- 
tion upon his tombstone at Sodus villaere pays 
the foUowine tribute to his memory: "He was 
one of the pioneer border settlers. His enter- 
prising, vigorous and active mind aided essen- 
tially in the improvements of this country and 
commanded for him universal esteem." 

William Nixon Lummis married twice. His 
first wife died in earlv years. His second wife 
was Sarah Maxwell, born .September 17. 1780, 
died November 8, 1840, daughter of Cantain 
John Maxwell and Marv .'\nn ( Clifford") 'Max- 
well. The children of Dr. \\'illiam Nixon 
Lummis and Sarah Maxwell: i. Renjamin 



Rush, born September 6, 1804, died June 10, 
1882; resided during most of his life on the 
east side of Sodus Bay, Wayne county, New 
York. 2. William Ma.xwcU, see forward. 3. 
Elizabeth Friez, born October, 1815, died June 
3, 1877; married Dr. William H. EUet, pro- 
fessor of chemistry in Columbia College, and 
she became the amiable and gifted authoress of 
"The Women of the American Revolution" 
and "Domestic Hi.story of the .A.mcrican Revo- 
lution." 4. Dayton, born May 25, 1817, died 
May 13, 1870; married. June 10, 1841, Eliz- 
abeth Ann Hunting. 5. Jacob. 6. Anna Maria, 
married Philo Sheldon. 

Captain John Maxwell was born in county 
Tyrone, Ireland, November 25, 1739. He set- 
tled with his parents in Greenwich township, 
now in Warren county. New Jersey. His par- 
ents were John Maxwell, born in 1701, died 
August 19, 1786, and Ann, his wife, born in 
1712. died May 15, 1790. They emigrated to 
America about 1747, and were buried in the 
cemetery adjoining the First Presbyterian 
Church of Greenwich. Captain John Maxwell 
married (first) Elizabeth Sloan, of Laming- 
ton. New Jersey, born in 1747. died May 30, 
1768; he married (second) Mary Ann Clif- 
ford, born in 1744, died June 9. 1804. by 
whom nine children: he married (third'l Eliz- 
abeth Kirkpatrick Sloan, daughter of David 
Kirkpatrick, of Bernards township, Somerset 
county. New Jersev, (being then widow of 
Henrv Sloan, son of William and Mary Sloan, 
of Lamington, New Jersey"), and who was 
born in 1749, died June 9, 1829. 

Upon the outbreak of the revolution, John 
Maxwell enlisted and was made lieutenant of 
the first company raised in Sussex county. 
New Jersev. being subsequently promoted to 
captain, and was attached to the Second Reg- 
iment Hunterdon County Militia. He was 
also captain in Colonel Spencer's additional 
regiment, continental line, from February 7, 
1777. to April II. 1778. when he resiened. He 
later raised a companv of one hundred vol- 
unteers from Sussex and Hunterdon counties, 
and tendered their service to General Wash- 
ington when he was much reduced in force. 
This command was known as "Maxwell.'s 
Company," and their addition to the ranks 
was verv acceptable. He participated in the 
battles of Trenton. Assunpink, Princeton, 
Brandywine. Germantown. Monmouth and 
Springfield. After the close of the war he 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



333 



returned to his farm and was appointed one of 
the judges of Hunterdon county, February 23, 
1795; re-appointed November 30, 1800. He 
removed to Flcmington about this time, and 
resided there until his death, February 15, 
1828. He was buried at the old stone church, 
Greenwich township, and his tombstone reads : 
"John Maxwell, Esq., second son of John and 
Anna Maxwell. He was born in the county of 
Tyrone in Ireland, Nov. 25th, A. D. 1739, and at 
an early age emigrated with his father to \ew Jer- 
sey. He was Lieutenant in the lirst Company 
raised in Sussex county for the defence of his 
adopted country in the Revolutionary War ; and 
soon after in the darkest hour of her fortunes 
joined the Army of General Washington as Cap- 
tain of a company of 100 volunteers. He was en- 
gaged in the battles of Trenton, Princeton. Brandy- 
wine, Germantown, Monmouth and Springfield, and 
ever distinguished as a brave and able officer ; hav- 
ing served his country in various Military and Civil 
offices and faithfully discharged his various duties 
as a Soldier, a Citizen, a Christian, he closed a long 
and useful life at his residence At Flemington, 
February i=;th, A. D., 1828. in the Eighty-ninth year 
of his age." 

(VH) William Maxwell, son of Dr. Will- 
iam Nixon and Sarah (Maxwell) Lummis, 
was born at Sodus, Wayne county. New York, 
in 1809. died at Sodus Point, August 21, 1869, 
buried in Greenwood cemetery. Brooklyn, New 
York. He was educated at Hobart College. 
Geneva, New York, and afterwards became a 
dry goods merchant, importing Scotch cloths 
and velvets. At the time when it often took 
three months to cross the ocean, he made 
yearly trips to Eunjpe in the interest of his 
business, and thtis early succeeded as an enter- 
prisins: merchant in his line. He removed to 
New York in order to broaden his field. Be- 
sides his business ability, Mr. Lummis was of 
an artistic temper? ment and was capable of 
drawing beautifully with pen and ink. He 
was a dignified gentleman of the highest busi- 
ness principles, and was regarded as a well- 
read man of his day. Because of the condi- 
tion of his health, which had become somewhat 
impaired, he retired to his estate at Sodus 
Point, New York, and there superintended the 
operating of a sawmill, which cut the timber 
from his own woods. He held the position 
of postmaster of Lummisville, a town on the 
opposite side of Sodus Bay from the Point, 
which was settled by his father and named by 
him. 

William M. Lummis married, in New York 
City, June 15, 1840, Ann, daughter of Will- 



iam and Eliza ( West) O'Brien. She was born 
October 6, 1816, died at New York City, 
March 6, 1904. The children of William 
Maxwell and Ann (O'Brien) Lummis were; 
I. William, born May 2, 1841 ; married Eliz- 
abeth Vesey Coleman. 2. John Maxwell, died 
at Sodus Point, August 7, 1911 ; married Eliz- 
abeth Beck, widow, deceased. 3. Mary Flor- 
ence, unmarried. 4. Charles Augustus, mar- 
ried Marion Duhain. 5. Dayton, died when 
about five years of age. 6. Eliza O'Brien, 
born April 13, 1855, unmarried. 7. Benjamin 
Rush, see forward. 

William O'Brien was born in Ireland in 
1768, where he was Lord O'Brien, Earl of 
Inchiquinn, and emigrated to America at the 
time of the Irish rebellion in 1798. His title 
and estate were confiscated by the English and 
turned over to the Protestant branch, who 
were loyal to England. He came over on a 
ship commanded by Captain John Stevens, 
whose half-sister, Eliza West, he afterwards 
married. This marriage took place at the 
house of the bride, and Father Fenwick of St. 
Peter's Church in New York City officiated. 
The records of this church show this marriage 
apparently under two dates with different wit- 
nesses, the first on January 27, 1810, with 
"John Chambery, J. B. Dumoutet. Jas. Turk 
& others" as witnesses ; the second on Febru- 
ary 15, 1810, with "Mrs. West, Mr. Crofts, 
Mullany & others" for witnesses. Eliza West, 
at the time of her marriage in 18 10. was a 
school girl, fifteen years of age, while William 
O'Brien was then forty-two years old. In 
spite of the difference in their ages, there is 
evidence that they lived a very happy life, she 
surviving her husband many years, but never 
remarrying. 

Joseph A. Scoville. otherwise known as 
Walter Barret, in 1870. had this to say of 
W'illiam O'Brien : 

"There was to be found in this great city, thirty 
years and odd ago. experienced merchants who have 
retired from active mercantile business and en- 
gaged in pursuits equally imoortant. I have in my 
eve now the very form and figure of one of these — 
William O'Brien, who was engaged in the ship- 
broker business, or rather in adjusting the claims of 
merchants or other insurers, upon insurance com- 
panies. In the days I .speak of, Mr. O'Brien was 
the only person in the citv vi'ho did that particular 
but important 'specialtie.' He made up 'general 
averages' for ships and cargoes lost, and such was 
the confidence in his capacity, integrity and cor- 
rectness that his adju.stments were never disputed 



334 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



by port-wardens, insurers or insurance companies. 
He was a true Irish gentleman, and possessed great 
conversational powers. His office was in Wall 
street, between what are now Hanover and Pearl 
streets. His residence was in Broome street, 
around the corner from Broadway towards Crosby. 
He was very jovial and social, and held his levees 
regularly once or twice a week. His house was 
always open to his friends. No Irish gentleman of 
any note ever passed through New York without 
making his appearance at the residence of Mr. O'- 
Brien in Broome street. The best wines and liquors 
in the United States could be found in perfection 
upon Mr. O'Brien's good old-fashioned, mahogany 
sideboard. No man died more regretted. He left 
several children. Two of his sons, William and 
John O'Brien, were for many years engaged in the 
Mechanics' Bank, one as the bookkeeper and one as 
first teller. They left the bank to found the house 
of W. & J. O'Brien some years ago, and are now 
doing a very extensive brokerage business in Wall 
street. In fact, the O'Briens are probably as much 
respected and do as large a business as any finan- 
cial house in Wall street." 

His last place of business, 1S47, '^^'^^ ^o. 33 
W'all street. He died at his residence, No. 433 
Broome street. New York City, on Monday, 
August 31, 1S46, aged seventy-eight years, and 
was buried in the old St. Patrick's cemetery 
at Mott and Prince streets, but his remains 
were subsequently removed to Calvary ceme- 
tery in Brooklyn. 

fVni) Benjamin Rush, son of William 
Maxwell and Ann (O'Brien) Lummis, was 
born in New York City, July 27, 1857. He 
was educated at St. Francis Xavier's College 
in New York and at Seton Hall College in 
South Orange, New Jersey. He engaged in 
the real estate business, associating with it in- 
surance brokerage, and in 1913 was located 
at No. 25 West Thirty-third street. He is a 
member of the appraisal committee of the 
Real Estate Board of Brokers. The genial 
disposition of Mr. I.ummis has won for him 
a wide circle of acquaintances, while his tac- 
tics and honesty of purpose in all business 
transactions have placed him high in the ranks 
of his associates. Among the patriotic socie- 
ties he is very active, and his services are con- 
stantly in demand in promoting their welfare. 
He was appointed on the board of managers 
of the Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum by 
His Eminence. Cardinal Farley. 

Mr. Lummis is identified with the following 
societies and institutions: Sons of the Revo- 
lution in the State of New York and member 
of its board of managers: Society of Colonial 
Wars ; Veteran Corps of Artillery in the State 



of New York ; War of 1812, uniformed corps; 
National Museum of Art; Economic Society; 
Museum of Natural History; National Geo- 
graphic Society; Pilgrim Society; New York 
Athletic Club; Circle of Friends of the Me- 
dallion ; Advisorj' Board of the New York 
Foundling Hospital; Advisory Board of tlu- 
Seton Hospital for Consumptives; Board of 
Trustees of the Catholic Institute for the 
Blind. 



This family is of ancient Scot- 
AIOFFAT tish ancestry, dating back to 

the early part of the thirteenth 
century. Burke in his "Encyclopedia of Her- 
aldry," published in 1S44, has mention of a 
Nicholas de Moffat, Bishop of Glasgow, as 
early as 1268. From the twelfth to the close 
of the sixteenth century they were prominent 
in the south of Scotland. They served in 
the army of Wallace, and after his death 
loyally gave their support to Bruce. In the 
fifteeiUli century many interesting accounts 
are preserved of the contests of the Moffats 
with the Johnstone family, whose growing 
power they bitterly opposed. About 1560 the 
head of the Moffat clan was killed, and the 
power of the family crushed. Soon after 1608 
members of the family settled in Glencairn, 
Lauderdale, England, the north of Ireland, 
and on the continent. The family name is 
derived from a locality in Annandale. Scot- 
land. In this town is a plain called by the 
ancient Celts Morfad or Maharfad, signifying 
a long plain. Later, when the country was 
occupied by the Normans, the pronunciation 
of the old name iMaharfad was softened to 
Moffat. A stream in the valley is called 
Moffat or Moffat Water, and the valley 
through which the stream flows is called 
Moffat Dale. The old town on tlie northern 
side of the plain was called Moffat, and the 
medicinal springs near the town are known as 
Moffat W'ells. 

(I) The family were prominent Covenant- 
ers, and Saiuuel Moffat, ancestor of a branch 
of the family in Ireland, was born near Ayr- 
shire. Scotland. He served with the Cove- 
nanter forces in the battle of Bothwell Bridge, 
June 22, 1679. and after their disastrous de- 
feat fled to Ballylig. Ireland. A Samuel 
Moffat was a resident of \\'oodbridge. New 
Jersey, where in 1710 he became a member 
of the Presbyterian church, and it is believed 



SOUTHERN 

that he was the Samuel Moffat who fought 
in the battle of Bothwell Bridge. 

(II) William, son of Samuel Moffat, immi- 
grated to New Jersey at an early date. He 

married and among his children were : i. 

Samuel, born in Ballylig, Ireland, July i8, 
1704: when he came to America is not known, 
but he died here May 17, 1787; in 1752 he 
moved from Woodbridge, New Jersey, to 
Blagg's Cove, Ulster county. New York; he 
married (first) Ruth Burns, who died June 
5, 1734; (second) at Woodbridge, New Jer- 
sey, June 5, 1735, Anne Gregg, a native of 
Ireland ; his children were : William, Thom- 
as, Samuel, John, Jane, Isaac, Elizabeth, i\Iar- 
garet, Anna, Mary, Elinor and Catherine. 2. 

Thomas, married, in 1750, ; located in 

Goshen, Orange county. New York. 3. Wil- 
liam, resided in Somerset county. New Jersey, 
in 1752-53; his sons Samuel and ^\'illiam 
served in the revolutionary war. 4. Mary, 
married James Barkley, of Ulster county, 
New York ; children : Samuel, John, James, 
William, Thomas, Mary and Margaret. 5. 
John, of whom further. 

(Ill) Rev. John Moft'at, son of William 
Moffat, was born probably at or near \\'ood- 
bridge, New Jersey (date unknown), and died 
in Little Britain, New York, April 22, 1788. 
Very little is known of his boyhood days, but 
he must have been of a studious turn of mind, 
as he was enabled to enter the College of New 
Jersey (now Princeton University) in May, 
1747, being one of the first students to regis- 
ter. He graduated in the second class to 
leave this college, September 27, 1749, with 
the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He studied 
theology, and May 30, 1750. was licensed to 
preach by the Presbytery of New York, and 
October 4 of the same year he was ordained 
by the same presbytery. The following year 
he was called to and installed as pastor of the 
Wallkill or Goodwill church, near the village 
of Montgomery, in Orange (now Ulster) 
county. New York, and there he remained 
until 1769. The reason for his leaving this 
church is not definitely known, but it is be- 
lieved that the theological differences which 
were so rife in Presbyterianism at that time 
were the causes of his resigning the pastorate. 
That he was an energetic pastor is shown bv 
the many improvements made on the church 
property. In 1765. through his persistent 
labors, a new church edifice was erected, and 



NEW YORK 333 

.July I, 1766, a farm of one hundred acres 
adjonung the church was purchased. He en- 
gaged m teaching for several years, and dur- 

7ltjT-t '^'^'^' ''" ^'-'"g'^' ^ L;tin school 
at Little Bntam. He was a successful teacher 
and numbered among his students representa- 
tive, of the best families in that section of the 
state. A bill rendered General James Clinton 
under date of February 15, i7'8i, is of hh- 
toncal interest, as it shows the low cost of 
securing an education in those days : 

To 2^ years schooling of Alexander and 

Charles, at £.5 per year £90 m 

lo 2 years and 27 days, George. . . " " ' "S 10 

To 2 years of Dewitt ,nt^ 

To 1 /, years, Polly V.V. ! ! i ! ! ; .' ; ; ; ] ^2 5 

. His will, dated March 10, 1787, is a very 
interesting document. According to the cen- 
sus taken in 1775, of the one hundred slaves 
ou-ned in New York Mr. Moffat had one 

He married, Deccml)cr 10. 1750, Margaret 
daughter of Rev. Joiin and Frances (Fitzger- 
ald) Little; she was born May 30, 1724 died 
in Little Britain, New York, October 18, '1800 
They had eight children, all born in Little 
Britain: i. John Little, of whom further. 2. 
William, born May 20, 1755, died in New 
York City, December 21, 1820; was owner of 
valuable real e.state; married (first) Eunice 
Youngs, who died December 10, 1799; (sec- 
ond) Rhoda ; children: Julia Ann. Henry 

Youngs. Abigail, John, Frances and Elizabeth. 
3. Margaret, born June 6. 1757; married 
Jacob Wright, of Jamaica. New York, a gal- 
lant officer of the revolutionary war; after the 
war they located in Goshen, and later in Al- 
bany, New York. 4. Mary, born July 12, 
1759. died in Galen, Seneca county, New 
York. .August 25, 1823; she married. January 
13, 1789, Anthony Carpenter, a veteran of 
the revolutionary war ; he owned a large farm 
near Goshen, where he resided until his death ; 
children : John and George. 5. Samuel, born 
February 17, 1761, died in Dryden. New 
York, March 13, 1841 ; in 1806 he located in 
Rogues' Harbor, now Libertyville. Tompkins 
county, New York, where he was engaged in 
business with Robert Tenant Shaw: in 1817 
he removed to Columbia village, Dryden, New 
York, where he operated a saw mill for some 
years ; he met with success in his business 
ventures and acquired a valuable property; he 
married, in Lansing, New York. January 25. 
1814, .Ann Shaw, who died in Dryden, June 



336 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



24, 1844; children: John Shaw, Margaret 
Lovenia, W'illiam Shaw, Samuel Alonzo, 
Daniel J., Isabella S., Addison Robert and 
Mary lane. 6. Frances, born April 2, 1764, 
died in" Wallkill, New York, October 7, 1843; 
she married, in 1788, Josiah Pierson, son of 
Silas Pierson ; he died in Mount Hope, Orange 
county. New York, March 26, 1826; children: 
Mary, Henry, Richard Wright, Margaret, 
Mary Anne, Elizabeth, Silas Gilbert, William, 
John Moflfat. 7. Elizabeth, born May 6, 1766, 
died in Milton, Ulster county, New York, 
July 3. 1844; married, in Ulster county, New 
York, March 15, 1792, Cornelius Roosa, who 
died in New York City, March 7, 1834; one 
child, Catharine. 8. Catharine, born March 
30, 1774, died in New York City, December 
3, 1849; married, February 15, 1800, Major 
Bezaleel. son of Bezaleel and Anna (How) 
Howe; Major Howe was a gallant officer dur- 
ing the revolutionary war, and during the last 
six months of the war served in Washington's 
own body guard; after the war he was for a 
time in command of the post at West Point, 
and upon retiring from active service in the 
late nineties he went to New Orleans and en- 
gaged in business for some years ; later he 
located in New York City, where he was in- 
spector in the custom house until his death, 
September 3, 1825; children: Elias, George 
C, Margaretta, John Mofifat, Oscar, Julia 
Ann. Catharine, Bezaleel. 

(IV) John Little, son of Rev. John and 
Margaret (Little) Moffat, was born in Little 
Britain, New York, June 15, 1753, died in 
Goslien, New York, February 10, 1788. He 
received a liberal education, and at an early 
age began the work of a surveyor, in which 
vocation he was very successful. In company 
with Simon De Witt, cousin of Governor De 
Witt Clinton, he surveyed many thousands of 
acres of land in Western New York, then 
being rapidly developed. It was in one of 
the trips in the summer of 1788 that he 
caught a severe cold by plunging on a hot 
day into a stream of water ; the cold developed 
into consumption, of which he died the fol- 
lowing February. He met with success in 
his surveying and business enterprises, and 
acquired a valuable property. His sister, Mrs. 
Howe, described him as "tall and very hand- 
some and devoted to athletics, excelling in all 
competitions as a rider, swimmer, jumper and 
wrestler." During the first few years after 



his marriage he resided in New Britain, and 
later in Goshen, where he owned a large house 
which subsequently became the summer resi- 
dence of Ogden Hoffman, of New York City. 
He married, March 16, 1779, Mary, daughter 
of Anthony and Phebe (Youngs) Yelverton; 
she was born in Ulster county, New York, in 
1759, died in Goshen, February 17, 1788. 
Children, born in Goshen: 1. Phebe, born 
January 28, 1780, died in Auburn, New York, 
July 9, 1814; married, June 20, 1809, George 
Leitch, who died in Auburn, October 18, 1820; 
one child, George Fleming. 2. Margaret, born 
January 2, 1782, died in Wallkill, New York, 
November 7, 1813; she married, March i, 

1806, Philip Miller, born 1777, died in Wall- 
kill, New York, September 16, 1837; children: 
John Moffat and Mary Elizabeth. 3. Maria, 
born February 22, 1784, died in New Orleans, 
Louisiana, February 15, 1866; she married, 
January i, 1801, Captain Thomas Howard, a 
sea captain, born 1771, died in Brooklyn, New 
York, February 22, 1854; children: John, 
George Fleming, Eliza, Thomas, and Thomas 
Hodgkinson. 4. Anthony Yelverton, born 
January 18, 1786, died in Danbury, Connecti- 
cut, August 22, 1853; he became a sea cap- 
tain, having his first command before he was 
twenty-one years of age; from February 8, 
1843. '^'"til January 28, 1848, he was port 
warden of the port of New York ; he mar- 
ried (first) in Norfolk, Virginia, January 15, 

1807, Sarah Amanda Fims Wirling, and (sec- 
ond) in New York City, June 19, 1820, Julia, 
daughter of Abner and Mary (Osborn) Cur- 
tis; she was born December 13, 1797, died 
February ti, 1S65 ; seven children: Robert 
John, Euphemia Maria, Edwin Curtis, Julia 
Curtis, Anthony Yelverton, Mary Emma, An- 
thony Yelverton. 5. John Little, mentioned 
below. 

(V) John Little (2), son of John Little 
(i) and Mary (Yelverton) Moffat, was born 
in Goshen, New York, February 12, 1788, died 
in Brooklyn, New York, June 19, 1865. He 
received a liberal education, and at an early 
age learned the trade of a silversmith, at 
which vocation he worked in New York City 
for many years. About 1835 he located in 
the valley of the Nacoochie, in Northern 
Georgia, to develop a gold mine he had pur- 
chased. He had previously owned a gold mine 
in North Carolina. In 1849 he joined the 
band of "forty-niners" and crossed the plains 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



337 



to California. Soon after reaching the coast 
he was made assayer for the United States 
government, retaining this position until his 
return east, and during this time he won a 
high reputation for unswerving integrity in 
his work, which survived him for many years. 
He was in turn a member of the Presbyterian, 
Episcopal, Dutch Reformed, Quaker, Metho- 
dist and Swedenborgian churches. He mar- 
ried, in Danbury, Connecticut, March 19, 
181 1, Hannah, daughter of Reuben and Si- 
lence (Allen) Curtis. She was born in Dan- 
bury, Connecticut, June 28, 1792, died in 
Brooklyn, New York, January 18, 1859. 
Fourteen children, all but the last, born in 
New York City: i. John Little, born May 
ZO, 1812. died September 12, 1812. 2. Mary 
Silence, born July 16, 1813, died in New York 
City, May 26, 1880; married John Allen, born 
in Bath. Maine, September 4, 1802, died in 
New York state: i. John Little, born May 
dren : Arthur Moffat, Charles Doughty, Bes- 
sie Trevette, Mary Cushing, John Little Mof- 
fat. 3. Adeline Margaret, born June 19, 1815, 
died in Brooklyn, New York, July 15, 18S0; 
married, in New York City, June 8, 1841, 
Joseph T. Curtis, ]\LD., who died November 
13- 1857; four children: Jessie, Gram, Frank 
and Ernest. 4. John Little, born April 24, 
1817, died February 11, 1832. 5. Reuben 
Curtis, mentioned below. 6. Frances Denton, 
born February 18, 1821, died June 22, 1822 
7. George Fleming, born April 13, 1823, died 
unmarried August 7, 1848. 8. Anthony Yel- 
verton, born February 8, 1825, died May 26. 
1825. 9. Howard Allen, born June 14, 1826, 
died March 26, 1827. 10. Isabella Frances, 
born January 23, 1828, died July 26, the same 
year. 11. Juliette Elizabeth, born April 13, 
1829, died April 25, 1829. 12. Frederick, bom 
November 6, 1830, died November 20, 1830. 
13. Eugene, born November 27. 1832, died 
July 6. 1833. 14. Thomas Howard, born in 
Nacoochie, Georgia. March 20. 1837. died in 
Tully, New York, April 26, 1892; he changed 
his name in early youth to Howard Fenwick 
Moffat ; served as an officer in the United 
States navy during the civil war, and at the 
battle of Vicksburg he lost an arm; was on 
the retired list of the navy at the time of his 
death. 

(VI) Dr. Reuben Curtis Moffat, son of 
John Little (2) and Hannah (Curtis) Moffat, 
was born in Ithaca, New York, December 11. 



1818, died in Brooklyn, New York, August 
28, 1894. He graduated in 1846 from the 
medical department of the University of the 
City of New York with the degree of M.D., 
and began the practice of his profession in 
New York. In a short time he removed to 
Newtown, Long Island, and in July, 1849, he 
located in Brooklyn, New York, where he 
made his home until his death. He became 
an early advocate and practitioner of the prin- 
ciples of homeopathy and continued until his 
death a stalwart champion of this school of 
medicine. In 1883 the Regents of the Uni- 
versity of the State of New York, in recog- 
nition of his distinguished success in his pro- 
fession, conferred upon him the honorary de- 
gree of Doctor of Medicine. Early in life 
Dr. Moffat became a convert to the teaching 
of the church of the New Jerusalem (popu- 
larly known as the Swedenborgian church). 
He was one of the organizers of the church 
in Brooklyn, and until a clergyman was se- 
cured he conducted the service. For many 
years he taught a class in the church, giving 
up the work only when his health failed and 
he was obliged to retire from all active work, 
about a year previous to his death. He was 
a deep student of the teachings of the church, 
and at an early age began collecting the works 
of Swedenborg and the publications of the 
denomination until he possessed one of the 
finest and most complete libraries in the coun- 
try. This library he placed at the disposal of 
the public until the Brooklyn Society of the 
New Church had opened their more modern 
library. Dr. Moffat was an able physician. 
He loved his fellowmen, loved to work among 
them, loved to help them in their need, and 
love of this kind begets a love which finds 
expression in genuine sorrow when death 
severs the tie. 

He married, in Newark, New Jersey, April 
IS, 1852, Elizabeth Virginia Barclay (see Bar- 
clay II), daughter of George Brinley and 
Abigail (Shaw) Barclay. She was born in 
Cranbury. New Jersey, February 28, 1822, 
died in Brooklyn, New York, May 26. 1892. 
Eight children : i. John Little, born in Brook- 
lyn, New York, Tune 14, 1833; resides (1913) 
in Ithaca, New York ; married in Bath Beach, 
New York, April 18. 1893, Elizabeth Mary, 
daughter of George Murray and _ Mary Ann 
(Foote) Rhodes: she was born in Antigua, 
West Indies, February 6. 1868 ; three children : 



338 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



John Little, born January 21, 1894; Helen, 
September 21, 1895; Reuben Curtis, April 24, 
1897. 2. George Barclay, born in Brooklyn, 
September 29, 1854. died December 4, 191 1; 
married, October 10, 1888, Frances Hillard, 
daughter of William Augustus and Harriet 
(Hillard) White, of Brooklyn; five children: 
Alexander White, born in Brooklyn, New 
York, June 26, 1891 ; Donald, born in Beedes, 
New York, July 18, 1894; George Barclay, 
born in Rye, New York, May 16, 1897; 
Frances White, born in New York City, No- 
vember 21, 1899; Gordon, born in New York 
City, March 7, 1905, died there April 5, 1906. 
3. Edgar Vietor, born in Brooklyn, New York, 
June 20, 1856; resides in Orange, New Jer- 
sey; married, in Brookline, Massachusetts, 
June I, 1887, Edith, daughter ot Avery and 
Martha Lawrence (Kidder) Wellington; five 
children : Harold Wellington, born in Brook- 
lyn. November 26. 1888; Barclay Wellington, 
born in Orange, New Jersey, July 9, 1890; 
Virginia, born in Orange, New Jersey, July 
8, 1892; Ethel, born in Orange. New Jersey, 
April 21, 1894; Constance, born in Orange, 
New Jersey, November 23, 1898. 4. Ada, 
born in Brooklyn, New York, March 21, 
1838; resides (1913) in London, England; 
married, in Brooklyn, New York. November 
17, 1885, John McLean, son of John Mast and 
iFabclla Howe (Stewart) Lachlan, born in 
Melljourne. Australia. May 31, 1861 ; no chil- 
dren. 5. Lillian, born in Brooklyn, August 20, 
1859. died there February 11, i860. 6. Reuben 
Burnham. mentioned below. 7. Mabel, born 
in Brooklyn, March 26, 1863. died there July 
,30, the same year. 8. Willie Partridge, born 
in Brooklyn, March 21. 1865, died same day. 
(X'TT") Reuben Burnham, son of Dr. Reuben 
Curtis and Elizabeth \'^irginia (Barclay) Mof- 
fat, was born in Brooklyn, New York, Janu- 
ary 7, t86i. He attended the schools of his 
native city, and prepared for college at the 
Phillips Exeter .Academy, Exeter. New Hamp- 
shire. He graduated from Harvard Collesfe 
in 188 -? with the degree of B.A.. and from the 
Columbia T-aw School in New York in 1885. 
LL.B. He has practiced his profession con- 
tinuously in the city of New York. In 1896 
he formed a partnershin with Sherman Evarts 
imdcr the firm name of Evarts & Moffat, and 
in TO04 with \\'illouehby Lane Webb, under 
the firm name of Moffat & Webh. In too6 
this latter firm became Rand, MoflFat & Webb. 



the new partners being William Rand Jr., 
Frederic Kernochan and Frank A. Lord, and 
later Langdon Parker Marvin. In 1910 the 
firm dissolved, and since then Mr. Moffat has 
practiced alone. He married, June 5, 1895, 
Ellen Low, daughter of Henry Evelyn and 
Ellen A. (Low) Pierrepont, born in Brooklyn, 
April 15, 1872. Three children have been 
born to them: i. Jay Pierrepont, born in Rye, 
New York. July 18, 1896. 2. Elizabeth Bar- 
clay, born in Rye, New York, June 26, 1898. 
3. Abbot Low, bom in New York City, May 
12, 1901. 

(The Barclay Line.) 
This famous Scotch family is of ancient 
French ancestry, dating back to Roger, who 
came to England with William the Conqueror, 
and was given by William Fitz Osborn, his 
minister, the manor of Berkeley in Gloucester- 
shire. This Roger assumed the name of de 
Barchelai (de Berkeley), and havin.g given 
support to Stephen he was driven from Berke- 
ley manor by Henry II., when he ascended 
the thorne. The valuable estate was given to 
Robert Harding, who assumed the name of 
Berkeley, thus founding another family that 
bore the name of Berkeley and Barclay. 
Henry II., in order to conciliate Roger de 
Barchelai, gave him the manor of Dursley and 
several other valuable estates. The name Bar- 
clay is the same as the English Berkcleys, and 
it was not until the fifteenth century that the 
"de" was dropped from the name, and then 
by one, Alexander, son of David, who prob- 
ably did not like anything that savored of 
French. About this time the spelling was 
changed from Berkeley to Barclay. The 
Saxon Glastershire Berkleys became extinct 
in the male line at the death of John de Berk- 
lev in 1 33 1, and the representative of the 
family then went to the descendants of John 
de Berchelai. who had accomnanied Margaret, 
sister of Edgar Aetheline to Scotland in 1071, 
and to whom the lands of Towie were granted 
by Malcolm Caenmoir, her husband. King of 
Scotland. A descendant of John de Berchelai, 
\\'alter de Berkeley, was chamberlain of the 
kingdom in n6.=; Members of the family 
have been prominent in the history of Eng- 
land and .Scotland. Several members of the 
family immigrated to America at an early 
date. Tohn Barclay, second son of Colonel 
David Barclay, of LTrv. settled in East New 
Jersey in 1(^84. and died in Perth Amboy in 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



339 



1 73 1. Another member of the Barclay fam- 
ily, though not of the Barclays of Ury, was 
Rev. Thomas Barclay, the first rector of St. 
Peter's Church at Albany. He was born about 
1 668, died in 1725. He married Anna Doro- 
thea, daughter of Captain Andries and Ger- 
trude (Van Shaick) Drauyer. They had four 
children whose descendants have intermarried 
with many of the most distinguished families 
of New York. 

The Barclay family of Philadelphia sprang 
from John Barclay, who ser\'ed as mayor of 
Philadelphia, and died there in 18 16. 

Another long line descended from Thomas 
Barclay, who was born in Strabane, Ireland, 
in 1728. At an early date he immigrated to 
America and became prominent in diplomatic 
service of the United States. He married 
Mary Hoops, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 
Many of his descendants live in Virginia, 
West Virginia, and other southern states. 

(I) The branch of the family given below 
descends from Thomas Barclay, born in St. 
Mary's county, Maryland, March 18, 1755. 
From family tradition he is believed to have 
been a son of Robert Barclay, of Dublin, bom 
in 1718. who was a grandson of Robert Bar- 
clay, of Ury. Scotland, the famous apologist 
of the Quakers, but the connection has never 
been established. Thomas Barclay was a gal- 
lant soldier in the American army during the 
revolutionary war. On July 12, T776, he en- 
listed from St. Mary's county. Maridand, in 
the "Flving Camp", in which organization he 
served for some time. In 1779 he was a mem- 
ber of Major Anderson's battalion of the 
Third Mar>dand Regiment, which served in 
General \\^a?hington's command in New Jer- 
sey. After the war he located in Shrews- 
burv, New Jersey, where he made his home 
until hi? death in 1804. While serving with 
his command in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, he 
met Catherine, daughter of John Williams, 
whose property had been confiscated by the 
continental congress, and who was himself a 
fueitive because of his lovalty to the King. 
Soon after the war he married Miss Williams. 
Seven children were born of this marriage : 
I. Robert, born August 4. 178^, died unmar- 
ried. Tune T2. 18^5. 2. William, born Sep- 
tember 20. 178=;, died in Spain. 3. John Wil- 
liams, horn February 20, 1788. died in New 

York Citv: married : one child. Daniel 

Barclay, born August 31. 1825, died February 



2, 1880. 4. George Brinley, mentioned below. 
5. Joseph, born in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, 
July 10, 1793, died at Eatontown, New Jersey, 
April 15, 1889; was a well known judge of 
the highest court of the state; he married 
(first) at Madison Court House, Virginia, 
February 29, 1816, Mary H. Lee. who died 
January 2, 1861 ; married (second) at Shrews- 
bury, New Jersey, November 20, 1862. Sarah 
Maria Allen, born November 4, 1818; four 
children: William Overton, Caroline Matil- 
da, Catherine, Caroline Amelia. 6. Elizabeth, 
born in Shrewsbury, December 25, 1795, died 
in Farmingdale, New Jersey. August 18, 1883; 
married. October 30, 1813, William Van Ben- 
thuysen, born January 20. 1791. died in 1825; 
three children : Thomas, William and Joseph. 
7. Daniel, born in Shrewsbury, January i, 
1802, died in New York City, January 21, 
1845; married. November 15, 1836. Catherine, 
daughter of Francis Granger, of New York; 
she was born February 22. 1814. died Febru- 
ary 6, 1872 ; four children : Catherine Fitz 
Allen Granger, George Ann Granger, Char- 
lotte Croton and Mary Louisa. 

(II) George Brinley, son of Thomas and 
Catherine (Williams) Barclay, was born in 
Shrewsbury, New Jersey. October 3, 1790, 
died in New York City. December 27, 1829. 
He married, in Cranbury, New Jersey. Au- 
.eust 27. 1816. Abigail .Shaw. She was born 
April 16. 1792, died September 9. 1871. Five 
children: I. De Witt, born in Cranbury. New 
Jersey, February 8, 1818. died in Alonmouth 
county. New Jersey, March 21, 1867: became 
a prominent physician : married, at Freehold, 
New Jersey, June 20. 1850. Margaret Augusta 
Baldwin : nine children : Margaret .Augusta, 
Toseph. George Earl. Harold Philemon. Wil- 
liam De \Y\n. Ellie Baldwin. De Witt, Robert 
Hard. Paul. 2. Alexander, born in Cranbury, 
New Tersev. February 10. 1820. died in New- 
ark. New Jersey. January 27, 1881 ; married, 
in Newark^ .August 12. 1S41. Charlotte Sophia 
Hard, born in Newtown. Connecticut. Decem- 
ber 26. 1818. died in Newark. February 22. 
1881: ten children: William, George. Char- 
lotte Hortense. Aueusta. Alexander. Charlotte 
Sereno. John De Witt. Thomas. Guy. Howard 
McClellan. 3. Elizabeth Virginia, married Dr. 
Reuben Curtis Moffat, a prominent phvsician 
in Brooklvn. New York Tsee Moffat VFl. 4- 
.Annie McChesney. born in Cranbury. New 
Jersey, February 14, 1825, died in Newark, 



340 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



New Jersey, September i8, 1866; married, at 
Newark, New Jersey, May 10, 1848, Stephen 
Richards Jr., born in West Haven, Connecti- 
cut, May 17, 1817, died April 4, 1861 ; five 
children : Anna Elizabeth, Emma Elita, Susan 
Amelia, Alexander Barclay, Joseph Albert. 5. 
George, born May 23, 1827, died October 3, 
the same year. 

The Pierrepont family, 
PIERREPONT which is inseparably con- 
nected with the history 
of New York state, is of Norman origin, an- 
tedating the Conquest. The castle of Pierre- 
pont, which derived its name in the time of 
Charlemagne from a stone bridge built nearby 
to take the place of a ferry, lay in the south- 
erly portion of Picardy. diocese of Laon, 
about six miles from St. Sauveur, Normandy. 
The earliest lord of the castle was Sir Hugh 
de Pierrepont, who lived about 980 A. D. He 
was succeeded by his son. Sir Godfrey de 
Pierrepont, who left two sons, Sir Godfrey 
and Sir Robert. The former was the father 
of Sir Ingolbrand de Pierrepont, lord of the 
castle in logo A. D., and ancestor of the 
French family of Pierrepont. Sir Robert ac- 
companied William the Conqueror to Eng- 
land, took part in the battle of blastings. io6(3 
A. D.. and was the founder of the English 
branch. That he stood high with the Con- 
queror is attested by the fact that many honors 
and estates were bestowed upon him by the 
Kin? He possessed, according to the Domes- 
day Book, a memorial of the possessors of the 
lands in England, of Henestede and Wrcthem 
in Suffolk, and he held them of the famous 
William. Duke of Normandy, afterward King 
of England. Godfrey de Pierrepont held the 
hundred of Belinga of said earl. The family 
continued in their possessions, viz. : The cas- 
tle of Pierrepont, in the south confines of 
Picardv, and were benefactors to the abbev 
of Thionville for lands in the territory of 
Sorincourt and Veel. Sir Robert de Pierre- 
pont relinquished all claim to the Normandy 
estate and settled definitely in Eneland. and 
it appears that, besides those lordships in Suf- 
folk and Hurst in Sussex, which now retains 
the name of Hurst-Pierrepont. he held other 
lands of great extent in said county, amount- 
ing to ten knights' fees. As generation suc- 
ceeded generation the Pierreponts intermar- 
ried with the high nobility of England and 



became Anglicized. The arms borne by the 
family of Holme-Pierrepont at the time the 
American branch left England for the New 
W'orld, which are used by the Pierrepont fam- 
ily in the United States, are : Argent, semee 
of cinquefoils, gules. A lion rampant, sable. 
Crest : A fox passant proper, on a wreath. 
Motto : Pie repone te. The chief seats of 
the English family are: Holme-Pierrepont. a 
stately pile and the ancient seat and burial 
place of the family, three miles from Notting- 
ham and ninety-eight from London ; Thores- 
by Park, in the Forest of Sherwood, and Tong 
Castle, in Salop. The descendants of .Sir God- 
frey de Pierrepont, the Norman knight, were : 

(J) Sir Robert de Pierrenont. son of Sir 
Godfrey de Pierrepont, of Castle Pierrepont, 
Picardy, Normandy, crossed to Eneland with 
William the Conqueror. He fought at the 
battle of Hastings, 1066, and was first lord 
of the manor of Hurst-Pierrepont, which lay 
north of Brighton in Sussex. He had many 
honors and estates conferred upon him by 
KinjT William. 

(H) Sir William, son of Sir Robert de 
Pierrepont. 

fHE) Sir Hugh, son of Sir \\'illiam de 
Pierrpont. livinp' in the time of Henry H. 

(IV) Sir William (2). son of Sir Hugh de 
Pierrepont. of Holywell, county Suffolk, had 
two sons, Simon and Robert. Simon, the eld- 
er, died without issue and was succeeded by 
his brother. Robert. 

(V) Sir Robert (2). second son of Sir 
William de Pierrepont. became sixth Lord of 
the Manor of Hurst-Pierrepont. 

fVI) Sir Henry, son of Sir Robert (2) de 
Pierrepont, of Holbeck \\'oodhouse. was 
kniehted by Edward L 

fVTT) ."^ir Henry (2). son of Sir Henrv 
(j) de Pierrepont, fought in the battle of 
Lewes. 1264. He married .'Knnorn. only 
daughter of Sir Michael de Manvers, Lord of 
the Afanor of Holme in the coimtv of Nottine- 
ham, which passed into his possession and was 
thereafter known as Holme-Pierrepont. Sir 
Henrv died in 1202. 

f\'TH) Sir Robert (t,). son of Sir Henrv 
(2) de Pierrepont, succeeded his elder broth- 
er. Sir Simon, to the estate and title, the 
latter dying without issue. He occupied 
Holme-Pierrepont. and died in T>,'i'\. His first 
wife was daughter, and finally heiress, of Sir 
John Herrize. Knight, of Wingficld, county 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



341 



Derby ; and his second wife was Cecily, daugh- 
ter of Annesley of Annesley. 

( IX) Sir Henry (3), son of Sir Robert (3) 
de Pierrepont, of Holme-Pierrepont. married 
Margaret Fitz Williams, daughter of Sir Wil- 
liam Fitz Williams, of Elmsley, Knight, and 
Maude, daughter of Edmund. Baron Dein- 
court. Sir William was a grandson of Thom- 
as Fitz Williams and Ella Plantagenet. She 
was the daughter of Hameline Plantagenet, a 
son (on the left hand) of Geoffrey Plantag- 
enet and natural halfbrother of Henry II. of 
England, and Count of Anjou. Hameline 
Plantagenet became Earl of Surrey in right 
cf his wife, Isabel, daughter of William de 
Warren, Earl of Surrey. 

(X) Sir Edmund, son of Sir Henry (3) de 
Pierrepont, of Holme-Pierrepont, and Maude. 
daughter of Baron Deincourt, was descended 
through his mother from the Kings of France 
and England and from the Counts of Nor- 
mandy, Flanders and Anjou. He married 
Joan, daughter of Sir George Montboucher, 
of Gomulston, Notts, Knight, and died at Gas- 
coigne, France, in 1370. 

(XI) Sir Edmund (2). of Holme-Pierre- 
pont, Knight, son of Sir Edmund (i) de 
Pierrepont, was living during the reign of 
Henry VI. in 1423. He married Frances, 
daughter of Sir William Franke, of Grimsby, 
in the county of Lincoln. 

(XII) Sir Henry (4), of Holme-Pierre- 
pont, son of Sir Edmund (2) and Lady 
Frances de Pierrepont. died prior to 1453 ; he 
married Ellen, daughter of Sir Nicholas Lang- 
ford. 

(XIII) Sir Henry (5), son of Sir Henry 
(4) and Lady Ellen Pierrepont, was high 
sheriff of Nottingham and Derby. He mar- 
ried Thomasin, daughter of Sir John Melton, 
of Melton Hall, county Derby. They had two 
sons. Henry and Francis. 

(XIVI Sir Francis Pierrepont, Knight, son 
of Sir Henry (5) Pierrepont, succeeded to the 
estates and title on the death of his elder 
brother. Sir Henry, who died without issue. 
Francis died November 9. 1405. He married 
(first) Margaret, daughter of John Burden, 
Esquire, by whom he had one son. W^illiam. 

He married (second) Pierrepont. of 

Land ford near Newark, by whom he had 
three children. 

(XV) Sir William (3), of Holme-Pierre- 
pont, Knight and Baronet, son of Sir Francis 



Pierrepont, married (first) Joan, daughter of 
Sir Brian Stapleton, Knight, by whom he h.id 
one daughter; he married (second) Anne, 
daughter of Sir Richard Empson, Knight, 
Chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, by 
wliom he had a son, Sir George Pierrepont, 
Knight, by whom he was succeeded. Sir 
William was a gallant soldier, being distiu 
guished for bravery at the battle of Stoke, 
near Newark, in i486. He was created Knight 
of the Sword by Henry, Prince of Wales, in 
1503, and for his services at the siege of 
Thewmanne and Tourney in 15 13, he was 
made a knight banneret. 

(XVI) Sir George, Knight, of Holme- 
Pierrepont, son of Sir William (3) Pierre- 
pont. was Lord of several manors in Not- 
tingham and Derby, and was one of the 
Knights of the Carpet created at the corona- 
tion of Edward VI. on February 22, 1547. He 
died March 21, 1564. He married (first) 
Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Anthony Babbing- 
ton, by whom he had one daughter. Amor. 
Elizabeth was an intimate friend of Mary 
Stuart. Queen of Scots. He married (sec- 
ond) Winifred Thwaits, daughter of William 
Thwaits, Esquire, of Norfolk. Children: 
Henry ; Gervase, who died without issue ; 
William; daughter; daughter. 

(XVin Sir Henry (6). son of Sir George 
Pierrepont, Knight of Holme-Pierrepont, died 
March 19, 1615, aged sixty-nine years. He 
married Frances, daughter of Sir William 
Cavendish, of Chatsworth, Derby, ancestor of 
the Duke of Devonshire. Children : Robert, 
Frances, married Thomas, Earl of Kelly, in 
Scotland ; Mary, married Fulke Cartwright, 
Esquire, of Ossington. Nottingham ; Eliza- 
beth, married Richard Stapleton ; Grace, mar- 
ried Sir George Manners. Knight, of Derby, 
son of Sir John Manners and Dorothy Ver- 
non, of Haddon Hall. 

(Tlie American Branch.) 

(I) William Pierrepont, third son of Sir 
George Pierrepont. Knight, of Holrne-Pierre- 
pont, was a younger brother of Sir Henry 

Pierrepont. He married Elizabeth . 

Children : \\'illiam, Richard, James, of whom 
further; Joseph, Joshua. 

(II) James, third son of William Pierre- 
pont, was owner of a large estate in Derby- 
shire and carried on trade between England 
and Ireland, but during commercial troubles 



342 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



that were incident to the Protectorate he fell 
into bankruptcy, and later came to America 
to visit his sons, John and Robert, who about 
1640 had emigrated to Massachusetts. He 
died in Ipswich, Massachusetts, previous to 
1664. His wife, Margaret, died in London, 
January, 1664. Children: John, of whom 
further; Robert, who emigrated to America 
in 1640; Mary; Anne, born in London; Mar- 
tha, born in London, married Rev. William 
Eaton, vicar of Dorsetshire. 

(Ill) John Pierpont, as the name began to 
be .spelled, son of James Pierrepont, of Lon- 
don, was born in London in 1617, came to 
America and settled, probably at Ipswich, 
Massachusetts, in 1640. In 1648 he purchased 
the John Stowe place of three hundred acres, 
where Roxbury and Dorchester are now situ- 
ated, giving the name to Dorchester out of 
compliment to his second cousin, Henry 
Pierrepont, who was created Marquis of Dor- 
chester in 1645. John Pierpont died Decem- 
ber 7, 1682, and his gravestone in the old 
burying ground at Eustis and Roxbury streets, 
Roxbury, Massachusetts, is even yet in a fair- 
ly good state of preservation. He married 
Thankful, daughter of John Stowe, of Kent, 
England. Children: i. Thankful, died 1649, 
or after the family came to this country. 2. 
John, born October 28, 1652, died at Roxbury, 
iOecember 30, 1600, without issue. 3. Ex- 
perience, born at Roxbury, February 4. 1654; 
married, March 12, 1678, John Hayward. 4. 
Infant, born August 4, died August 8, 1657. 
5. James, of whom further. 6. Ebenezer, born 
December 21, 1661, died December 17. 1696. 
7. Thankful, born November t8, 1663. 8. 
Joseph, born August 8, 1666, died at Cam- 
bridge. Massachusetts, in t686. 9. Benjamin, 
born July 26. i668; settled in the ministry at 
Charleston, South Carolina, and died in 1690, 
without, issue. 

CIV) Rev. James (2) Pierpont, son of 
John and Thankful (Stowe) Pierpont. was 
born at Roxbury. Massachusetts, January 4. 
i6=;9. He eraduated from Harvard College 
in 1681. He was ordained as a minister of 
the Congregational church, and settled in New 
Haven. Connecticut. July 2, i68t;, the suc- 
cessor of Rev. John Davenport. He remained 
here for thirty years, and became one of the 
founders of Yale College. He died Novem- 
ber 22. T714. and was buried under the Center 
Church on the Green, in New Haven. Three 



of his descendants, the two Timothy Dwights 
and Theodore Dwight Woolsey, have presided 
over Yale. A memorial tablet in Center 
Church has inscribed the chief events of his 
life, the engraved arms of the Pierrepont fam- 
ily, and the following tribute: "His gracious 
gifts and fervent piety, elegant and winning 
manners were devoutly spent in the service 
of his Lord and Master." He married (first), 
October 27, 1691, Abigail Davenport, who 
died February 3. 1692. aged twenty, daughter 
of Rev. John Davenport. He married (sec- 
ond) May 30, 1694, Sarah, daughter of Rev. 
Joseph Haynes ; she died October 27, 1696, 
leaving one child, Abigail, born September 19, 
1696. He married (third) July 26, 1698, 
Mary, daughter of Samuel and Mary (Wil- 
lett) Hooker, of Farmington. Connecticut, 
born in Farmington, July 3, 1673, died at New 
Haven, Connecticut, November i, 1740. Child 
of second wife: i. Abigail, born in New 
Haven, September 19. i6iy6: married Rev. 
Joseph Noyes, of New Haven ; died in Weth- 
ersfield. Connecticut, October 10, 1768. 
Children of third wife. 2. James, born 
May 21. 1699. 3. Samuel, born De- 
cember 30, 1700, in New Haven; grad- 
uated at Yale College, 1718; drowned March 
15, 1722-23, while crossing the Connec- 
ticut river in a canoe with an Indian ; his re- 
mains were found at Fisher's Island, .\pril 28, 
1723, and were buried at the westerly end of 
the island. 4. Mary, born November 23. 1702. 
S. Joseph, born October i. 1704. 6. Benjamin, 
born in New Haven, October 15, 1707: erad- 
uated from Yale College. 1726; died in Virgin 
Gorda, West Indies, 1733. 7. Sarah, born 
January 9, 1709; married Jonathan Edwards, 
the noted divine. 8. Hezekiah, of whom fur- 
ther. 

(V) Hezekiah, son of Rev. James (2) and 
Mary (Hooker) Pierpont, was born in New 
Haven. Connecticut. May 26, 1712, died in 
New Haven, September 22, 1741. He married 
in New Haven, February 9. 1736-37, Lvdia, 
daughter of Rev. Jacob and Lydia fBall) 
Heminfrwav ; she was born in New Haven in 
1 71 5, died in Killingworth, Connecticut. May 
27, T779. She married (second') Thenphilus 
Morsran. March 2. 174=;. Children of Hez- 
ekiah and T>vdia (Hemingway) Pierpont: i. 
Jacob, born in New Haven, February it, 1737. 
died in the army at Crown Point, .\pril i, 
1761, unmarried. 2. John, of whom further. 



SOUTHERN NEW VURK 



343 



(VI) John (2), son of Hezekiah and Lydia 
(Hemingway) Pierpont, was born in New 
Haven, May 21, 1740, died in New Haven, 
October 7, 1805. He married, in New Haven, 
December 29, 1767, Sarah, daughter of Nathan 
and Hannah (Nichols) Beers, born at Strat- 
ford, Connecticut, October 29, 1744, died in 
New Haven, April 15, 1735. At the time of 
his marriage he moved into a new house, 
erected in 1767, on land originally deeded by 
the town of New Haven to his grandfather, 
the Rev. James Pierpont, in 16S5. This build- 
ing was later occupied by his grandchildren, 
and there was only one deed of conveyance 
between them and the Indians from whom the 
land was originally purchased nearly three 
hundred years ago. A younger brother of 
Mrs. John Pierpont, Nathan Beers, joined 
April 21, 1775, the second company of Gov- 
ernor's Guards, of which Benedict Arnold was 
captain, and served until the end of the revo- 
lutionary war. He commanded the company 
which guarded Major Andre the night be- 
fore his execution, and was thanked by Andre 
for his considerate kindness to him on that oc- 
casion. The pen and ink sketch made at that 
time by Andre of himself was presented to 
Nathan Beers and is in possession of Yale 
College. Children of John and Sarah (Beers) 
Pierpont: i. Hezekiah B., of whom further. 2. 
Sally, born in New Haven, June 22, 1770, died 
November 11, 1772. 3. Sally, born in New 
Haven, February 22, 1773, died March 3, 1773. 
4. Sally, born in New Haven, April 30, 1774, 
died in New Haven, February 12, 1788. 5. 
Hannah, born 1776; married Claudius Her- 
rick. 6. Mary, bom April 3. 1778; married 
(first) Edward J. O'Brien, November 11, 
1796; married (second) Eleazer Foster. Jan- 
uary 12, 1806. 7. John, born in New Haven, 
August 8, 1780, died, immarried, April 12, 
1836. 8. Nathan Beers, born in New Haven. 
October 18, 1782, died there January 12, 
1803, unmarried. 9. Henry, born in New 
Haven, January 19, 1785, died in New Haven, 
August 8, 1790. 

(VII) Hezekiah Beers, son of John (2) and 
Sarah (Beers") Pierpont, was born in New 
Haven. November 3, 1768, died in Brooklyn, 
New York, August 11, 1838. He was care- 
fully educated, and on leaving school he was 
for a year a clerk in the New York Custom 
House. He established, in 1793, the house of 
Leffingwell & Pierpont. He made his home 



m the latter part of his life in Brooklyn, on 
the Heights. Through his wife he inherited 
part of a large tract of land in Northern 
New York, the territory including more than 
two million acres, which had been purchased 
by William Kerin Constable. He married, in 
New York City, January 21, 1802, Anna Maria 
Constable, daughter of William Kerin and 
Anna (White) Constable; she was born in 
Philadelphia, March 10, 17S3, died in Brook- 
lyn, November 7, 1859. Children: i. Will- 
iam Constable, of Pierrepont Manor, New 
York, born October 3, 1803; married, June 
2, 1830, Cornelia A., daughter of Benjamin 
Butler, of Oxford, New York; she was born 
in New York, March i, 1806, died December 
10, 1 87 1. 2. Anna Constable, born 1805 ; mar- 
ried G. G. Van Wagenen. 3. Caroline Ther- 
esa, born in Brooklyn, New York, February 
28, 1807, died in Sciiencctady, New York, Au- 
gust 17, 1823, unmarried. 4. Henry Evelyn, 
of whom further. 5. Emily Constable. 6. 
Frances Matilda. 7. Robert Fulton, born in 
Brooklyn, March 7, 1814, died there October 
27, 1814. 8. Harriet Constable. 9. Mary Mon- 
tague, born in Brooklyn, June 18, 1821, died 
in Brooklyn, February, 1853, unmarried. 10. 
Maria Theresa. 11. Julia Evelyn. 12. Ellen 
Josephine. 

(VIII) Henry Evelyn Pierrepont (as the 
name is now spelled, his father having the 
children resume the old spelling of the name), 
son of Hezekiah Beers and Anna Maria (Con- 
stable) Pierpont, was born in Brooklyn, New 
York, August 8, 1808, died in Brooklyn, 
March 28, 1888. Henry Evelyn Pierrepont, 
with his brother, William Constable Pierre- 
pont, attended a school in New Yoi-k City con- 
ducted by a French emigre, Monsieur Louis 
Bancel, and there remained seven years, dur- 
ing which time he became proficient in the 
French and Spanish languages, in addition to 
the regular curriculum. In 1833-34 he went 
abroad and made an extensive tour of Con- 
tinental Europe and Great Britain, visiting in 
the latter the ancestral Home of the Pierre- 
ponts. While absent in Europe he was ap- 
pointed one of the board of commissioners to 
prepare plans for laying out the public grounds 
and streets of the new city of Brooklyn. He 
was one of the founders of Greenwood ceme- 
tery, and was instrumental in the planning 
of and carrving out the water front of Brook- 
lyn, at the foot of Brooklyn Heights. In the 



344 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



earlier days of the ferry service between New 
York and Brooklyn, Mr. Pierrepont took an 
active part in organizing that service, and be- 
came vice-president of the Union Ferry Com- 
pany and chairman of its executive committee, 
a position which he held for forty-seven years, 
and in 1886, upon the death of the then in- 
cumbent, he succeeded to the presidency. Al- 
though interested in the ferries, he advocated 
the building of the Brooklyn bridge, and gave 
it his active, earnest and intelligent support. 
He was the first president of the Brooklyn 
Academy of Music, and other public institu- 
tions that owe much to his unflagging interest 
and service were the Brooklyn Hospital and 
the Long Island Historical Society; he was 
also trustee of many financial corporations. 
Mr. Pierrepont was an earnest and sincere 
churchman throughout his life, and was active 
in the organization of the Protestant Episcopal 
church in Brooklyn, known as Grace Church, 
on Brooklyn Heights, and for more than forty 
years was its senior warden. He was a mem- 
ber of the standing committee of the Diocese 
of Long Island from the time of its erection 
until his death ; was for twenty-three years 
treasurer of the General Theological Semi- 
nary of New York, and carried it through its 
financial crisis ; was always a delegate from 
his diocese to the general convention of the 
church. 

He married, in New York City, December i, 
184T, Anna Maria, daughter of Peter Augus- 
tus and Mary Rutherifurd (Clarkson) Jay, 
born in New York City, September 12. 1819, 
died in Brooklyn, January 2, igo2. She was 
the granddaughter on the paternal side of 
Hon. John Jay, first chief justice of the United 
States, envoy extraordinary and minister plen- 
ipotentiary from this country to the Court of 
St. James, and author of "Jay's Treaty;" on 
the distaff side she was granddaughter of 
General Mathew and Mary (Rutherfurd") 
Clarkson. The lineages and histories of the 
Jay, Rutherfurd and Clarkson families are 
among the most brilliant in the annals of New 
York. Children: i. Mary Rutherfurd, born 
in Brooklvn, New York, August 25, 1842, died 
in New York City, December 31. 1870: mar- 
ried, in Brooklyn. October 13, 1863. Ruther- 
furd Stuyvesant. descended from Peter Stuy- 
vesant's sister, Anna, who married Samuel 
Bayard. Mr. R. Stuvvesant's mother was a 
granddaughter of Judith Stuyvesant, a great- 



great-granddaughter of Governor Peter Stuy- 
vesant. 2. Henry Evelyn Jr., of whom fur- 
ther. 3. John Jay, of whom further. 4. Will- 
iam Augustus, born in Brooklyn, July 16, 
1855, died in Brooklyn, January 6, 1902, un- 
married. 5. Julia Jay, born in Newport. Rhode 
Island, September 14, 1857; living in Brook- 
lyn, unmarried. 6. Anna Jay, born in Brook- 
lyn, January i, 1861 ; living in Brooklyn, un- 
married. 

(IX) Henry Evelyn (2), son of Henry 
Evelyn ( i ) and Anna Maria ( Jay ) Pierre- 
pont, was born in Brooklyn, New York, De- 
cember 9, 1845, died in Brooklyn, November 
4, 191 1. He was prepared for college at the 
Rectory School at Hamden, Connecticut, of 
which Rev. Charles W. Everest was then head 
master, and graduated with the degree of 
Bachelor of Arts at Columbia College, New 
York, in 1867; he took a master's degree in 
1870. Soon after graduation he engaged in 
the warehouse business — James K. Ward & 
Company — later with his brother, conducting 
the extensive Pierrepont stores on Furman 
street, in which he continued until the sale of 
the stores in 1888. He was one of the incor- 
porators of the Franklin Trust Company, and 
long one of its trustees ; a trustee of the Brook- 
lyn Savings Bank, the Home Life Insurance 
Company, the City Dispensary and the Brook- 
lyn Hospital. He was senior warden, like his 
father, of Grace Church, on Brooklyn 
Heights : was a member of the standing com- 
mittee of the Diocese of Long Island ; was 
a regular delegate to the general conventions 
of the church ; was a trustee of the General 
Theological Seminary of New York, of the 
Fidelity Insurance Company, the Brooklyn 
Association for Improving the Condition of 
the Poor, and for many years gave largely 
of his time and means as treasurer of the 
church building fund ; he was a member of the 
Hamilton Club. Brooklyn. He retired from 
business in t888, after the sale of the Pierre- 
pont Bonded Warehouses. Lie resided on Co- 
lumbia Heights. Brooklyn, where his grand- 
father. Hezekiah Beers Pierpont. purchased 
an historic old mansion in 1804. which was 
razed in 1846 and replaced by the present 
elegant home, surrounded by parks, on Pierre- 
pont Place. He was a man of sterling worth 
and high integritv. and of unusual intelli- 
gence, traveled and cultured. After the death 
of his wife in 1884 he lived quietly among 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



345 



his books, when not occupied with church 
work, philanthropies or business. 

He married in Brooklyn, December 9, 1869, 
Ellen Almira Low, born in Brooklyn, June 30, 
1846; died December 30, 1884; a daujjhter of 
Abiel Abbot and Ellen Almira (Dow) Low. 
Children: i. Anne Low, born at Ventnor, 
Isle of Wight, England, September 23, 1870; 
married, in Brooklyn, December i, 1896, Lea 
Mc Ilvaine Luquer, born in Brooklyn, Septem- 
ber 4. 1864; resides in New York; children: 
Lea Shippen, born in Brooklyn, September 21, 
1897 ; Evelyn Pierrepont. born in New York 
City, October 20, 1900; Thatcher Paine, born 
at Bar Harbor, Maine, July 20, 1905 ; Ellen 
Pierrepont, born at Bar Harbor, July 28, 1909. 
2. Ellen Low, born in Brooklyn, April 15, 
1872; married, in Brooklyn, June 5, 1895, 
R. Burnham Moffat, born in Brooklyn, Jan- 
uary 7, 1861 (see Moffat VH) ; children: Jay 
Pierrepont, born at Rye, New York, July 18, 
1896; Elizabeth Barclay, born at Rye, June 26, 
1898 ; Abbot Low, born in New York City, 
May 12, 190T. 3. Henry Evelyn (3), born in 
Brooklyn, September 7, 1873. died there, un- 
married, March 3, 1903. 4. Robert Low, born 
in Luzerne, Warren county, New York, Au- 
gust 22, 1876; married, in Brooklyn, Novem- 
ber 22, T900. Kathryn Isabel Reed, born in 
South Weymouth, Massachusetts, May 18, 
1879, daughter of Josiah and Helen Maria 
(Flanders) Reed; resides in Brooklvn ; chil- 
dren: John Jay, born in Brooklyn, March 15, 
1902 ; Samuel Duryea. born at Bay Shore, 
New York, July 20, 1909, died at Bay Shore, 
July 21, 1909; Henry Evelyn, born at Bay 
Shore, July 20, 1909, died at Bay Shore, July 
21, 1909. Mr. Pierrepont graduated from Co- 
lumbia College, New York- City, in i8q8, with 
the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He is. a 
director of the Low Moor Iron Company, the 
Home Life Insurance Company, a trustee of 
the South Brooklvn Savings Institution, 
Brooklvn Trust Companv. Greenwood ceme- 
tery and of the Church Charity Foundation. 
He is a member of the St. Anthonv, Hamil- 
ton and Down Town clubs. Mr. Pierrepont 
is the owner by inheritance of a life-sized pic- 
ture of General George Washington, painted 
bv no less an artist than Gilbert Stuart, for 
his ancestor. William Constable, which is au- 
thenticated bv the original letter and bill made 
out to Mr. Constable. The picture was said 
to be by competent critics of that day who 



knew General Washington personally the most 
perfect likeness extant of the great man, who 
w.-is a friend of the Constable family. ' The 
picture is in the old house in Pierrepont Place. 

5. Rutherfurd Stuyvesant, of whom further. 

6. Seth Low, born in Brooklyn, December 25, 
1884; married, in New York City, June 2, 
1909, Nathalie Elisabeth Chauncey, born in 
New York, July 14, 1887, daughter of Elihu 
and Mary J. (Potter) Chauncey; is in the 
diplomatic service and at present resides in 
Washington, D. C. Mr. Pierrepont graduated 
from Columbia College, New York, with 
Bachelor of Arts degree. 

(IX) John Jay, second son of Henry Eve- 
lyn and Anna Maria (Jay) Pierrepont, was 
born at Rye, New York, September 3, 1849. 
He was educated at Columbia grammar school 
and Brooklyn Polytechnic, and from 1869, 
after leaving school, he was a member of the 
firm of Pierrepont Brothers, consisting of him- 
self, his brother, Henry Evelyn Pierrepont and 
Ferdinand N. Massa, which conducted a 
United States bonded and free warehouse 
business on the water front below the family 
residence on Brooklyn Heights, known as the 
Pierrepont Stores. On the sale of the stores 
in 1888 he retired from business, managing 
his personal property. He is on several boards 
and is a member of the Seawanhaka Cor- 
inthian Yacht. Down Town. New York Yacht 
and Hamilton clubs of Brooklyn. Mr. Pierre- 
pont's interests since a young man have largely 
been in his own home. He was brought up 
under the close and admirable influence of a 
family whose manner of living was patterned 
after the chivalry of earlier days, when the 
simple, courteous and unobtrusive manners 
were considered the best. For the past thirty 
vears or more he has spent his summers at 
Lake Luzerne, New York, and Northeast Har- 
"bor, Maine. He and his sisters live in the 
old family mansion, Pierrepont Place, Brook- 
lyn, the site of the estate owned by the Pierre- 
ponts for over a century. It has a charming 
and extensive view from the library windows 
of New York harbor, giving a touch of the 
busy, bustling life of the twin cities, while 
apart from the noise and confusion. He was 
named after his great-grandfather, the first 
chief justice of the United States, and third 
governor of the state of New York. He has 
in the past taken great pleasure in horseback 
riding, yachting and hunting, and was an 



346 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



adept with the camera. He is fond of good 
pictures and is a member of the Rembrandt 
Club of Brooklyn. He supports those phi- 
lanthropies which appeal to him. He married, 
in New York City, April 26, 1876, Elise de 
Rham, born in New York City, July 18, 1850, 
died in New York, October 17, 1879, daugh- 
ter of Charles and Laura (Schmidt) de Rham; 
resides in Brooklyn. One child, John Jay, 
born in New York City, March 19, 1877, died 
in Brooklyn, January 6, 1878. 

(X) Rutherfurd Stuyvesant, son of Henry 
Evelyn (2) and Ellen Almira (Low) Pierre- 
pont, was born in Luzerne, New York, July 
5, 1882. He graduated with the degree of 
Bachelor of Arts from Columbia College. He 
is interested with his brother, Robert Low 
Pierrepont, in his business enterprises. He 
is a director of the Hanover Fire Insurance 
Company, of the Low Moor Iron Company, 
and a member of the St. Anthony, Hamilton, 
Down Town and Union clubs. He married, 
in Roslyn, New York, December 5, 191 1, 
Nathalie Leon de Castro, born in New York 
City, August 2, 1885, daughter of Alfred and 
Annie (Godwin) de Castro; resides in New 
York City. One child, Mary Rutherfurd, 
born in New York City, December 6, 191 2. 



The name of Sabin was early 
SABIN established in Massachusetts, and 

probably came from Southern 
England or Wales. It has furnished numerous 
distinguished citizens to the United States and 
is still actively identified with those interests 
which make for the progress and development 
of the nation. The family is of French origin, 
and the ancestors were Huguenots driven 
from France by religious persecution into 
Great Britain. 

(1) William Sabin was an inhabitant of 
Rehoboth, Massachusetts, at the organization 
of the town in 1643, ^"f' died there in 1681. 
He appears to have been a man of some cul- 
ture and considerable means and of benev- 
olent character. Many of the sufferers from 
Indian depredations in early Massachusetts re- 
ceived assistance at his hands, and he was 
active in the establishment of education and 
the church. His first wife, whose name is un- 
known, died after 1660. and he married (sec- 
ond), December 22, 1663, Martha, daugh- 
ter of James and Anna Allen, of Medfield, 
Massachusetts. Children of first wife: Sam- 



uel, Elizabeth, Joseph, Benjamin, Nehemiah, 
Experience, Mary (died young), Abigail, 
Hannah, Patience, Jeremiah, Sarah (died 
young). Of the second wife: James, John, 
Hezekiah, Noah, Mehitable, Mary, Sarah 
Margaret. 

(H) John, seventh son of William Sabin 
and second child of his second wife, Martha 
(Allen) Sabin, was born August 27. 1666. in 
Rehoboth, died October 22, 1742, in Pomfret, 
Connecticut. He resided in Rehoboth until 
i(x)i, when he removed to Pomfret. and in 
1698 purchased land of the Indian chief, Owa- 
neco. He was an active pioneer, a leader in 
military matters, bearing the rank of major, 
and retained membership in the church at 
Woodstock, Connecticut, until 1715. He mar- 
ried, December 3, 1689, in Rehoboth, Sarah, 
daughter of Samuel Peck, bom February 2, 
1669, died October i, 1738. Children: Judith, 
born August 26, 1690; Hezekiah, mentioned 
below ; John, January 16, 1695 ; Noah, January 
27, 1697. The last three bom in Pomfret. 

(III) Hezekiah. eldest son of John and 
Sarah (Peck) Sabin. was born November 5, 
1692, in Pomfret. and resided in that town. 
He married, about 171S, Zerviah, daughter of 
Tames and Elizabeth Hosmer. Children: 
Sarah, baptized September 27, 1719; Heze- 
kiah, September 5, 1720; Hannah, March 18, 
1722; Charles, .April 18, 1725; Jesse, January 
22, 1727; Jonathan. August 17, 1729; Zerviah, 
November 11, 1731 ; Zebediah, mentioned be- 
low. 

(IV) Zebediah, youngest child of Hezekiah 
and Zerviah (Hosmer) Sabin, was baptized 
January 23. 1736. in Pomfret, where he sub- 
scribed to the freemen's oath. April 7, 1760. 
His wife bore the baptismal name of Ann. and 
their children were: Charles, mentioned be- 
low; Anna, born December 14, 1760; Zebe- 
diah, March 20, 1763, died in Williamstown; 
Zerviah, February 3, 1765 ; John. December 
6. 1767; Timothy, June i, 1770, in New Prov- 
idence; Jesse, July 3, 1772. 

(V) Charles, eldest child of Zebediah and 
Ann Sabin. was baptized November 18, 1758, 
in Pomfret, and settled in Williamstown. Mas- 
sachusetts, where he died June 25, 1829. He 
married (first) about 1780, Martha, daugh- 
ter of Uriah Jackson, of Thompson. Connec- 
ticut. She died in 1788. He married (sec- 
ond"). December 25. 1791, Mchitnhle, daugh- 
ter of Rev. Thomas Skinner, of Pine Swamp. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



347 



Connecticut. She survived her husband one 
year, dying in 1830. Children of first wife: 
Anna, born December 25, 1781 ; Hezekiah, 
July 2, 1785, died unmarried; Zebediah, men- 
tioned below. Children of second wife : Maria, 
born 1794; Alice, January 22, 1797; Betsy, 
1800; \Villiam, 1802. 

(VT) Zebediah (2), second son of Charles 
and Martha ( Jackson) Sabin, was born June 
9, 1788, in Williamstown, and resided in the 
district known as Sabin Heights, where he 
was a farmer, and died January 10, 1861. 
He was a man of sound judgment, genial 
nature and upright character, much esteemed 
for his good humor and originality. He mar^ 
ried, February 19, 1812, Sarah Eaton, born 
1789. who was in early life a teacher, a wom- 
an of much culture and strong character. Chil- 
dren : John, born December 13, 1812, died at 
the age of three months and six days ; Mar- 
tha Maria, February 25, 1814; Elizabeth Ann, 
February 14, 1816; Charles Alpheus, Novem- 
ber 8, 1820; Thomas, mentioned below; Cath- 
erine Frances, December 25, 1829. 

(VH) Thomas, third son of Zebediah (2) 
and Sarah (Eaton) Sabin, was born about 
1823, in South Williamstown, Massachusetts, 
died there October 10, 1897. He owned con- 
siderable property and was engaged in agri- 
cultural pursuits most of his life. He married 
Harriet Cordelia Eldridge, born May 11, 1829, 
in Williamstown, Massachusetts, died at North 
Adams, Massachusetts, 1907. She was the 
daughter of Reuben and Samantha Eldridge, 
of the latter place. Reuben Eldridge was a 
colonel in the American army of the war of 
1812, and the father of General Hamilton N. 
Eldridge. who gained distinction in the war of 
the rebellion. Children: Caroline W., Alice 
E., Charles Hamilton, mentioned below. 

(A'HI) Charles Hamilton, son of Thomas 
and Harriet Cordelia (Eldridge) Sabin, was 
born in Williamstown. Massachusetts, .August 
24. tS68. He attended the Greylock Institute 
of his native place, graduating in 1885. Shortly 
afterward he received an offer to enter the 
office of Henry Russell, at Albany, New 
York, then doing the largest fiour commission 
business of any firm in the state. Here he re- 
mained two years, when he began his career 
in the field of banking, since which time he 
has made steadv progress until becoming as 
well and favorablv known as nearly any man 
of his age in metropolitan financial circles. He 



entered the National Commercial Bank of 
Albany as a clerk in 1887; was made teller 
of the Park Bank of that city in 1889, and 
was its cashier until Jaimary 16, 1898, when 
he vyas appointed cashier of the Albany City 
National Bank. When this institution was ac- 
quired by the National Commercial Bank in 
1902, Mr. Sabin returned to the latter as its 
vice-president, a position of some moment for 
so young a man, as it ranked as the largest 
bank of the Capital City. He continued there, 
winning many friends in the business world 
by his affability, connected with those qual- 
ities which stamp a man as banker, until May, 
1907, when he was called to the National Cop- 
per Bank of New York City to be its presi- 
dent. In announcing Mr. Sabin's retirement 
from the National Commercial Bank, Presi- 
dent Robert C. Pruyn took occasion to state 
to the board : "We feel that it is a great com- 
pliment that one from our institution should 
have been so highly honored, and we feel 
heartily glad of his promotion. He has been 
a conscientious worker ever since he began 
his career, and very justly is one of the most 
popular young men of Albany. I tell you 
this because I know that Mr. Sabin's natural 
modesty will prevent him from saying it." His 
advancement to this office in New York was 
regarded in banking circles as a fitting testi- 
monial to his worth and high abilities ; he is 
a fine type of self-made man, winning every 
honor that had fallen to him by hard work 
and efficiency of the highest order. 

In less than a year after his assuming the 
presidency of the National Copper Bank, the 
progress made by this institution was indeed 
remarkable. It was established May i, 1907, 
at No. 115 Broadway, and reported at the 
close of business on February 14, 1908, or 
only nine and a half months after organiza- 
tion, a surplus and undivided profits of $2,251,- 
082.62, and deposits amounting to $14,026,- 
623.83, with cash on hand. $2,803,460.51 ; due 
from" banks, $2,282,339.38; United^ States 
bonds. $1,150,000, and bonds, securities, etc., 
$1,902,656.80, an exhibition of great strength. 
When the National Copper Bank was merged 
with the Mechanics <.1- Metals Bank, at No. 
33 Wall street, Mr. Sabin was made its vice- 
president, and on June 23, 1910, was elected 
vice-president of the Guaranty Trust Com- 
pany of New York, at No. 28 Nassau street 
to succeed Mr. Charles H. Allen, which posi- 



348 



SOUTHERN' NEW YORK 



tion he occupied in 19 12. The National Cop- 
per Bank represented the great copper inter- 
ests of this country, being controlled by such 
men of prominence in finance as Thomas F. 
Cole, John D. Ryan, Urban H. Broughton, 
William A. Paine, Henry H. Rogers Jr., 
Adolph Lcwisohn, Charles F. Brook. 

Mr. Sabin was made president of the New 
York State Bankers' Association in January, 
1904, and in his address before the conven- 
tion, held at the Frontenac, Thousand Islands, 
be spoke forcefully of conservative business 
management of banks, the encouragement of 
enterprise, and strongly advocated the admis- 
sion of trust companies into the association's 
ranks. The Council of Administration, on 
behalf of his active, intelligent interest, pre- 
sented him with a silver gavel on this occasion, 
and he was chosen delegate to the American 
Bankers' convention. He was treasurer for 
three years of the Young Men's Association 
of Albany, and its president in 1897; was 
elected president of the Old Guard, Albany 
Zouave Cadets, Company A, of the Tenth 
Regiment, National Guard, New York. On 
December 16, iQio, he gave a luncheon to 
Governor-Elect John A. Dix, which was at- 
tended by the leading bankers of New York 
City, intending thereby to have the governor 
sound the views of the financial world as it 
might affect the new administration. 

Mr. .'^ahin has a summer home at Mon- 
mouth Beach. New Jersey, where, as a mem- 
ber of the Rumson Country Club, he is an 
active particii)ant in polo and other athletics. 
He is a member of the Metropolitan, Union 
League, Riding, Racquet & Tennis clubs of 
New York City, and of the Albany Country. 
Albany Polo and Fort Orange clubs of Al- 
bany. He is also a member of Holland Lodge, 
Free and Accepted Masons. 

Mr. Sabin married at Albany. New York, 
December 20. 1S07, Mabel Whitney, born at 
Albany, December 4, 1874, daughter of Will- 
iam Minott WMiitney, of Albanv (see Whit- 
ney VTF). They have one child, Charles Ham- 
ilton Jr., born at Albany, New York, July 4, 
1902. 

(Tlie Wliitney TJne.) 

The family name of Whitney is derived 
from the Anglo-Saxon word "hwit." meaning 
white, and "ey," meaning water, literally sig- 
nifying "white water," or "the clear running 
stream." Others incline to the derivation 



"withig," willow; or "witan," assembly, and 
"ey" or "ige," which may mean island as well 
as water, so that it could signify the "Island 
of Willows," or "Island of Assembly," the ad- 
vocates of the latter idea pointing out that the 
place where this family originated was an ex- 
ceptionally good locality for the assemblyingof 
large gatherings, such as armies or tourneys; 
but as a matter of fact the line of descent 
is traced in direct course to the time when the 
Whitney family lived beside the Wye river, 
coursing through Wales and England, and 
forming in its lower course the boundary be- 
tween Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire, 
joining the estuary of the river Severn, eleven 
miles north by west of Bristol, England. Its 
length is about one hundred and thirty miles, 
navigable to Hereford, and the stream is 
noted for its picturesque scenery, in fact so 
beautiful is the river Wye, made attractive by 
its castellated shores, that it is well called "the 
Rhine of England." It was appointed the 
boundary between England and Wales by 
Athelstan in the year 939. The early own- 
ers of the land were, before the days of sur- 
names, known as "Eustace" or "Baldwin," or 
"Robert of Whitney," as the Christian name 
might be. Written in the style of those times, 
"of" was "de" and after a while, "De Whit- 
ney," or "De Wyttebeye," as it was usually 
spelled, came to be regarded as the family 
name. Finally the letter "h" was introduced 
and the "de" was dropp>ed, so that throughout 
four centuries the present form has been the 
established one. It also shows on old Eng- 
lish records as Witney, Wittney, Witnenie, 
Witeney, Witteneye, Wytney, Wyttneye, 
Wyteney. Wytteneye, Whiteneye and Wliit- 
tenye. The Whitney Arms : Shield, Azure, a 
cross chequy or and gules. Crest: A bull's 
head couped sable, armed argent, the points 
gules. Motto : Magnanimiter crucem sustene ; 
"Gallantly uphold the cross." Registered in the 
College of Arms, and probably originated dur- 
ing the early Crusades, it remained imchanged 
up to the time of emigration of John Whit- 
ney, in 1635. 

Regarding the origin of the family and its 
location, as it leads towards the departure 
of a member in direct descent, who became 
the progenitor of the family in America, there 
is much of interest, and it must necessarily be 
expressed in brief. At the present dav there 
is a tract in England known as "Whitney 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



349 



Wood," probably identical with the one re- 
ferred to in a writ of the seventeenth year of 
Henry ill. (1233), wherein sheriff of Here- 
ford was commanded to cause a good breach 
to be made through the woods of Erdelegh, 
Bronilegh and Witteneye, so that there may 
be safe passage between the City of Here- 
ford and Maud's Castle. This castle was built 
by William le Brass, Lord of Brecknock, 
about 1216, in the reign of King John, and 
so named in honor of his wife. The Doomes- 
day Book mentiones Whitney in the year 
1086, at which time the land was scarcely 
under cultivation, as follows : "In Elsedune 
hundred, the King holds Witemie, Aluuard 
held it in the time of King Edward, and was 
able to go where he pleased. There is half a 
hide yielding geld. It was and is waste." 

Rolf, or Guy, has the credit of being the 
first of whom there is undisputed, authentic 
trace. He had a son, Turstin de Wigemore, 
the Fleming, who was living in 1086, and mar- 
ried Agnes, daughter of Alured de Merle- 
berge, of Ewias Castle. Their son was Eus- 
tace, who, "at the request of my mother, 
Aene=, have given to .St. Peter and the broth- 
ers of Gloucester a hide of land in Pencombe, 
which is called Suthenhale (Sydnal), free and 
clear from any encumbrance ; and through 
this deed, I have placed it on the altar of 
Saint Peter of Gloucester." Eustace had a 
son, also named Eustace de Wytteneye, 
Knight, who confirmed this deed of grift, by 
f document so signed and delivered to "the 
Monks and Lord Reginald. Abbot of Saint 
Peter's at Gloucester, and to the convent of 
that place." Thus, while there may be no 
record showinsr that Eustace, the elder, used 
the name in full, his son, in the days of Reg- 
inald the Abbot, or 1263-84, wrote himself as 
"Eustace de Wytteneye," and it is therefore 
proved that he was third in descent from Tur- 
stin the Fleming, son of Rolf, who owned 
the land on the river Wye, the home of the 
Wyfteneyes, later changed to Whitney in rec- 
ords. 

That the Whitney family was reoresented 
in the Crusades seems more than likely, for 
a cross on a coat-of-arms, which is known pos- 
itively to date to that period is quite generally 
understood bv the most careful students of 
ancient heraldrv to indicate that it once be- 
loneed to a crusade, and in the Whitney arms, 
the chief, in fact, the only solitary symbol is 



a cross. Nearly every writer dealing with the 
history of this family has given the following 
explanation : 

"Sir Randolph de Whitney, the grandson of 
Eustace, accompanied Ricliard Cocur de Lion to the 
Crusades, and distinguished himself greatly by his 
personal strength and great courage. On one oc- 
casion he was sent by Richard on a mission to the 
French commander and, as he was leaving the Brit- 
ish camp the brother of Saladin (whom he had 
twice before defeated) followed him with two Sar- 
acens in his company, and, riding around a small 
hill, made a furious attack upon De Whitney, who 
defended himself with the greatest vigor; but his 
assailants were gaining upon him, when a furious 
Spanish bull, which was feeding near the field of 
conflict, was attracted hy the red dresses of the 
Saracen.s, and becoming angry at the color tlitling 
before him, made so vigorous an attack upon them 
that they were diverted from their intended prey, 
and sought safety in flight. Sir Randolph soon suc- 
ceeded in wounding his single assailant, whom he 
left for dead, and then, overtaking the two Saracens, 
dispatched them and proceeded upon his mission 
from the King." 

To carry the entire line, even by name and 
date from the time of Turstin, son of Rolf, 
in 10S6, to the time of John Whitney, who 
emigrated to America in 1635, more than two 
and a half centuries ago, would require much 
space; but in brief it perfects the family his- 
tory. Sir Robert de Whitney, of Whitney, 
Knight, living in 1242, had son, Sir Eustace 
de Whitney, Knight, who was granted Free 
Warren by King Edward I., in 1284, and was 
summoned to military service beyond the seas 
in 1297, and summoned to the Scotch war in 
1301. His son was Sir Eustace de Whitney, 
of Whitney, who was knighted by Edward t., 
in 1306, and was member of parliament for 
Herefordshire in 1313 and 1352. His son was 
Sir Robert de Whitney, Knight, one of two 
hundred gentlemen, who in 1368 went to 
Milan in the retinue of the Duke of Clarence, 
and was member of parliament for Hereford- 
shire in 1377-79-80. His son, Robert, was 
sent abroad to negotiate a treaty with the 
Count of Flanders in 1388; was member of 
Parliament in 1 391 : was sent to France to de- 
liver the castle and town of Cherbourg to the 
King of Navarre in 1393: was Knight Mar- 
shall at the Court of Richard II. ; was killed, 
with his brother and relatives, at the battle 
of Pilleth, in 1402. His son. Sir Robert 
Whitney, of Whitney, Knieht. was granted 
the Castle of Clifford and lordships of Clifford 
and Glashurv, by Henry IV.. in 1404. pn 
account of his service; was member of parlia- 



350 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



ment, 1416-22; fought in the French war un- 
der Henry V., was captain of castle and town 
of Vire, in 1420, and died March 12, 1441. 
His son Eustace de Whitney, Knight, born 
141 1, was head of the commission sent to 
Wales by Henry VI., in 1455 ! member of 
parliament for Herefordshire, 1468; married 
Jenett Russell, daughter of Sir Thomas. His 
son, Robert, probably also a knight, was an 
active participant in the War of the Roses; 
attained as a Yorkist by Lancastrain parlia- 
ment, in 1459; probably was at battle of Mor- 
timer's Cross, in 1461, and was the subject of 
a poem by Lewis Glyn Cothi, on his marriage 
to Constance, the great-granddaughter of Sir 
David Gam. His son. James Whitney, was 
appointed receiver of Newport, part of the 
estate of the Duke of Buckingham, confis- 
cated by Henry VHI., in 1522. His son, 
Robert, of Icomb, was placed in charge of 
Brecknock, Hay and Huntington, the confis- 
cated estates of the Duke of Buckingham, in 
1523; was nominated Knight of Bath by 
Henry VHI., at coronation of Anne Boleyn, 
in 1 53 1, and died in 1541. He furnished forty 
men to put down rebellion in 1536. He mar- 
ried Margaret, daughter of Robert Wye. of 
Gloucestershire. England. His son. Sir Rob- 
ert Whitney, Knisfht, was dubbed in October, 
1553, the day following Queen Mary's coro- 
nation : was summoned before the privy coun- 
cil in 155.S-59: member of parliament for 
Herefordshire, 1550. and died August 5, 1567. 
His son. .Sir James Whitnev, born in 1544, 
was knighted by Queen Elizabeth at Windsor, 
in i.t;7o; was sheriff of Herefordshire i';74- 
86-87: died May 31. 15R7. His brother, Rob- 
ert Whitney, married Elizabeth, daughter of 
Morean C,rTilIim<;. of Dnelim. who had a son 
Thomas ^^^litney, of Westminster, Gentlemen, 
sec forward. 

Thomas Whitnev. son of Robert and Eliza- 
beth (Guillims") Whitney, was a native of 
Westminster. England, and was buried in St. 
Margaret's, April 14. 1637. It is recorded 
that in 161 1 he paid the subsidv tax. and on 
December 6. t6t!;. on the probate of the will 
of bis father-in-law. John Brav. he was ap- 
pointed executor. He apprenticed his son. 
John, on Februarv 22. 1607, and his son. Rob- 
ert, on November 8. 1624. At the time of his 
death in i6'?7. his oldcit survivine son. John, 
being out of the cotmtrv. administration of 
his estate was granted. May 8. 1637. to his 



remaining sons, Francis and Robert. Of the 
other six children, he having had nine, all six 
were then dead. He obtained, May 10, 1583, 
from the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, 
a license to marry Mary Bray, in which docu- 
ment he is mentioned as "Thomas Whytney 
of Lambeth Marsh, Gentleman," and the mar- 
riage took place on May 12 at St. Margaret's 
Church. She was the daughter of John Bray, 
of Westminster, and she was buried in St. 
Margaret's, September 25, 1629. "Lambeth 
Marsh" is the name still existing and denotes 
a locality near the Surrey end of the West- 
minster bridge. Children: Margaret, born 
1584, died 1604; Thomas, 1587, died 1587; 
Henry, 1588, died 1589; John, see forward; 
Arnwaye, 1590, died 1591 ; Nowell, 1594. died 
1597; Francis, 1599, died at Westminster, 
1643: Mary. i6cx3, died i6oo; Robert, 1605, 
died in Parish of St. Peter's, Cornhill, Lon- 
don, England, 1662. 

(I) John Whitney, son of Thomas and 
Mary (Bray) Whitney, was born in West- 
minster, England, was baptized in St. Mar- 
garet's Church, July 20, 1593, and coming to 
America in 1635, died at 'VX^atertown, Massa- 
chusetts. June T, 1673. He was reported 
"Gentleman" in his marriage license taken out 
in England, and it is presumed that his edu- 
cation in the famous "Westminster School" 
now known as St. Peter's College, was a good 
one. When fourteen years old he was ap- 
prenticed by his father, February 22, 1607, 
to William Pring. of the Old Bailey, London, 
who was a "freeman" of the Merchant Tay- 
lor's Company, then the most famous and 
prosperous of all the great trade guilds, num- 
bering in its membership distinguished men 
of the professions, nobility and the Prince of 
Wales. On March 13, 1614. when twenty-one 
years of age. he became a full flcdcfed member. 
He made his residence at Tsleworth-on- 
Thames, eight miles from his Westminster 

home, and about t6i8. married Eleanor , 

who was born in England. 1599. and six chil- 
dren were born to him before sailing to Amer- 
ica, three afterwards. His father apprenticed 
to him his youngest brother. Robert. Novem- 
ber 8. 1624. who served seven years. He re- 
moved, about 16"? I. to London, where entries 
in the register of St. Mary Aldermerv indi- 
cate that he resided in "Bowe lanne." near 
Bow Church, where hang the famous bells. 
Early in April, 1635. he registered with his 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



351 



wife, Eleanor, and their sons, John, Richard, 
Nathaniel, Thomas and Jonathan, as passen- 
gers in the ship "Elizabeth and Ann", Roger 
Cooper, master. They arrived at Watertown, 
Massachusetts, in June, and settled there, 
where their son, Joshua, was born July 15. 
John Whitney purchased a sixteen acre home- 
stall which had been granted to John Strick- 
land, who had been dismissed from the Water- 
town church. May 29, 1635. and was one of 
that colony to remove and plant Wethersfield, 
Connecticut. His homestead was the perma- 
nent home of John Whitney. It was situated 
a short distance north of Belmont street and 
east of Common street. In 1668 he requested 
his youngest son, Benjamin, who had settled 
in York. Maine, to retiirn and live with him 
at the homestead, assuring him that it should 
be his after his death. With the father's con- 
sent, Benjamin conveyed his rights for forty 
pounds in 1671 to his brother, Joshua, and 
when his father died, Joshua returned to Gro- 
ten, and October 20, 1697, sold the homestead 
to Deacon Nathan Fiske. John Whitney was 
admitted freeman. March 3, 1635-36, was ap- 
pointed constable of Watertown, June i, 1641, 
by the general court, selectman, 1638 to 1655 
inclusive, and town clerk, 1655. 

He married (first) in England, Eleanor 
. born 1599, died at Watertown. Massa- 
chusetts, May II, 1659; married (second") 
Judah Clement, who died before his death in 
1673. Children: i. Mary, baptized in Eng- 
land, I\Iay 23, 1619, died young. 2. John, born 
in England, 1620, died at Watertown, October 
12, 1692; freeman of Watertown, IMav 26. 
1647, selectman, 1673-80, married, 1642. Ruth, 
daughter of Robert Reynolds, of Watertown, 
Massachusetts. 3. Richard, see forward. 4. 
Nathaniel, born in England, 1627, nothing fur- 
ther known. ,=;. Thomas, born in England, 
1629, died September 20, 1719: married, in 
Watertown, January 11, 1654, Marv Kedall 
or Kettle. 6. Jonathan, born in England. 
16-^4, died in Sherborn, 1702: married, in 
Watertown. October 30, 1656, Lvdia, daugh- 
ter of Lewis Jones. 7. Deacon Joshua, born 
in Watertown, July 5, 1635. died at Water- 
town, August 7. 1719; married (first) Lvdia 

. (second) Mary , who died at Gro- 

ten, A'larch 17. 1671, (third) .September "^o. 
1672, Abieail Tarball". 8. Caleb, born at Wa- 
tertown, July 12. 1640. buried December 5. 
1640. 9. Benjamin, born at Watertown, June 



6, 1643, died in 1723; married (first) prob- 
ably at York, Maine, Jane , who died 

November 14, 1690, married (second) April 

11, 1695, Mary Poor, of Marlboro, Massa- 
chusetts. 

(II) Richard, son of John and Eleanor 
Whitney, was born in England, 1626, and 
came to Watertown, Massachusetts, with his 
parents, arriving in June, 1635. He was ad- 
mitted freeman, May 7, 1651 ; was proprietor 
of .Stow, June 3, 16S0, whither he probably 
removed when it was a part of Concord, or 
belonged to it. On April 7, 1697, being sev- 
enty years of age, he was released from train- 
ing by the court. He married, March 19, 
1650, Martha Coldam, and their eight chil- 
dren were born in Watertown, Massachusetts. 
Children: Sarah, born March 17, 1652; 
Moses, August i, 1655, married .Sarah Knight; 
Johannah, January 6, 1657; Deborah, October 

12, 1658; Rebecca, December 15, 1659, died 
February, 1660; Richard, see forward; Elisha, 
August 26, 1662: Ebenezer, June 30. 1672, at 
Concord, Massachusetts, died August i, 1727, 
married Anna . 

(III) Richard (2), son of Richard (i) and 
Martha (Coldam) Whitney, was born at Wa- 
tertown. Massachusetts, January 13. 1661, 
died at Stow. Massachusetts, December 15, 
1723. He had land granted to him at that 
place, October 24, 1682, whither he removed 
from his native town. He married Elizabeth, 
born February 3, 1668 died November 24, 
1723. daughter of Jonathan Sawtell, of Gro- 
ten, Massachusetts. Children: i. Richard, 
see forward. 2. Jonathan, born at Stow, Feb- 
ruary 26. 1699. died November 8, 1773; mar- 
ried, at Lancaster, Massachusetts. January 20, 
1718, Alice Willard, bom December. 1699, 
died Februarv lo, 1792, daughter of Simon 
Willard. 3. Sarah, born 1703; married. 1723, 
Captain Hezekiah Hapsgood. 4. Ruhannah, 
born 1705. 5. Joshua, born at Stow, 1706; 
married Zerviah — — . 6. Hannah, married 
Samuel Farr. 7. Elizabeth, married. Decem- 
ber 29, 1722, John Wetherby. 8. Hepzibah, 
born 1710; married. October 12, 1732, Seth 
Sawver. 

(IV) Richard (-?), son of Richard (2) and 
Elizabeth (Sawtell) Whitney, was born at 
Stow, Massachusetts, in 1604, died .A.nril 27, 
T775. He married (first) Hannah, daughter 
of Tosiah Whitcomb, of Lancaster. Massachu- 
setts, who was born in 1693, died November 



35^ 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



17, 1743; married (second) October 26, 1745, 
Mrs. Hannah Ayers, born in 1704. died Sep- 
tember 27, 1775. Children: i. Mary, born 

November 24, 1715; married Gates. 2. 

Dorothy, born' April 13, 1718; married 

Taylor. 3. Daniel, born February 13, 1720, 
died in 1782; married, November 9, 1744, 
Dorothy Goss. of Lancaster, Massachusetts. 

4. Hannah, born May 29, 1723; married 

Wetherbee. 5. Richard, born at Stow, July 
31. 1725, died May 4, 1798; married, Sudbury, 
December 10, 1747, Mary Perry. 6. Eliza- 
beth, born July 23, 1728, died before 1775; 
married. April 15, 1748, Joseph Wetherbee. 
7. Josiah, see forward. 8. Sarah, married, 
December 23, 1769, Captain Hezekiah Whit- 
comb, of Harvard, Massachusetts. 

(V) Bris^adier-General Josiah Whitney, son 
of Richard (3) and Hannah fWhitcomb) 
Whitney, was born in Stow. Massachusetts, 
October 12, 1731, died in Albany, Massachu- 
setts. January 24, 1806. He was the citizen 
of Harvard, Massachusetts, who held the 
highest military rank during the revolution, 
and was at one time the town's most noted 
and influential citizen, being the leader in 
town politics. His mother was a near relative 
of the veteran militarv leaders. Colonel Asa 
and General John W'hitcomb. On September 
2. 1746. his parents deeded to him land in 
Harvard, which he occupied soon after his 
marriage, his dwelling standing nearly opDO- 
site the almshouse, until torn down in 1869. 
He iiiberited a fondness for military' affairs. 
and when about his majority he entered upon 
what proved a most brilliant military career. In 
the spring of 1755 he was a member of thecom- 
pany commanded hv Cantnin \\'illiam Pierce, 
that marched in Colonel Whitcomb's regiment 
against the French and Indians at Crown 
Point. He was in the notoriously bloody bat- 
tle at Lake George. September 8, I7=;v where 
the valiant General Dieskau was defeated bv 
the New England yeomanry. From .'Vup'ust 
13 to 26. 1757. he was a member of the foot 
company commanded bv Captain Israel Tay- 
lor that marched on the late alarm for the 
relief of Fort Henrv. as far as Sprinfrfield, 
and on September 26, 1774. he was chosen 
commander of a company. When on Decem- 
ber TC), T774. the Continental Resolves were 
rend before the town, a committee was ap- 
pointed to prepare a covenant to be sifrned bv 
the inhabitants, pledging adherence to inde- 



pendence, he was one of ten named to inspect 
breaches of the covenant. Colonel Asa Whit- 
comb, having been authorized to raise a regi- 
ment at the time of the provincial congress, 
April, 1774, he did so. and on May 25, an- 
nounced that Josiah Whitney, of Harvard, 
was lieutenant-colonel. That regiment con- 
tained five hundred and sixty volunteers, mus- 
tered into eleven companies, and was the 
largest of the twenty-six Massachusetts regi- 
ments before Boston. He was appointed to 
take command of a battalion of men raised 
by the state. April 10, 1776, and on October 
29, wrote from camp at Hull, ''though the 
pay of the state was small, yet my zeal for 
the liberties of my country was so great that 
I cheerfully undertook it." When the conti- 
nental army departed for New York, his regi- 
ment went with the Massachusetts militia to 
the defense of the coast. When General Bur- 
goyne was marching toward Albany from the 
north, he ordered, on July 27, 1777, a draft 
of one-sixth of the training bands and alarm 
lists in his regiment to march at once to Ben- 
nington and on August 2. ordered one-half of 
the militia to follow. On January 13, 1778, 
he was made chainnan of a committee which 
the town had appointed "to take into consid- 
eration the Articles of Confederation and Per- 
petual Union of the United States of America 
Concerted on by Congress." He was com- 
mander of the Second Worcester Regiment 
of Militia, as colonel, when it took part in the 
operation in Rhode Island, when in .'\ugust 
and September, 1778, an attempt was made to 
wrest that colony from the others. He was 
chosen one of two delegates to be sent to the 
convention for the state constitution. He was 
made brigadier-general in 1783. hut resigned 
the office before the breaking out of Shay's in- 
surrection. In T782 the governor appointed him 
a justice of the peace in and for the county 
of Worcester. In 1783-84-87-88-89 he was a 
member of the board of selectmen, and during 
this period one of the most popular moder- 
ators at the deliberations of the town voters. 
He was the delegate from Harvard to the con- 
vention held to ratify the federal constitution 
in Boston. January 0. 1788. and voted with the 
minority in opposition but would support it 
nevertheless. He was representative in the 
legislature. 1780-81-87-88-80. With church 
matters he was nromincntlv identified 

He married (first) in Stow. Massachusetts, 



SOUTHERN" NEW YORK 



353 



September 9, 1751, Sarah Farr, born January 
19, 1735, died in Harvard, Massachusetts, 
April 21, 1773; married (second) at Harvard, 
February 3, 1774, Sarah Dwelly, of Bridge- 
water, who died at Whittingham, Vermont, 
February 18, 1817. Children: i. Josiah, born 
at Harvard, Massachusetts, February 25, 
1753, died January 2, 1827; married. Har- 
vard, January 10, 1776, Anna Scollay, bap- 
tized April 18, 1756, died, Nelson, New 
Hampshire, March 8, 1824. 2. Elizabeth, born 
May 7, 1755; married, April 28, 1796, Phin- 
eas Barnard, he married (second) her sister, 
Mrs. Burgess. 3. Stephen, born Harvard, 
May I, 1757, died Lynn, Massachusetts; mar- 
ried, February 6, 1783, Persis Locke, born 
1757, died in Deerfield, June 25, 1806. 4. In- 
fant, died June 4, 1761. 5. Infant, died May, 
10, 1762. 6. Infant, died March 16, 1763. 7. 
Infant, died February, 1766. 8. Infant, died 
February 18, 1768. 9. Sarah, born April 11, 
1775; married (first) December 14, 1791, La- 
•omi Burgess, born March i, 1770; married 
(second) September 27, 1827, Phineas Barn- 
ard, of Harvard ; she died May 23, i860. 10. 
Oliver, born January 9, 1777; reported to 
liave died at sea. 11. Artemas Ward, born 
November 17, 1778; similar report as on Oli- 
ver. 12. Susanna, born October 2, 1780; mar- 
ried, November 8, 1803. John Adams, of Ash- 
"burnham, and died in North Adams, Massa- 
chusetts, May 5, 1866. 13. Dwelly. born Au- 
gust 2. 1782; similar report as Oliver. 14. 
Lemuel, born Harvard. September 19, 1784, 
died July 0, i8S3. Ashburnham, Massachu- 
setts ; married, December 4, 1804, Elizabeth 
Hall, born February 6. 1788, died April 30, 
1852. 15. Daniel, see forward. 16. John 
Hancock, born December 13, 1788; married 
and resided at Cazenovia, New York. 17. 
Moses Gill, born February 4, 1791 ; married 
Ann Shields. 

(VI) Daniel, son of Brigadier-General 
To=inh and Sarah (Farr) Whitney, was born 
in Massachusetts, October 25, 1786. died April 
18, 1869. He was a master-mason builder, 
and moved with his family from Boston, in 
1828. on a sloop, with all his goods, and a 
family consisting of ten children, to New 
York City, the trip consuming one week. 
There he resided until he died at the age of 
eightv-two. He had presentiments the vear 
previous to his death that it was to be his last, 
as it p'oved, and accordingly named his pall- 



bearers. He was most active in building cir- 
cles after the great fire of 1835. tie married, 
March 10, 1808, Hannah Shedd, of Waltham. 
Massachusetts, where he had resided in 
younger days. Children: i. Daniel J., born 
February 11, 1809, died in San Francisco, 
February 10, 1850. 2. Hannah Maria, born 
October 10, 1810, died, unmarried, December 
25. 1859. 3. George, born October 30, 1812, 
died at sea. 4. Josiah Marshall, Boston, Jan- 
uary 19, 1814; married, at Astoria, New York, 
May 16, 1839, Mary Jane Ayers, born Sep- 
tember 8, 1820. 5. Edward Oliver, born De- 
cember 24, 1816; married Eliza Lawrence. 6. 
Lucy Jane, born December 16. 1818, died 
January 11, 1861 : married, October 19, 1854, 
George B. Revere, born January 26, 1823, 
died December 11, 1882. 7. Susanna, born 
February 24, 1821. 8. Benjamin ShurtlifT, 
born November 5, 1822, died August 6, 1850. 
9. Abigail, born November 21, 1824; married 
Theodore Crowell and removed to Dillsburg, 
Pennsylvania. 10. William Minott, see forward. 

11. Warren Webster, New York City, March 

12, 1829; married, in New York City, Febru- 
ary 4, 1856, Jenny A. Bord, born in Troy, New 
York, February 10, 1836. 12. Sarah Louisa, 
born September 26, 1831, died August 14, 
1832. 

(VII) William Minott, son of Daniel and 
Hannah (Shedd) Whitney, was born in Bos- 
ton, Massachusetts, January 2. 1827, died at 
his residence. No. 156 Washington avenue, 
Albany, New York, May, 1905. His par- 
ents resided in Boston until they removed 
bv boat trip in 182S to New York City. At 
the start of his career, he found employment 
in a metropolitan dry goods establishment, 
and then in a wholesale dry-goods house. He 
soon became recognized as an expert in the 
buving of goods, and from 1845 to 1859 was 
chief buyer for various large houses. The large 
store, Nos. 43-45-47-49 North Pearl street, Al- 
bany, to which he was to devote the larger 
share of his life, was opened in 1859 by Ubs- 
dell, Pierson & Company, and in i8fV) he came 
to Albany as their manager. In 1R62, when 
Tames T. Lenox purchased the business, Mr. 
Whitney continued to represent the new man- 
agement. In 1865 he formed a partnership 
with John G. Myers by the purchase of the 
Lenox store, and the place became widely 
known as t4ie "New York Store." Its busi- 
ness increased until it became the most ex- 



o54 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



tensive of its kind between the metropolis and 
Chicago. This arrangement continued until 
1870, when Mr. Myers retired, and Mr. Whit- 
ney continued the business alone until 1877, 
when he admitted William H. Pangburn and 
S. M. Van Santwoord as partners. Twelve 
years later this firm was dissolved, and Mr. 
Whitney continued the business with his son, 
William M. Whitney Jr. In 1896 he admitted 
his other son, Charles L. A. Whitney, as a 
partner, which resulted in its continuation as 
one of the most enterprising and successful 
concerns in this part of the country. Mr. 
Whitney was a Mason, a member of the Uni- 
versalist church, and a member of the Fort 
Orange and Albany clubs. He was a director 
of the First National Bank, and in 1886, by 
appointment of the mayor, served as chairman 
on the committee of public celebration which 
arranged the Bi-Centennial of Albany as a 
chartered city. For many years Mr. Whitney 
resided in his handsome home, No. 5 Lodge 
street, but removed to a larger residence. No. 
156 Washington avenue, where he died at 
five o'clock on the morning of May 10, 1905, 
having sufTcred a stroke of apoplexy the 
previous day. 

William M. Whitney married, in New York 
City, June 16, 1856, Amelia Cook, born in 
New York City, January 31, 1831, and in 1910 
was living in Albany. Her parents were Wal- 
ter and Mary (Munro) Cook. Children of 
Mr. and Mrs. Whitney: i. Leila, born in 
New York City, May 17, 1857; married. Al- 
bany, New York, November 25, 1879, William 
Henry Stott, born at Stottville, September 12, 
1855. died at Albany, August 22, 1S88, son 
of Charles Henry and Catherine (Oakley) 
Stott ; children : Leila Vanderbilt, born at 
Albany, November 25, 1S80; a son, born and 
died at Stottville, Columbia county. New 
York, July 3. 1882 ; Helen Munro, Stottville. 
New York, June 18, 1883; Jonathan Whitney, 
Stottville, May 5, i88q; Whitney, Stottville, 
March 20. 1887. 2. William RTinott Jr.. born 
in New York City, December 3, 1858, died 
there, December 21, 1858. 3. William Minott 
Jr., born in New York City, August i, i86t, 
died at Albany, February 6, 1899: married, 
Stottville, New York, June 0. 1886. Jessie 
Douglas Stott ; children : Leila Douglas, at 
Albany. May 3, 1887; William Minott, 3rd, 
at Albany. June 5, 1888; Prudence, at Albany, 
October 15, 1890. 4. Virginia Belle, born in 



New York City, January 8, 1865, died there, 
December 8, 1865. 5. Charles Lee Anthony, 
born at Albany, New York, September 10, 
1870. 6. Mabel, born at Albany, December 4, 
1874 ; married, Albany, December 29, 1897, 
Charles Hamilton Sabin, of New York (see 
Sabin VHI). 



The surname, Warren, is de- 
WARREN rived from Gareme or Gar- 

enne, a small river in the old 
county of Calilas or Caux, in Normandy, 
which gave its name to the neighboring com- 
mune, and is only a few miles from Dieppe. 
There is at present a village called Garenne 
in the same district, and it is here that the 
origin of the family has been fixed by his- 
torians. On the west side of the river Gar- 
enne was the ancient baronial seat of the De 
Warrens, and some of the ruins were standing 
in 1832. The surname has assumed different 
forms at different times — Gareyn, ^^'arreyn, 
Waryn, Warin, Waring, Warynge, W'aryng 
and Warren. That branch of the family with 
which this sketch deals (in Connecticut) 
spelled the name Waring until recent genera- 
tions. 

The ancestor of perhaps all the English, 
Irish and Scotch families of the name of 
Warren is said by one authority to be William 
de Warrenne, who went to England with Wil- 
liam the Conqueror, and was related to him 
both by marriage and descent. He had a con- 
siderable command at the battle of Hastings, 
where the English were defeated by the Nor- 
mans with such lasting results, and on account 
of his valor and fidelity obtained immense 
grants of land from the Conqueror. He had 
Ipnds in Shro])sliirc, Essex, Suffolk, O.xford, 
Hants, Cambridgeshire, Rucks, Huntington, 
Bedfordshire, Norfolk, Lincoln and Yorks, 
amounting in all, according to Hume, to three 
hundred lordships. He became the first Earl 
of W'arren and Surrey. His wife Gundreda, 
daughter of W'illiam d) and descendant of 
Charlemagne, died May 27, 1085, and was 
buried in the chapter-house of the Priory of 
Lewes, county Sussex. Her tombstone is still 
in existence. The earl died June 24, 1088. 
His epitaph has been preserved, thoutrh the 
gravestone is lost or destroyed. In 184s the 
coffers containing the bones of the earl and 
the countess were disinterred and are now in 
the church of St. John the Baptist, Southover. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



355 



The history of the Warren family has been 
written and is exceeded in interesting an- 
tiquity by none in England. 

(I) Christopher Warren, progenitor of the 
New England branch of the Warrens, is sup- 
posed to have had three sons — Sir John, who 
came to Boston in 1631 ; one settled in Water- 
town, Massachusetts ; Richard, mentioned be- 
low. 

(II) Richard, son of Christopher Warren, 
and the immigrant ancestor of the New Eng- 
land family, emigrated in 1664 on the ship 
"Endeavor" from southern England to Bos- 
ton. The party with v\'hich he came settled 
the next year at Brookhaven, Long Island, on 
land bought by them from the Setauket tribe 
of Indians, for the purchase of which a patent 
of confirmation was obtained March 7, 1666. 
In 1685-86 he was tenant of one hundred 
acres from James Lloyd, of the manor of 
Queen's village, Long Island ; later he owned 
land at Huntington, Long Island. He had 
four sons: Richard Jr., born before 1664; 
Michael ; John ; Edmund, mentioned below. 

(III) Edmund Waring, youngest son of 
Richard Waring or Warren, was born at 
Brookhaven or Oyster Bay. Long Island, in 
1673. died August 5, 1749. He removed from 
Huntington, Long Island, to Norwalk, Con- 
necticut, in 1703, and owned a large tract of 
land on Roton Hill and Five Mile river. He 
built a pier in the harbor of Norwalk, which 
leads to the inference that he was engaged in 
mercantile pursuits, probably a lumber mer- 
chant, as he made large purchases of timber 
land. At his death at the age of seventy-six 
he was survived by his entire family, wife, 
eight sons, and "four loving daughters", to 
whom he bequeathed a considerable landed es- 
tate. He married, October 6. 1698. Elizabeth 
Bouton. born in 1679, daughter of Jean or 
John Bouton, a Huguenot, born in France, 
161 5, came to America, 1635, died at Norwalk. 
Connecticut, in 1704. John Bouton married 
(third), January i, 1673, Mary Stevenson, 
who bore him four children. Elizabeth being 
the third, and the tenth child of her father. 
The name Bouton has had various spellings, 
namely: Boughton, Bowten. Bowtin, Boutin. 
Edmund and Elizabeth (Bouton) Waring had 
twelve children, all but the youngest born in 
Oyster Bay, Long Island : Edmund, born 
September 16, 1700: Isaac, June 13. 1702; 
John, December 21, 1704; Solomon, April 24, 



1707; Mary, December 22, 1708; Nathan, 
F"ebruary 6, 171 1; Jacob, January 15, 1713; 
Michael, July 16, 1715, married Elizabeth Sco- 
field; Eliakim, mentioned below; Elizabeth, 
March 8, 1720; Abigail, April ig, 1723; Han- 
nah, born in Norwalk, Connecticut, September 
7, 1725. The ancient tombstones of Edmund 
and his wife were found at Norwalk, Con- 
necticut, in 1862. 

(IV) Eliakim, son of Edmund and Eliza- 
beth (Bouton) Waring, was born at Oyster 
Bay, Long Island, July 8, 1717, died at Nor- 
walk, Connecticut, August 5, 1779. He was 
probably associated with his father and broth- 
ers in business, but the records do not give 
any information as to his occupation or busi- 
ness. He married, December 7, 1738, Ann, 
daughter of John (2) Reed, of Norwalk, and 
great-granddaughter of John (i) Reed, an of- 
ficer in the army of Cromwell. John (i) 
Reed died in New England at the advanced 
age of ninety-eight. Children, born in Nor- 
walk, Connecticut; Zaccheus, October 19, 
1741 ; Jesse, June 14, 1744; Eliakim, men- 
tioned below. At a meeting of the Associa- 
tion of Western Churches (Congregational) 
of Fairfield County, convened at Aliddlesex. 
June 6, 1744, Edmund and Eliakim Warren 
were the chosen Middlesex delegates, and 
their wives were at that time added to the 
church by letters of recommendation. A Nor- 
walk cousin, Joseph (2), son of Joseph (i), 
and great-grandson of Edmund (i), was a 
personal friend of Major-General Joseph 
Warren, and showed with pride the general's 
sword, left in his keeping, calling the revolu- 
tionary hero his cousin. This Joseph (2) 
Warren was in 1798 the owner of the Norwalk 
and New York packet line, which comprised 
two sloops. "Grififin" and "Republican". 

(V) Eliakim (2) Warren, son of Eliakim 
(i) and Ann (Reed) Waring, was born Feb- 
ruary Q, 1747. died September 4, 1824. It is 
with Eliakim (2) that the Troy history of the 
family begins. Eliakim married his neighbor, 
Phebe Bouton. daughter of Esaias Bouton, 
January 17, 1771. Before his marriage he 
had belonged to the Congregational church, 
but his wife, Phebe Bouton, was an ardent 
Episcopalian, and persuaded him to join that 
ihurch. In 1787 he was elected vestryman of 
St. Paul's Church. Norwalk. and there is ex- 
tant the record of an auction of pews where 
he and others tossed pennies for seats. Elia- 



356 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



kirn had three sons: Esaias, Nathan and 
Stephen. On the advice of Esaias they de- 
cided to remove to Troy, a thriving village at 
the head of navigation on the Hudson river. 
The Warren family sailed out of Norwalk 
harbor in May, 1798, and made the entire trip 
to Troy by water. They had just had a sail- 
ing vessel built for them at Rowayton, a sloop 
named "The Three Brothers". It was fifty 
feet keel, twenty feet beam, and sixteen feet 
hold, and rated at sixty-four tons. In 1796 
Esaias, the eldest son, had purchased a lot on 
East River street, between First and Albany 
streets. Troy, and there erected a two-story 
wooden building for a dwelling and a store. 
Eliakim and Esaias, with the second son, 
Nathan, engaged in merchandising under the 
firm name of Esaias Warren & Company. In 
1799 the firm removed their business to the 
west side of River street (now No. 217), and 
began a retail and wholesale business in dry 
goods, groceries and hardware. A feature of 
their business was the purchase and shipping 
of wheat and country produce. They safely 
invested their profits in real estate. After 
three years residence in Troy, April 6, 1801, 
Eliakim sold out the old Norwalk property 
and employed the proceeds in his sons' inter- 
ests. Esaias being the eldest and then twenty- 
seven years of age took the lead in all matters, 
and their early prosperity was largely due to 
his enterprise and sagacity. Troy at this 
period contained three hundred houses, and 
one thousand, eight hundred and two inhabi- 
tants. In due time Eliakim Warren retired 
from the firm and his place was taken by his 
third son, Stephen. Eliakim Warren was a 
devout Christian, and believed that a share of 
his fortune should be devoted to the service 
of God. This was one of his articles of faith 
and he so told his sons. In Troy he found nn 
Episcopal church. For two years, however, 
Sunday services had been held according to 
the Book of Common Prayer. Philander 
Chase, a young graduate at Dartmouth Col- 
lege, (later Bishop of Ohio) had been sent 
up regularlv from Albany by Dr. Ellison, the 
rector of St. Peter's parish and an English- 
man, to minister to the little band of Episco- 
palians. But Phebe Warren was a noble wo- 
man, and owing to her initiative and perse- 
vering eflfort, St. Paul's Church was built in 
1804 on the northwest corner of Third and 
Congress streets, and according to her wish 



was modelled exactly after St. Paul's Church 
at Norwalk. Trinity Church, New York City, 
contributed two thoiv-^and dollars to its erec- 
tion. The Rev. David Butler, of Reading, 
Connecticut, was chosen rector by the vestry, 
and in his letter of acceptance, he said : "I 
shall endeavor to make myself ready to re- 
move with my family whenever it may be con- 
venient for Air. Warren to come down with 
his vessel". Dr. Butler in his youth had 
served as a soldier in the revolutionary war. 
He was a man of learning and ability, and sat 
as deputy from the diocese of New York 
state in the general convention of 1820, and in 
several succeeding conventions. He was a 
man of commanding presence and aristocratic 
manner, and wore until the close of his life 
the small clothes, buckles shoes and long 
skirted coat of the earlier period. He served 
his people faithfully for thirty years. One 
part of St. Paul's Church was quaintly de- 
nominated "Norwalk". as there sat the War- 
rens, Boutons. Kelloggs, Crafts and Cannons. 
The Warren family prayer book was on the 
altar. At the first recorded administration of 
the Holy Communion, three lav members par- 
took thereof, Eliakim and Phebe Warren, and 
Lemuel Hawley. In 1813 the number of reg- 
ular communicants had increased to eighty- 
four, and in 1824 a new and larger church, 
(the present St. Paul's) was erected on the 
northeast corner of Third and State streets. 
Mr. \\^arren was one of the first two elected 
wardens (senior). Jeremiah Pierce being the 
jimior warden, and he continued to hold this 
office until his death. In 1S15 his wife, Phebe 
(Bouton) W'arren. formed in the parish a 
Saturday sewing class for poor girls, which 
she conducted until her death in 1835. It was 
then carried on by her daughter-in-law, Mary, 
wife of Nathan \A'arren. From this sewing 
class grew later the "Church of the Holy 
Cross". 

Mr. Warren lived a life of great usefulness, 
and was universally loved and respected. He 
never had a lawsuit and avoided religious con- 
troversy. When the British attack was made 
on Norwalk during the revolution he ioined 
with his townsmen in the defense of their 
homes and beat the British off, not. however, 
until nearly all the dwellings were burnt. A 
tablet, erected by the vestry, in St. Paul's 
Church is inscribed, "In memory of Eliakim 
Warren, senior warden of this church from 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



357 



its organization in 1804 until iiis death. To 
hiis zeal and munificence the congregation, un- 
der God, is indebted for its origin and pros- 
perity. He died September 4, 1824, aged sev- 
enty-seven years". The vestry also erected a 
tablet inscribed : "In memory of Phebe War- 
ren, relict of Eliakim. She died January 17, 
1835, aged eighty years. A mother in Israel. 
She supported and conducted a sewing class 
for the children of the poor". 

Eliakim Warren married, January 17, 1771, 
Phebe, born March 5, 1754, died January 17, 
1835, daughter of Esaias and Phebe (Bixby) 
Bouton, of Norwalk. Children: i. Esaias, 
born in Norwalk, Connecticut, October 16, 
1771, died in Troy, New York, April 19, 1829. 
2. Hannah, born July 19, 1773, died January, 
1775. 3. Hannah (2), born August 30, 1775, 
died June, 1776. 4. Nathan, mentioned below. 
5. Stephen. 

(VI) Nathan, second son of Eliakim (2) 
and Phebe (Bouton) Warren, was born in 
Norwalk, Connecticut, May 11, 1777, died at 
Troy, New York, August 13, 1834. He was 
of the firm of Esaias Warren & Company, 
Troy, 1798, continuing until March i, 1827. 
He was one of the proprietors of the "Earth- 
ern Conduit Company", formed to "supply the 
inhabitants with water". He was one of the 
first board of managers of the Troy Savings 
Bank in 1823. He was an original incor- 
porator of the Troy Steamboat Company in 
1825, vestryman of St. Paul's Church, 1827. 
and in the same year erected the "Mansion 
House", at the corner of Second and Albany 
streets, Troy. He was an incorporator of the 
Troy & Bennington Turnpike Company in 
1827, and an incorporator and one of the first 
directors of the Rensselaer & Saratoga Rail- 
road Company in 1832. He married, April 
24, t8o8. ]\Iary. daughter of Nathan and .-Kbi- 
gail (Burlock) Bouton, born April 21. 1789, 
died February 8, 1859, a descendant of John 
Bouton. the Huguenot. She continued the 
Saturday sewing class founded by Mrs. Phebe 
(Bouton) Warren, her mother-in-law, and 
after the death of the latter, continued it into 
a day school. After she had been left a 
widow Mrs. ^^''arren gave her time almost en- 
tirely to church and philosophic work. She 
was the founder and donor of the "Church of 
the Holv Cross", Troy, in 1844, "A house of 
prayer for all people, without money and 
without price". The girls' day school was in- 



corporated by act of legislature, March 19, 
1846. By it Mary Warren, the founder, the 
Rev. John Ireland Tucker, and Amos S. 
Perry, became a corporate body, by name 
"The Warren Free Institute", for "the pur- 
pose of maintaining and conducting a free 
school'. December 7, 1848, the Rev. John 
Ireland Tucker was ordained to the priesthood 
and became the first rector of the Church of 
the Holy Cross, April 5, 1849. The name of 
the Warren Free Institute was changed by act 
of legislature to "The Mary Warren Free In- 
stitute of the City of Troy". In 1889 the 
church was handsomely improved, Dr. Nathan 
B., Stephen E. and George Henry Warren 
contributing the necessary funds. The en- 
larged chancel was dedicated December 24, 
1889, on which occasion the choirmen of the 
church wore for the first time an ecclesiastical 
habit. This church was one of the earliest 
of the free churches of the Episcopal com- 
munion built in the United States. In it was 
first introduced the choral service, and mainly 
through the liberality of Dr. Nathan B. War- 
ren. The girls who composed the choir were 
dressed in a uniform of long scarlet cloaks and 
black hats. The children of Mary (Bouton) 
Warren were the donors of the organ, the 
chime of bells, and the richly colored windows. 
Others of the family contributed the beautiful 
brass lectern, a fac-simile of the one in Exeter 
Cathedral, England, and the brass corona. A 
stone tablet set in the west wall of the ante- 
chapel reads : "This church, free to all peo- 
ple, was founded bv Marv. widow of Nathan 
Warren, A. D., MDCCCVLIV. The ante- 
chapel contemplated by the founder was built 
by her children as a memorial to their vener- 
ated mother, who on the VIII dav of Febru- 
ary. A. D. MDCCCLIX in the LXX year of 
her age entered into that rest which remains 
for the people of God". 

The children of Nathan and Mary (Bou- 
ton) Warren are: t. Harriet Louise, married 
Captain Edmund Shriver, who rose to the 
rank of general. United .States army, in the 
civil war: she was thrown from a sleigh. Jan- 
uary 15. T8t;9, and instantly killed. 2. Nathan 
Bouton, Mus. Doc, a musical composer of 
note and author of numerous anthems; his 
literary work is also of a high order ; he never 
married. 3. Stephen Eliakim, graduate of 
Trinity Colleee. unmarried. 4. George Henry, 
mentioned below. 



358 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



(VII) George Henry, son of Nathan and 
Mary (Bouton) Warren, was born in Troy, 
New York. November i8, 1823. He was a 
graduate of Union College, and a member of 
the New York State bar, becoming in course 
of time a noted lawyer. He was engaged in 
financial operations as well as in the practice 
of the law in New York throughout his life. 
He was the originator of the Metropolitan 
Opera House. He married, in New York 
City, April 20. 1851, Mary Caroline, daughter 
of Jonas Phillip and Mary (Whitney) Phoe- 
nix. She was a sister of Lloyd Phoenix, Phil- 
lips Phoenix, and also of Stephen Whitney 
Phoenix, the antiquarian and genealogist, who 
died in 1S81. Children: i. Mary Ida, mar- 
ried Robert Percy Alden, of New York City. 
2. Harriet Louise, married Robert Coelet, of 
New York City. 3. George Henry Jr., men- 
tioned below. 4. Emmeline Whitney Dore. 
5. Whitney Phoenix, died March 22, 1863. 6. 
Edmund Warren, deceased. 7. Whitney W.. 
married Charlotte A. Tooker, and resides at 
New York and Newport, Rhode Island. 8. 
Anna Phoenix, twin of Whitney W., died 
August 9, 1865. g. Edith Caroline, married 
William Starr Miller, of New York City. 10. 
Llovd Elliot, graduate of Columbia College, 
1888. 

(VIII) George Henry (2), son of George 
Henry (i) and Mary Caroline (Phoenix) 
Warren, was born in Troy, New York, Octo- 
ber 17, 1855. He is a stock broker, having 
also been educated as a lawyer, and is a grad- 
uate from Columbia College Law School. He 
is one of the directors of the Metropolitan 
Opera House in New York and director of 
various railroads. He is a member of the Bar 
Association, the Metropolitan and Union 
clubs, and was a member of the New York 
Stock Exchange. He married, May 14, 1885, 
Georgia ^\'illiams. of Stonington, Connecticut. 
Children: i. Constance Whitney, born in 
New York City, January 17,' 1888; married, 
December 19, 1912. at 924 Fifth avenue, New 
York City, Conte Guy de Lasteyrie^ eldest son 
of the Marquis de Lasteyrie, a descendant of 
Several La Fayette, of revolutionary fame. 2. 
George Henry, born at Newport, Rhode Is- 
land, July 29, 18S9. Mr. George Henry War- 
ren lives at 924 Fifth avenue. New York City, 
and has a country place at Newport. Rhode 
Island. 



This family is of English de- 
OGDEN scent and of great antiquity, it 

being claimed that the name was 
first written "de Hoghton". There is unmis- 
takable evidence that families of this surname, 
variously spelled, were located in different 
parts of England as far back as the time of 
William the Conqueror. One of the earliest 
forms of the name was borne by Peter de 
Hoton, who in 11 50 A. D. founded Erden or 
Arden Priory, a Benedictine nunnery. John 
de Hoton, in 1200 A. D., made certain grants 
to the parish of Hoton, and was the father of 
Sir John de Oketon, Knight of Rowcandura. 
Other variations in the spelling of the name 
have been Oketone. Okton, Ocktone, Okedone, 
Okedon, Okeden, Oakden. Okden. and finally 
Ogden ; this last form having first come into 
use about the year 1500 A. D. The derivation 
of the name seems to be from the Saxon 
"ock". oak-tree, and "den" or "dean", a wood- 
ed valley ; the name is thus freely rendered 
"oak dale" or "oak valley", and on all of the 
escutcheons of the arms-bearing Ogden fami- 
lies of England the oak branches or leaves, 
and acorns, are always found. The arms of 
this branch of the family are: Sable, on a 
fesse argent, between three acorns, or, as 
many oak leaves vert. The crest also displays 
the oak leaves and acorns. The motto is : Tan 
que je puis. 

(I) Robert Ogden. the earliest discoverable 
English ancestor of the American family, is 
first found upon record in the year 1453 when 
he appears as a witness to a land grant in 
Nutlev. Hampshire. He again appears in 
1457 in connection with a post-niortcni search 
concerning lands in Nutley belonging to one 
Joan Ogden, of Ellingham, countv Southamp- 
ton, who was presumably his wife. He had 
two children: Richard, mentioned below; 
William, married Agnes Hamlyn, and died 
in T!;i7. 

(II) Richard, son of Robert and Joan Og- 
den, married Mabel, daughter of Johannes de 
Hoogan, of Lyndhurst, Hants, prior to March 
8 150'^. Children: John, married Margaret 
Wharton ; William, mentioned below ; Robert, 
who=e line became extinct in 1613. 

(Ill") William, son of Richard and Mabel 
(de Hoogan 1 Ogden. married. May 0. 1539. 
AbiErail. daughter of Henry Goodsall. of 
Bradlev Plain. He died before July 19, 1569, 
on which date his widow confirmed to her 




^eoKoe ^ennu JvoMien 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



359 



oldest son Edward and his wife, all her lands 
and tenements in Bradley Plain and Minstead. 
Children : Edward, mentioned below ; Abi- 
gail, married Philip Bennet ; Charles. 

(IVj Edward, son of William and Abigail 
(Goodsall) Ogden, was born at Bradley Plain, 
September 6, 1540. He married there, De- 
cember 16, 1563, Margaret, daughter of Rich- 
ard and Margaret Wilson, her parents con- 
firming to herself and her husband land in 
Bradley Plain and Minstead. Children : 
Thomas, born 1565, married Elizabeth Sam- 
ford; Margaret, born 1566, married Isaac 
Samford ; Richard, mentioned below ; Edward, 
1570, died in infancy; John, 1571, married 
Margaret Huntington, daughter of Samuel 
and Margaret (Crane) Huntington. 

(V) Richard (2), son of Edward and Mar- 
garet (W^ilson) Ogden, was born at Bradley 
Plain, May 15, 1568. Pie appears to have 
lived in Wiltshire and had lands in New 
Sarum and Plaitford. He married. May 2, 
1592, Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel and Mar- 
garet (Crane) Huntington, and sister of his 
brother John's wife. Children: Richard, 
born 1596, died in infancy; Richard, 1597, 
died 1590; Edward, 1598, married Elizabeth 
Knight ; Elizabeth, 1603, died in infancy ; 
Elizabeth. 1607, married — - — • Martin; John, 
mentioned below ; Richard, 1610, married 
Mary, daughter of David Hall, of Gloucester, 
England, and died at Fairfield, Connecticut, 
leaving numerous descendants; David, 161 1, 
died without issue. 

(VI) John Ogden, the pilgrim, son of 
Richard (2) and Elizabeth (Huntington) Og- 
den, was born at Bradley Plain, Hampshire, 
England, September 19, 1609, where he mar- 
ried. May 8, 1637, Jane, daughter of Jonathan 
Bond. He prospered and acquired property ; 
and three children, two of whom were twins, 
were born to him in England. The name of 
the vessel in which he sailed for .America is 
not known, but it probably landed at South- 
ampton, on the southern shore of Long Island, 
early in 1640, as he is first mentioned as re- 
siding here, where, on April 17, 1640, he re- 
ceived a grant of land known as Shinnecock 
Hill, adioining Southampton on the west. He 
was a leader among the settlers in founding 
the town. He later sold his "housing and 
home lot. etc.", in Southampton, to a cousin of 
the same name in Rve, now Westchester coun- 
ty. New York and in 1642 was of Stamford, 



Connecticut. In this same year he entered 
into a contract, in connection with his brother 
Richard, with Governor Kicft, to build a stone 
church in the fort at New Amsterdam; the 
cost was to be two thousand five hundred 
Dutch guilders, to be paid in cash, beaver, 
skins, or merchandise. Harassing warfare 
with the Indians retarded the work on the 
structure, but it was completed in 1645. 'i"'"s 
was the first church erected in what is now 
New York City, and stood for nearly a cen- 
tury, having been destroyed by fire in 1741. 

In 1644 the Dutch governor of the New 
Netherlands granted to John Ogden and five 
others a tract of land then known as the Great 
Plains, extending from the sound to the south 
shore and embracing a large portion of what 
is now the boroi:gh of Queens, New York. 
But the misgovernment of the Dutch and their 
cruelty toward the Indians repelled John Og- 
den, who was noted for his justice and hu- 
manity, and he returned to eastern Long Is- 
land to dwell again among his own country- 
men. In 1647 he obtained permission of the 
Southampton authorities to plant a colony of 
six families at North Sea, on the Great Pe- 
conic Bay, which afterwards was called North- 
ampton. Here he established tJie whaling in- 
dustry of Long Island, which remained until 
the discovery of petroleum in T859, perhaps 
the most important source of wealth and em- 
ployment to the inhabitants. On March 31, 
1650. he was made freeman of Southampton 
by the general council, and in the same year 
became a magistrate and town treasurer. His 
written treaty with Wyandanch, sachem of 
Paumanicke, or Long Island, and chief of the 
Shinnecock Indians, is still preserved. 

After residing upon Long Island for a pe- 
riod of twenty-four years the earliest settlers 
upon the eastern side of the island saw greater 
possibilities of material advancement by trans- 
ferring their interests to New Jersey. It is 
oossible that they were strongly influenced by 
home affiliations and blood relationships, the 
Oldens, Cranes, and Bonds being all Hamp- 
shire people, as was Sir Philip Carteret to 
whom extensive grants in New Jersev were 
made by the king. In the summer of 1664, 
therefore, Tohn Ogden and his fellow colonists 
visited what is now Elizabeth, New Jersey, 
purchasing from the Indians their title to the 
land, October 25 of the same year. A month 
afterward a patent was granted them by the 



360 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Duke of York for " the parcell of land 
Bounded on the South by a River commonly 
called the Raritans River, on the East by ye 
Sea wch partes Staten Island and tlie Main, 
to Run Northwards up after cull Bay till you 
come to the first River wch sets Westwards, 
etc." 

John Ogden appears to have taken the lead- 
ing position amonof the New Jersey settlers, 
and in 1665 took the oath of sujiremacy upon 
the restoration of Charles II. According to 
family tradition he named the town in honor 
of his mother, Elizabeth Huntington ; other 
tradition is that it was named in honor of 
Lady Elizabeth, wife of Sir George Carteret. 
Governor Carteret constituted the Ogden set- 
tlement the seat of his colonial government, 
anfi in October, 1665, appointed John Ogden 
a justice of the peace ; a month later he was 
appointed member of the governor's council 
and deputy governor, other honors following. 
He was one of the commissioners who ne- 
gotiated with the Massachusetts Bay Colony 
in regard to purchasing part of the Elizabeth 
town patent, and was also one of the com- 
missioners who adjusted the boundary line be- 
tween Elizabeth and Newark. When New 
York was retaken by the Dutch in 1673, the 
ofificial position of John Ogden was not dis- 
turbed although Carteret was overthrown. By 
commission dated September i. 1673. the 
Dutch generals and council of war appointed 
him Schout. or Burgomaster, of Elizabeth, 
Newark, Shrewsbury, and other settlements 
in New Jersey, and this constituted him vir- 
tually p'ovcrnor of New Jersey. He was a 
man of more than ordinarv mark, a true 
patriot and a trenuine Christian. He died at 
Elizabeth in Mav. 1682. 

Little is known concerning his wife, Jane 
Bond, except that she was the daughter of 
Jonathan Bond of England ; she was very 
probnb'v a sister of Robert Bond, her hus- 
band's intimate associate both at Southampton 
and Elizabeth. In his will by which she was 
made administratrix of his estate, John Og- 
den refers to her as his "Deare and beloved 
wife and ^oe hath been for above fowertv 
yeares". Children: i. John, born in Eng- 
land. ATardi ■^ t6^8. died November 24. 1702; 
married Elizabeth Plum. 2. David, born in 
England, January tt. ifiw: will proved Fet)- 
riiarv 27. 1602: married Elizabeth (Swaine"! 
Ward. 3. Jonathan, twin of David, mentioned 



below. 4. Joseph, born in America, November 
9, 1642, died before January 15, 1690; mar- 
ried Sarah \Vhitehead. 5. Benjamin, born in 
America about 1654, died' November 20, 1722, 
in his sixty-ninth year; married Hannah 
Woodrufif. 6. Mary, born in America; mar- 
ried John Woodruff the second. 

(VJI) Jonathan, son of John and Jane 
(Bond) Ogden, and twin brother of David, 
was born in England, January 11, 1639, died 
January 3, 1732, aged ninety-tiirce years. The 
only mention of his name in the Southampton 
records bears date October 21, 1664. when he 
was witness to a deed. The following year 
he removed with the family to New Jersey, 
settling at Elizabethtown, and was one of the 
original associates. On February 19, 1665, he 
took oath of allegiance to Charles II., and was 
then called one of the "5 full grown boys" of 
Good Old John Ogden. Probably in Decem- 
ber. 1667, he joined with others in petitioning 
the governor and council to have their lands 
laid out to them according to agreement made 
with the inhabitants; in 1673 he took the oath 
of allegiance to the Dutch government of New 
York; in 1676 he applied to the surveyor-gen- 
eral, or his deputy, asking that one hundred 
and twenty acres of land be laid out to him ; 
and on November 10, 1678, a considerable 
amount of land was granted him by Philip 
Carteret, governor, in the name of Sir George 
Carteret, all of which, as well as his house 
lot, receives clear and minute description. He 
was appointed overseer of his father's will on 
November 21. 1681. In 1692 he was receiver 
of taxes for Essex county. New Jersey. In 
1693 he was one of the petitioners to the En.g- 
lish king concernine grievances under the gov- 
ernment in the colonies. He was a zealous 
churchman, contributing in 1678 and later, in 
connection with his brother John, to the min- 
ister's support ; and in 1691 he is called Deacon 
Jonathan 0?flen, being named as one of the 
largest contributors to the support of the 
church. On December 26, 1690. he assisted 
John Harriman, who had been chosen survey- 
or, in assiening their respective shares to the 
pronertv holders of Elizabethtown, and on sev- 
eral occasions joined with others in the forcible 
administration of the too frequently delayed 
iustice in the colonies. Hi« will was probated 
Tanuary 0, t7'^2, six davs after his death, and 
he was buried at Elizabeth. 

His wife, Rebekah, whose maiden name was 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



:6i 



probably Wood, was born in November, 1648, 
died September 11, 1723. Children: i. Jon- 
athan, mentioned below. 2. Samuel, born 
167S, died 1715; married (first) Rachel Gard- 
iner, (second) Johannah Schellinx. 3. Rob- 
ert, born 1687, died November 20, 1733; mar- 
ried (first) Hannah Crane, (second) Phebe 
(Roberts) Baldwin. 4. Hannah, married 
John Meeker. 5. Rebecca, married James 
Ralph. 

(VHI) Jonathan (2), son of Jonathan (i) 
and Rebekah (Wood?) Ogden, was born 
about 1676. died before June 10, 1731. He 
was a resident of Elizabethtown, occupying a 
house which had been owned by his father. 
When he had about attained his majority, 
probably in 1696, he is named as one of the 
many who petitioned the king for greater pro- 
tection from the east Jersey proprietors. In 
1701, also, he was one of the petitioners to 
the king asking to be taken under his direct 
government, should the proprietors not ap- 
point a suitable person as governor, and like 
his father was personally active in the attempt 
to remedy the feeble administration of justice 
by the authorities. Of the parentage of his 
wife, Elizabeth, nothing is known. Children: 
I. Jonathan, of whom all that is known is that 
he married and had children, among whom 
was a son of the same name. 2. John, men- 
tioned below. 

(IX) John (2), son of Jonathan (2) and 
Elizabeth Ogden, was born November 22, 
1700. died November 15, 1780. It is stated 
in "Hatfield's History of Elizabeth" that he 
resided in a neighborhood about two miles 
from Elizabethtown, New Jersey, called Sod- 
om, and because of his singular piety was 
familiarly called "Righteotis Lot". In his will 
he left a considerable amount of silver and 
other heirlooms to his children, and insured 
to the wife of his son John a home in the 
family as long as she should remain a widow. 
He and his wife were buried in the First 
Presbyterian churchyard at Elizabeth, New 
Jersey. Pie married, October 8, 1722, Mary 
Osborn, born 1705, died Anril 15. 1758. The 
marriage is recorded at Easthampton, Lon? 
Island, and agrees with the record in the old 
family Bible which probably belonged to John 
Ogden, the pilcrim, and which is now in the 
possession of Mrs. Cortland Drake, of Mend- 
ham, New Jersey. Children: T. Abigail, born 
March 30, 1725. died March 18, 1782; married 



Pierson, and had daughter, Mary. 2. 

Mary, born June 16, 1728, died October 10, 
1757; married Michael Meeker, born 1720, 
died 1755, son of Daniel Meeker, and had 
Phebe and Charity. 3. John, born June 23, 
1733, died February 5, 1777; married (first) 
Elizabeth Pierson. (second) Joanna Quigley. 

4. Phebe, born August 25, 1734, died July 10, 
1798; married John Magie. . 5. Jonathan, born 
August 2'6, 1736. Ezekiel, mentioned below. 

(X) Ezekiel, son of John (2) and Mary 
Osborn Ogden, was born June 23, 1741, died 

January 5, 1766. Married , and had one 

child. Ezekiel, mentioned below. 

(XI) Ezekiel, son of Ezekiel (i) Ogden, 
was born November 26, 1765, died December 
10, 1822. He married, March, 1787, Abigail, 
daughter of Matthias and Margaret (Magie) 
Ogden; she was born October 3, 1765, died 
May 14, 1820. Ezekiel Ogden and his wife 
are buried side by side in the First Presby- 
terian churchyard at Elizabeth. Children: i. 
Abraham, born December 30, 1787. at Union, 
New Jersey, died in New York City. July 8, 
1812. 2. Ichabod, born July 18, 1789, died 
September 30, 1861 ; married Rebecca Town- 
ley. 3. Ezekiel, born January 12, 1791, died 
1823 ; married Jane Lewes Cochran. 4. James 
Kilborn, born July 30, 1793. died 1869: mar- 
ried Margaret Hall. 5. Abigail, born March 
30, 1795, died September 25, 1871 : married 
Jonathan Magie. 6. Phebe. born December 

5. 1796, died young. 7. Hatfield, born June 
10, 1798, died October 7, 1817. 8. Phebe, 
born July 8, 1799, died November 20. 1878; 
married, October 11, 1827, lion. Elias Darby, 
born T797. died 1879. one time mayor of Eliz- 
abeth, and had one child. Ogden Darby, born 
1828, died 1857. 9. John, born February 18, 
1801, died January 23, 1891 ; married .Jane 
Eliza Gray. 10. Samuel, born Julv 18. 1803, 
died February Q, 1881 ; married Mary Barr 
Campbell, ti. Joseph Meeker, mentioned be- 
low. 12. Theodore Hamilton, born January 
17, 1806; married, October 26. 18.30, Mary 
Jane Magie. having one child, Theodore: re- 
moved to Michigan. 13. Tonathan. born June 
T2. 1807, died June 4, 1888; married Elizabeth 
Gorbnm 

(XII) Rev. Dr. Joseph Meeker Ogden. son 
of Ezekiel ( 2^ and Abieail (Ogden) Ogden, 
was born at Elizabeth, New Jcrsev, Septem- 
ber 21. T804, died at Chatham, New Jersey, 
February 13, 1884. He was graduated from 



362 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Princeton in 1824, and entering the Presby- 
terian ministry, was installed first pastor of 
the Presbyterian church at Chatham, New 
Jersey, in November, 1828. This church was 
organized October 23, 1823, and the Rev. Asa 
Lyman, of Morristown. New Jersey, became 
its stated supjily. His health having failed he 
was compelled to resign his labors in 1827, 
when the congregation called the Rev. Dr. 
Ogden to become their settled pastor. The 
original house of worship soon became inade- 
quate to accommodate the growing congrega- 
tion, and a new church was erected in 1832. 
This building was subsequently enlarged and 
beautified, and the efficient labors of the pas- 
tor and the growing regard of the people re- 
sulted in a ereatly increased congregation. 
Rev. Joseph M. Ogden was not only popular 
in his own church and community, but became 
well known and appreciated throughout the 
state and officiated upon many occasions out- 
side of his own pastorate. He resigned the 
church at Chatham on September 23, 1873, 
having enjoyed an uninterrupted and success- 
ful pastorate of forty-five years. He and his 
wife were both interred in the burying ground 
at Chatham. Dr. Ogden married, in 1849. 
Emeline Atwood. daughter of Richard and 
Hannah (Hayes) Sweasey. She was born at 
Newark, New Jersey, April 26, 1822, died at 
Chatham. August 17, iSgo. Children: 1. 
W'illiam Wilberforce, born March, 1850; mar- 
ried Mariana or Marana N. Jarman. 2. Cor- 
nelia Townley, born August 16, 185 1 : mar- 
ried Francis L. Minton. 3. Joseph Wallace, 
mentioned below. 4. Edward Prime, born 
July T5. 1853, died February 2, i8f)g; married 
Sarah Minton. 5. Henry Day, married Mary 
Freeman. 

(XHI) Joseph Wallace, son of Rev. Joseph 
Meeker and Emeline Atwood (Sweasey) Og- 
den, was born at Chatham, New Jersey, in 
April, 1853. He received his middle name in 
honor of Mr. William C. Wallace, the life- 
long friend and parishioner of his father, born 
the same year and graduated in the same class 
at college. Dr. Ogden desired a liberal edu- 
cation for his son and entered him at Lafay- 
ette College in the class of '72 ; though he did 
not remain to tlie end of the course and was 
not graduated with his class, he later on re- 
ceived the degree of A.M. from the college. 
Upon entering business life his first occupa- 
tion was that of clerk in a brokerage firm on 



Wall street. His advancement was rapid, and 
in 1 88 1 he established the banking and brok- 
erage firm of J. \\\ Ogden & Company, which 
he conducted with marked success for many 
years. The house engaged in many large 
financial transactions and acquired a well mer- 
ited reputation for business sagacity and for 
safe and conservative methods. Mr. Ogden 
has become one of the prominent and influen- 
tial figures in financial circles in New York 
City, and has been connected in various ways 
for a number of years with many leading cor- 
porations and industries. For several years 
prior to its absorption by the Erie railroad, he 
was vice-president and director of the New 
York, Susquehanna & Western railroad ; at a 
later period he acquired extensive interests in 
the anthracite coal fields, becoming president 
of the .Algonquin and Laurel Run Coal com- 
panies of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He is 
a member of the Union, Down Town, and Rid- 
ing clubs of New York, and of the Morris- 
town Coif and Whippany River clubs. 

Mr. Ogden is not prominent as a politician 
and has never desired political office. He is 
a staunch Presbyterian and has been liberal 
in the support of the church. In July, 1902, 
when members of the church at Chatham of 
which his father had been pastor for forty- 
five years, opened a subscription for building 
a new church, Mr. O.gden requested the with- 
drawal of subscriptions to the amount of six 
thousand dollars which had been received 
from others, and himself contributed $10,000 
to the cost of tlie building. The descendants 
of Mr. William C. Wallace, his father's old 
friend and classmate, requested that they 
might be permittefl to provide the funds for 
the interior decoration. The proposition was 
accepted by Mr. O.gden. and the trustees de- 
cided to change the name of the church to 
the Ogden Memorial. Mr. Ogden is a resi- 
dent of Morristown, New Jersey, where he 
owns a handsome estate, Loantaka Farms, 
upon which he passes a portion of the year; 
this propertv has been in possession of various 
members of the family since early colonial 
davs. In the vear 1884 Mr. Ogden married 
Charlotte Ward. 

There is a movement on foot to erect a 
monument in P>ow!inEr Green, New York City, 
to the memory of John Ogden. at the tercen- 
tenary of the city's settlement. He was the 
earliest settler of pure English blood in New 
York. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



3C'3 



The earliest Englishman who 
HALSEY bore the name of Halsey, as 
far as the available records 
show, lived in the extreme western, end of 
Cornwall between Penzance and Land's End. 
We are told that in the time of Richard L, 
who was crowned in 1189, and of King John 
and his successor, the estate of the Cornish 
family comprised "the Lands of the family 
surnamed de Als, now Hals, so called from 
the Barton and dismantled manor of Als, now 
Alse and Alesa, in Buryan". The Norman 
preposition seems to point to some Norman 
origin. The word itself is more likely a pure- 
ly Saxon one. dating from the invasions of 
the fifth century or Danish, and thus was 
brought over by the Vikings four centuries 
before the Norman conquest. In Holland the 
name existed and Franz Hals, the painter, 
gave it renown. As a common noun and verb 
the word was used from early times by the 
English, and signifies in one case the neck and 
in the other to embrace. The Halseys of 
America are descended from Thomas Halsey, 
of Hertfordshire, England, and Southampton, 
Lonsr Island, and go back to John Halsey, of 
the Parsonage. Great Gaddesden. mentioned 
as father of William Halsey, als Chamber, in 
grant of Rectory. March 20. 1520. 

(I) Thomas Halsev, the immigrant ances- 
tor of the Halsey family in America, was born 
January 2. 1592. He was a mercer of Lon- 
don, and was living at Nanles, August to, 
1621, and at Lynn, Massachusetts, in 1637. 
He was the owner of a hundred acres of 
land in Lynn : was one of the founders of 
the town of Southampton, Long Island. 1640. 
the first English town in the state of New 
York. He was a deleeate to the general court 
at Hartford. Connecticut, in 1664; joined in 
remonstrance. February 15. 1670, and was 
named November i, 1676, in the patent of 
confirmation. He was also named in Gov- 
ernor Dongan's patent. December 6. 1686. He 
lived Mav 4. 1657. probably on Horse Mill 
Lane, which ran from Main street to the 
Town Pond. In a list found in the town 
records of iS'^? of inhabitants livine on the 
west side of Main street, commencing at the 
North End he is described as living in the 
eiorhth hor=e .so"th of I=aac. His will, dated 
Tulv 2R. t677. is orinted in the introduction 
and is recorded in the Book of ^^'■ills A. New 
York Countv. He married (first) before 



1627. a woman of the baptismal name of 
Phoebe, who was murdered by two Pequot 
Indians in 1649. He married (second) July 
25, 1660, Ann Johnes, widow of Edward 
Johnes. Children : Thomas, born probably 
1627; Isaac, mentioned below; Daniel, 1630; 
Elizabeth, married Richard Howell. 

(II) Isaac, second son of Thomas and 
Phoebe Halsey. was born probably in 1628-29, 
died in 1725. In a list of the inhabitants of 
Southampton in 1698 Isaac appears with sev- 
eral other Halseys. He was named as a trus- 
tee of Southampton, December 6, 1686, in the 
Dongan patent. He lived on the west side of 
Main street, near the North End, and there is 
a record showing him alive in 171 2. A broken 
=tonc in the graveyard at Southampton says : 
"Isaac Halsey died January 31, 172.5;." It was 
probably the grave of this Isaac. He married 
a woman whose Christian name was Mary, but 
whose maiden surname is unknown. Chil- 
dren : Isaac, born at Southampton, New York, 
1664-65. died 1752, aged eighty-eight years; 
Joseph, mentioned below ; Daniel, born 1670, 
died March-Aueust, 1719: Joshua, born at 
Southampton 1674-75. married Martha, only 
daughter of Abraham Willman ; Thomas, 
born at Southampton, died January, 1764; 
Elizabeth, married a man of the name of 
Howell; Samuel, named in the list of inhab- 
itants of Southampton in 1698 ; Mary, married 
a man of the name of Post ; Jemima, married, 
Mav 22. 1683. lohn Larison, died before De- 
cember 20, 1686. 

(Ill) Joseph, second son of Isaac and Mary 
Halsey, was born at Southampton in t668, 
died April 7. 1725. at Elizabeth, New Jersey, 
to which he emigrated in 1694. His will, 
dated November 4. 1723. proved April 20, 
1725, is recorded at Trenton. New Jersey, and 
names his nine children, of whom Mary was 
the oldest. He lived at the Whcatsheaf Tav- 
ern, about midway between Elizabeth and 
Rahway. He married, nrohablv. Elizabeth 
Plalsev. Children : :Mary. Daniel, lived at Eliz- 
abeth. New Jersev. and died about 1727: 
Joshua; General Joseph, mentioned below: 
Elizabeth, born about 1697: Anna, was over 
twenty-one in 1723 at the time of her father's 
death'; Isaac, under age in 1723; Nathaniel, 
under aee in 172?. . 

CIV) General Tosenh (2) Halsey. third son 
of Toseph (t) and Elizabeth (Halsey) Halsey. 
was born about 1695. died December 16. 1771. 



364 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



His will, dated June i, 1765, was proved 
March 25, 1772, and is recorded in Trenton, 
the secretary of state's office. In it he names 
his wife Abigail, his sons Joseph, Daniel, 
Isaac ; son-in-law James Miller ; daughters 
Abigail Miller, Rebecca Miller, Sarah Conk- 
lin, Hannah Miller, Deborah Magie, Rachel. 
He married (first) Elizabeth, daughter of 
Stephen Haines; (second) a woman of the 
name of Abigail, who died January 18, 1777, 
in her seventy-second year. He and his sec- 
ond wife are buried in the Presbyterian 
Church Cemetery, and there are inscriptions 
referring to them on tombstones at Elizabeth, 
New Jersey. He lived near the Wheatsheaf 
Tavern, between Rahway and Elizabeth. Chil- 
dren: Rebecca Miller, born about 1728, died 
October 5, 1785; Joseph, mentioned below; 
Sarah, married, 1754, Joshua Conklin, died 
May 17, 1776; Daniel, born 1739, died No- 
vember 16, 1801 ; Isaac, born 1741, died No- 
vember 24, 178S; Phebe, married, before 1761, 
Benjamin Crane, of Westfield ; Hannah, mar- 
ried (first) before 1772, Benjamin Miller, 
married (second) General William Crane, of 
Elizabeth ; Abigail, married James Miller, of 
Piscataway; Rachel, born 1743, died March 
20. 1783: Deborah, married (first) James 
Magie, (second) Isaac Meeker, of New Prov- 
idence ; Nancy, married John Hamilton. 

(V) Joseph (3), eldest son of General 
Joseph (2) Halsey, was born in 1730. died 
Tuly 9, 1813. He lived near the Wheatsheaf 
Tavern until the time of his marriage, when 
he removed to Springfield and was for fiftv 
years a ruling elder in the church of that town. 
He married three times. His first wife, born 
in 1737, and the mother of all his children, 
was Mary .Vrmstrone, daughter of John .'\rm- 
strong, a Scotch-Irishman belonging to Mor- 
ristown. His second wife, who died October 
7, 17QI, was Anna Van Arsdale. daughter of 
the Rev. Jacob Van Arsdale, of Soringfield, 
and he was married to this ladv before 1789. 
for he then speaks of his wife as "Anny." 
His third wife was Elizabeth Ryerson, who 
survived him. His will, dated January 7, 1812, 
and proved July 2T. i8t^, names his sons 
Isaac, who is to provide for his "mother-in- 
law" (his stepmother): Daniel; John; his 
grandsons. Smith. Daniel. Samuel: his grand- 
daughter. Abigail Burnet, and others. Chil- 
dren: Joseph, born about 1751, died T796 in 
New York Citv of vellow fever; Daniel, mar- 



ried, 1781. Mrs. Moore, nee Elizabeth Pier- 
son, of Westfield; Mary, born about 1753, 
married Matthias Ross; John, born October 
17, 1755. died May 19, 1827; Isaac, mentioned 
below ; Abigail, born May 7, 1760, died Octo- 
ber 10, 1784 ; Hannah, born October 17, 1761 ; 
Rhoda, born July 9, 1763. 

(VI) Isaac (2), fourth son of Joseph (3) 
and Mary (Armstrong) Halsey, was born 
May 15, 1757, died April 26, 1820, being 
buried at Springfield, New Jersey. He was 
not of age when the revolutionary war broke 
out, but he enlisted and served as a private 
for one year, being quartered near Canada. He 
enlisted in the winter of 1776 for one year 
under Captain Samuel Potter, in the Third 
Battalion, commanded by Colonel Elias Day- 
ton, and marched to the frontier of Canada. 
He was in the battle at Connecticut Farms, 
June 6, 1780, and led his company at the bat- 
tle of .Springfield, June 23, 1780. He mar- 
ried. January 26, 1778, Sarah Smith, born No- 
vember 8, 1760, died July 19, 1847, daughter 
of Walter Smith, a Hollander, who owned a 
larsre tract of land at what is now Short Hills. 
Children: Mary, born October 26, 1778, at 
Springfield, died April 24. 1876, at Newark; 
David, June t8, 1781, died May 11, 1859; Eliz- 
abeth, July 23. 1783, died September 7. 1832; 
^^'illiam, December 21, 1785, died December 6, 
1814: liavilah Smith, August 3. 1788, died 
June 21. 1S68; Isaac, May i, 1791, died May 
29, 1 791 ; Isaac. December 9, 1792, died De- 
cember 7, 1797; Joseph Armstrong. January 
15, 1796. died January 27, 1884; Samuel men- 
tioned below. 

(\^II) Samuel, youngest son of Isaac (2) 
and Sarah ('Smith) Halsev. was born at 
Springfield, Essex cotintv. October 11. 1801, 
died July 17, 1884, at Newark, New Jersey. 
He was for many years a leading business man 
of Newark. He remained at the homestead 
during all his youth and early manhood and 
left Springfield for Newark to become a mem- 
ber of the firm of Pierson. Waldron & Hal- 
sey. who were engaged in the southern cloth- 
ing trade. In 1848 he retired from this busi- 
ness and established the leather manufacturing 
trade firm of Halsey & Tavlor. Though 
averse to assume the responsibilities of pub- 
lic office, he became an alderman and served 
in that capacitv for two years. He was a 
director of the Firemen's Insurance Company 
and for a time a director of the Second Na- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



365 



tional Bank. He married, November 23, 1825, 
Mary Hutchings, born April 26, 1803, died 
May 23, 1882, daughter of Abraham Hutch- 
ings. Children : George Armstrong, born De- 
cember 7, 1827, married Caroline Connett, 
died April i, 1894; Silas Condit, mentioned 
below: Cornelia Utter, born March 18, 1837. 

(VHI) Silas Condit, second son of Samuel 
and Mary (Hutchings) Halsey, was born Sep- 
tember 26, 1829, at Springfield, New Jersey. 
W'hen the family came to Newark he entered 
the private school of the Rev. Dr. Weeksj 
and later that of Dr. William Bradley. In 
1852 he went to Petersburg with his cousin, 
Daniel Halsey, to take care of the southern 
business of his brother, returning in 1853. 
With Robert M. Hunter and Daniel Halsey 
he bought out the large business of John Mc- 
Gregor and the firm of Halsey, Hunter & Hal- 
sey was formed, which continued until 1875, 
when he withdrew from it. Governor Charles 
S. Olden, August 22, 1862, appointed Mr. Hal- 
sey aide-de-camp to General Cornelius Van 
Vorst, compianding the rendezvous at Camp 
Frelinghuysen. and he was later appointed as- 
sistant quarter-master-general with the rank 
of major. He was sent many times to the 
front in \^irginia with supplies for the New 
Jersey troops and did valuable service to the 
state and its soldiers. In 1889 he was ap- 
pointed by President Harrison United States 
Consul at Sonneberg, the second largest con- 
sulate in Germanv. He married (first), Sep- 
tember 13, 1853, Frances Lothrop, daughter of 
Charles Thompson Day. She died October 
3T. 1866. He married (second), November 3, 
1875, Ella Louise, daughter of Jesse D. Price, 
of Elizabeth. Children of first wife: Frank, 
born September i. 1854,- died May 8, 1855: 
Charles Dav, mentioned below. Child of sec- 
ond wife, Jessie Hildreth. born December 28, 
1870. 

(IX) Charles Day, seconrl son of Silas Con- 
dit and Frances Lothrop (Day) Halsey, was 
born September 20, 186=^, in Newark, New 
Jersey. He was educated at Princeton, grad- 
uating in the class of 1886 with the degree of 
civil engineer. He served as assistant engi- 
neer of the Pennsvlvania railroad, at Jersey 
City, from 1886 to 1894. He then formed the 
firm of Toler & Halsey. Bankers, New York 
Stock Exchange, succeeded in 1901 by the 
firm of C. D. Halsev & Company, also bankers. 
New York Stock Exchange. He was one of 



the charter members of Essex Troop, now 
First Troop of New Jersey, and served in the 
same in the capacity of sergeant for eight 
years. He is a member of the Union, Univer- 
sity, Racquet and Princeton clubs of New 
York, and Rumson Country Club of Rumson, 
New Jersey. In religion he is an Episcopalian^ 
and in politics a Republican. He married No- 
vember 20, 1895, at Burlington, New Jersey, 
Effie Van Rensselaer Grubb, born in Burling- 
ton, New Jersey, July 3. 1870. daughter of 
Edward Bird and Elizabeth Wadsworth (Van 
Rensselaer) Grubb, and has three children: 
Courtlandt Van Rensselaer, born in New 
York City, October 11, 1896; Charles Dav Jr., 
born in New York City, January 9, 1900; Eliz- 
abeth Van Rensselaer, born in Seabright, New 
Jersey, July 15, 1906. 

Excerpt from "The Story of the Bronx, 
1639-1912," by Stephen Jenkins, published by 
Putnam & Sons: 

A short distance this side of the Bridge by which 
the Boston Road crosses the Hutchinson River, a 
pleasant road leads down to the right to "Inver- 
mere" known in ancient days as Hunts Landing. 
There is a famous strawberry farm on this road a 
short distance from the post-road. A few hundred 
rods above Rattlesnake Brook, the White Plains 
Road, now called Columbus Ave., branches off to the 
left and passes by the ancient green in front of old 
St. Pauls, its route being over the old Boston Road 
of 1673 for some distance. As it sweeps down the 
hill, it passes a gateway guarded by quaint and im- 
posing white posts. This is the entrance to the 
Halsey place, which was the executive mansion of 
President John Adams, in October and November, 
1797. several of his letters being dated from "East- 
chester.'l During that year. Philadelphia, the fed- 
eral capital, was visited by yellow fever, and Adams 
took up his residence in the Halsey House, then 
occupied by his daughter Abigail and her hsuband, 
Col. \Vm. Smith. During the Revolution, the com- 
munion service, the P.ililc and other valuables pre- 
sented to St. Pauls Church by Queen Anne, were 
buried upon this property and dug up after the war; 
this was to prevent them from being looted by the 
British, who used the church about half a mile 
above the hospital and who frequently occupied this 
section in force, so that it thus became the scene of 
manv a raid and warlike encounter. At the time of 
the Revolution, this house was occupied by the Vin- 
cents, the Smith of the village of Eastchester. 



The Brink family of America, 
BRINK except those who have come with 

the recent Holland emigration 
since 1846, is descended from Lambert Huy- 
bertse Brink, who arrived in New Amsterdam 
from Wagening (Wageningen), in the Neth- 



366 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



eriands, in 1659. Wageningcn is a town on 
the right bank of the Rhine in Gelderland. 
It is about twelve miles from Arnhem. It 
contains the state agricultural college and the 
school for printing. The Brink family is very 
numerous in the Netherlands. The name is 
found in various forms, as van den Brink (of 
the Brink) ; van Brink (of Brink) ; Ten Brink 
(the Brink) ; Brinkhuis (Brink house) ; Brink 
horst (Brink grove) ; Brinkenberg (Mount 
Brink) ; Brinkerhoff (a paved square) ; Dol- 
dcrbrink (valley Brink). The word Brink 
means park, square or villjige green. The 
arms of the family are thus described: 
"d'argent au boeuf de gueules, corne d'or, 
march ant sur une terrassede sinople. Bourlet 
et lambrequens d'argent et de gueules. Cinier : 
une corbeille d'or en sortent des flamines de 
feu." 

(I) Lambert Huybertse Brink, immigrant an- 
cestor of the Brink family, arrived in New Am- 
sterdam. December, 1659, with the "Geclove" 
(Faith). The entry upon the ship's books is 
"Lambert Huybertsen from Wagening (Wag- 
cningen). wife and two children." To these 
must be added a son, Cornelis. born on the voy- 
age. In 1662 he leased for five years certain 
lands at Hurley, and at the expiration of the 
lease in 1667 purchased these and other parcels 
there and in Marbletown. ?Iis name frequently 
appears in the records of the sellout's court 
in various capacities, and he is a w^itness to 
the Indian treaty made in Hurley in 1677, 
upon which the New Paltz patent is based. 
His name is also signed as a witness twice to 
the renewals of the celebrated Indian treaty 
negotiated in 1665 by Governor Nichols. He 
was one of the protesting burghers at what 
Governor Nichols called "the mutiny of the 
Esopus" in 1667 and one of the inhabitants of 
the Esopus, who petitioned Governor Sir Ed- 
mund Andros in 1680 that a minister be sent 
there. His wife and children were captured 
at the burning of Hurley by the Indians, June 
7, 1663, and held in captivity three months; 
and he served as a soldier in Captain Henry 
Pawling's company in 1670. On April 27, 
t6So. he made over to his sons, Huybert and 
Pictcr, three hundred and twenty-four acres 
of land in Hurley, and March 9, 1702, he con- 
veys to Cornelis Cool, his son-in-law, sixty- 
three acres "'at Hurley, along the Esopus." On 
February 12, 1696. he made and executed hi« 
last will and testament, which will was proved 



April II, 1702. He married, while in the 
Netherlands, Hendrickje Cornelisse. Chil- 
dren: I. Huybert. born in Wageningen, Gel- 
derland; married, March 16, 1679, Hendrickje 
Swartvvout, of Nieu Albanien (Albany), both 
residing in Hurley and married at Hurley. 2. 
Jannetje, born in Wageningen; married Cor- 
nelis Cool ; resided at Hurley. 3. Cornelis, 
born at sea on the voyage to America, bap- 
tized in New Amsterdam, May 4, 1661 ; mar- 
ried R'larijken Egbertse Meynderse, daughter 
of Egbertse Meynderse and Jaepie Jans. 4. 
Hendrick, born in Hurley, baptized at King- 
ston, December 5, 1663; married Geesje Jan- 
sen. 5. Lysbet, born in Hurley, baptized in 
Kingston, February 14, 1666; married Arien 
Gerretsen, October 17, 1686. 6. Gerret, born 
in Hurley ; married Antje Hoogland. 7. Pieter, 
mentioned below. 

(II) Pieter, youngest son of Lambert Huy- 
bertse and Hendrickje (Cornelisse) Brink, 
was born at Hurley. New York, baptized at 
Kingston, June 26, 1670. He married Geer- 
truy Marthysen Teunissen Newkirk. Chil- 
dren: Hendrick, baptized April 23, 1693; 
Matheus. baptized June 9, 1695 : Cornelis, 
born July 25, 1697; Lambert, mentioned be- 
low: Lambertus, January 15, 1702; Antje, 
April 2, 1704: Lysbet, August 11, 1706: Ger- 
rit. September 18, 1709; Johannes, May I, 
1712; Helena, November 7, 1714. 

(III) Lambert, son of Pieter and Geertruy 
Marthysen Teunissen (Newkirk) Brink, was 
born November 26, 1699. He married Rachel 
du Mond, May 14, 1723. She was the daugh- 
ter of Walraen du Mond and Catherine ter 
Bos, and was baptized June 5, 1698. Lambert 
Brink was the collector of the town of Hurley 
in 1727. Children: Cornelis, mentioned be- 
low; Catrina, baptized January 22, 1727; 
Petrus, October 12, 1729, a soldier of the rev- 
olution; Johannes, May 27. 1733: Johannes, 
August 14, 1737; Henderikus, ^lay 18. 1740, 
a soldier of the revolution ; Janneken, March 
21, 1742. 

(TV) Cornelis, son of Lambert and Rachel 
fdu Mond) Brink, was born at Hurley. New 
York, baptized .^u£^ust 23, 1724, resided in 
Mormeltown (MarbletownL He was a soldier 
in the revolution, though over fifty when the 
war broke out ; he was an elder in the Marble- 
town church in the years 1761-68, T779. He 
married. September to. 1743, Marretjen 
Beatty, baptized March 10, 1721, daughter of 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



367 



Robert and Bata (Middag) Bettes (Beatty). 
Children: John, mentioned below; Annatje, 
baptized July 27, 1746; Egbert, April 21, 
1751 ; Jacob, July 15, 1764. 

(V) John, son of Cornelis and Marretjen 
(Beatty) Brink, was born at Rhinebeck, New 
York, October i, 1744, baptized at Kingston, 
October 7, 1744, died at Saugerties, June 9, 
1814. He was usually known as John Brink 
Jr. He was a soldier in the revolution and 
served in the First Regiment, Ulster county 
militia, during the revolution, and also in the 
Fourth Regiment, and was afterwards a 
trooper in Captain Sylvester Salisbury's Light 
Horse company in the same year. He was at 
Saratoga at the surrender of Burgoyne. He 
resided at Saugerties on the bank of the Hud- 
son, immediately opposite Clermont, the home 
of Chancellor Robert R. Livingston, and was 
in partnership with him in certain Ulster 
county real estate transactions. His son, Rob- 
ert, was named after the chancellor. He mar- 
ried Margaret, daughter of Wilhelmus anu 
Hellitje (Schoonmaker) Burhans. Children: 
Andrew, mentioned below ; William, baptized 
April 2t, 1778, died young; Maria, August 13, 
1780, died April i, i8.s8; William, January 5, 
T783, died July 12, 1832; Robert Livingston, 
November 3. 1785, died April 27, 1852; James, 
October 18", 1787, died August 5, 1858: Mar- 
garet, May 8, 1790, died June 24, 1870; Ann, 
February 23, 1793, died November 28. 1864. 

(VI)' Andrew, son of John and Margaret 
(Burhans) Brink, was born at Saugerties, 
New York, December 26. 1774, died July 31, 
1832. He was a soldier in the war of 1812. 
He commanded the "Clermont" of Robert Ful- 
ton upon her famous first voyage and for some 
time thereafter. He was an elder in the Kats- 
baan Church in 1818 and again in 1822. He 
married Anna Persen. born May 28, 1786. 
died September 2S, 1845, daughter of Corne- 
lius and Elizabeth (Masten) Persen. Chil- 
dren : Marearet, born January 20, 1807, died 
April 8. 1886; Eliza, October 30, 1808, died, 
unmarried. Aueust 28, 1866; Ann. September 
5, 1810, died May 21. iqoi ; Cornelis or Cor- 
nelius Persen, mentioned below ; Edward, 
March 24. 1814. died Tune 7. 1877; Henry, 
Julv 26 1820, died, unmarried, September 2. 
1872; John Andrew, June 13, 1823. died De- 
cember 12, 1853. 

(VH) Cornelis or Cornelius Persen, son of 
Andrew and Anna (Persen) Brink, was born 



at Saugerties, New York, June 4, 18 12, died 
January i, 1884. He was a farmer, for many 
years justice of the peace, and twice coroner 
of the county. He was adjutant in the mil- 
itia of Ulster county and was a member of 
the Reformed Church in America and often in 
its eldership. In politics Mr. Brink was a Dem- 
ocrat. He married Louisa, daughter of Ben- 
jamin C. and Rachel Myer (see Myer IV). 
Children: Benjamin Myer, mentioned below; 
Edward, born September 28, 1849; Tohn An- 
drew, born January 30, 1853, for" the last 
eighteen years of his life residing in Ormond, 
Florida, where he died, unmarried. May 22, 
1895. 

(VIII) Benjamin Myer, son of Cornelis or 
Cornelius Persen and Louisa (Myer) Brink, 
was born at Saugerties, New York, December 
12, 1847. He was educated in the Saugertio 
schools, being graduated from the Saugerties 
Academy in 1861. He was a farmer early in 
life, and then successively a school teacher, 
journalist, editor of the Kingston Daily 
Leader, editor of the Kingston Argus, and 
editor and publisher of Olde Ulster, a his- 
torical and genealogical magazine, founded 
in 1905, and conducted by him to the present 
time. Mr. Brink is also author of "The Early 
History of Saugerties." published in June, 
1902. He was a director in Saugerties Na- 
tional Bank from about 1880 to removal to 
Kingston, and thereafter until 1895. His polit- 
ical convictions and affiliations were those of a 
Democrat until 1806. but he has since been 
independent, with Democratic preferences. In 
religion he is a member of the Reformed 
Church in America, the Reformed Protestant 
Dutch Church. He does not belong to any 
clubs, but he is a member of the Holland 
.Society of New York. He married (first) at 
Katsbaan, town of Saugerties, June 10. 1874. 
Cora, daughter of Christian Myer and Mahala 
(Myer) Wells, born at Saugerties. New York, 
July 24, 1843; married (second) at Weehaw- 
ken. New Jersey, June i. 1909, Ella, daughter 
of John Henry and Mary C. (Mver) Field, 
born at Saugerties. New York, February 6, 
t866. Children by first marriage: i. Henry 
Wells, born July 3, 1875 : graduate of King- 
ston Academy. i8q2: Rutgers College, 1896; 
New Brunswick .Seminary, 1899 ; pastor of 
the Reformed Church. New Hempstead. Rock- 
land county. New York. 1899 to 1906; Shokan. 
Ulster county, up to the present time, dating 



368 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



from 1906. 2. Louise, born October 14, 1876; 
g^raduated from Kingston Academy in 1894, 
and from Vassar College in 1898; she was a 
teacher in Amoy, China, from 1899 to 1902, 
but from the latter date has resided in Amer- 
ica. 3. Perscn Myer, born January 30, 1879; 
graduated from Kingston Academy in 1896, 
and from Rutgers College in 1900; he is a 
civil engineer by profession and is now in 
charge of one of the departments of West- 
chester Fire Insurance Company in New 
York in the home office. 

(The Meyer or Myer Line.) 
The surname, Myer, is German or Dutch, 
being simply an anglicized form of the Teuton 
name, rendered into English according to the 
pronunciation in that tongue. 

(I) Christian Meyer, the immigrant an- 
cestor of the Meyer or Myer family, was born 
March 14, 1688. died January 5, 1781. He 
came to America with the Palatine emigra- 
tion in 1710, arriving in New York with Gov- 
ernor Robert Hu.ster, June 24 of that year, 
lie became one of the freeholders of Kings- 
ton, was an ardent Whig, staunch patriot and 
supporter of the revolutionary cause, to which 
he contributed twenty-five of his sons and 
grandsons as soldiers. He married, in 1710, 
.Ann Geertruy Theunyes, born May 15, 1690. 
died January 0, 1766, who came with him to 
.America. Both are buried in the old burial 
ground on the Christian Meyer farm at 
Churchland. Saugerties, New York. Children : 
Maria Elizabeth, John Wilhelm, mentioned 
below; Johan Peter, Anna Christina, Cath- 
arina, Johannes, Catrina, Stephanus, Chris- 
tian. Gurticn, P>cnjamin, Petrus, Tobias. 

(II) lohn Williclm, son of Christian and 
Ann Geertruy (Theunyes) Meyer, was born 
at West Camp, New York, February 13, 1714, 
died September T2, 1794. He was a member 
of Captain John Persen's companv of foot in 
the militia of the corporation of Kingston ir 
T7,^8. He married Sarah Newkirk. Children: 
Christian. Christian (2), mentioned below: 
Altjen. Henricus, Maria, Johannes, Petrus, 
Tobias, Leah, Benjamin, Samuel. 

(III) Christian Myer, son of John Wil- 
helm and Sarah (Newkirk) Meyer, was born 
at Saugerties, Ulster county. New York, Au- 
gust 24. 17.39. (I'Cfl May 31, 1817. At the 
battle of Saratoga he served under General 
Gates as an ambulance driver, using his own 



horse and wagon, in which he and his brother, 
Johannes, had driven to Saratoga. He was 
second lieutenant of Captain David Abeel's 
company. Eleventh Regiment of Albany Mil- 
itia. He married Annatje, daughter of Cap- 
tain Tobias Waynkoop. Children : Cornelius, 
Jonathan, Hendricus, Leah, Sarah, Hezekiah, 
Catharina, Mary, Annetje, Jannetje, Benja- 
min C, mentioned below. 

(IV) Benjamin C, son of Christian and 
Annetje (Waynkoop) Myer, was born Decem- 
ber 19, 1787, died September 22, 18,39. By 
occupation he was a farmer. He married, 
September 23, 1810, Rachel, born November 
8, 1783, died May 14. 1855, daughter of 
Johannes and Leletje (Snyder) Meyer. Chil- 
dren : Gerrit Myderse ; Louisa, born May 3. 
1814, died July 23, 1S90, married Cornells or 
Cornelius Persen Brink (see Brink \TI). 



This surname is simply 
MONTANYE Montague written phonet- 
ically, that is according to 
the way French names so written are pro- 
nounced in English. The name is Norman- 
French in origin, having been formerly De 
la Montague, showing it to have been origi- 
nally borne by a family whose name had been 
derived simply from their proximity to a 
mountain. The derivation of names from 
places and their peculiarities was common 
among the French, particularly among the 
well-to-do classes. In America the prefixes 
"De la" have commonly been regarded as en- 
cumbrances and been dropped, though they 
have been retained in some cases. 

(I) Dr. Jean or Tohannes De la Montague, 
said to be son of Maison de la Montague, of 
Haugesedoc, France, the immigrant ancestor 
and founder of the American family bearing 
the name, was born in i,'596 in Saintes, Prov- 
ince Santonge, France, and studied medicine 
at the University of Levden. He died in 
Kingston, Ulster county. New York, in 1670. 
While at Leyden he boarded with his broth- 
ers at the house of Isaac de Forrest, who 
orsranizcd the first settlement of New York in 
1623. The parents of Jean de la Montague 
are thought to have belonged to the aristo- 
cratic class in France, residing in what is 
now the department of Charente Tmpcrieure, 
a province in the western part of France, in 
the vicinitv of the Bay of Biscay. The in- 
structor of De la Montague was the learned 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



369 



Heurnius, and he was registered at the uni- 
versity as a student, November 19, 1619, in 
the Latin style as Johannes Marcerius Mon- 
tanus. He was called Dr. Johannes La Mon- 
tague, a Santo, that is of the province of San- 
tonge. When de Forrest organized the first 
settlement of New York in 1623 Montagne 
was thought to be with him. De Forrest died a 
few years after and his widow and children 
returned to Leyden. Montagne married their 
daughter Rachel in Leyden, November 27, 
1626, and came to New York in 1637. He 
was councilor for New Netherlands from 
1638 to 1656. Montagne was a welcome and 
valuable addition to the colonies, and proving 
skillful in his profession, he soon rose in pub- 
lic favor. He was commander at Manhattan 
Island from 1640 to 1645, ''"d was sent to the 
defense of Fort Good Hope in 1641. He 
was a member of Stuyvesant's council from 
1647 to 1656, and from 1656 to 1664 he was 
vice-director of Fort Orange. Two other of- 
fices held by him were as member of the con- 
vention of 1653 and commissioner of fortifi- 
cations in 1654. At the death of his first wife, 
Rachel de Forrest, he married the widow, 
Agnes Stam, in 1647. The children of Jean 
and Rachel (de Forrest") de la Montagne 
were: i. Jolant, born at Leyden, died young. 
2. Jesse, born at Leyden, died in 1647. 3. 
John, mentioned below. 4. Rachel, born 1634; 
married Dr. Gysbert van Imbrock : died 1664. 
5. Maria, born on voyage, 1637; married Jacob 
Kipp. 6. William, born 1641 ; married Eleo- 
nora de Hooges. 7. Gillis, born 1650, died 
young. 8. Jesse, born 1653. died young. 

(H) John, third son of Dr. Jean and Rachel 
(de Forrest) De la Montagne. was born at 
Leyden in 1632, died at New York, or New 
Amsterdam, as the city was then called, in 
1672. In the records he first appears as Jean 
Monier de la Montagne, Junior, later as Jan 
La Montasfne, Junior. He early joined the 
church in New Amsterdam, where in 1652 he 
taught school for a few months under an ap- 
pointment from the directors in Holland. 
Some time after this he was made commis- 
sioner of accounts, a position which he held 
for about a vear. Entering into a partnership 
in trade with Vincent Pike in 1634, he sailed 
for Holland, and returning alone to this coun- 
try in 1655 he bought a residence and ar- 
ransfed for the coming of his wife from Hol- 
land, where he had made her acquaintance 



during his trip. On the institution of the bur- 
gher right John's name was the first enrolled 
on the list of Great Burghers, April 10, 1657. 
That year he was a farmer of the retail ex- 
cise, and was made fire warden, December 23, 
1658. He removed to Harlem in 1660, being 
chosen deacon, and he was busy there during 
the next winter, when he "bought a horse 
with a saddle and bridle for three hundred 
guilders in good strong current wampum." 
During the latter part of his life he served 
as schout, secretary and vorleser. He acquired 
the property known as the Point, before 
granted to his father, but he left the village 
two years after, getting permission to build 
there. While in Holland he married (first) 
Peternella Pike, daughter of Vincent Pike, his 
trading partner, and (second) Maria, daugh- 
ter of Isaac Vermilye, June 10, 1663. His 
children were: i. John, born 1655, died 1730; 
married (first) Annette Waldron, (second) 
Elizabeth Blarm. 2. Vincent, mentioned be- 
low. 3. Nicasius, born 1659, died 1703; mar- 
ried Christina Roosevelt. 4. Abraham, born 
1664, died 1734; married (first) Rebecca 
Idens. (second) Aeltee Hoogland. 5. Jelente, 
born 1669, died 1725: married Rosteacn Kort- 
night. 6. Isaac, born 1669, died 1703; mar- 
ried Ester Van Voorst. 7. Peternella, born 
1671 ; married Peter See. 8. Johanna, born 
1673; married Johannes Vredenburg. 

(Ill) Vincent De la Montanye. second son 
of John and Peternella (Pike) De la Mon- 
tague, was born in 1657. and was livin.g in 
17 1 3. He first lived in New street, Harlem, 
being church member afterwards at "Scla- 
vonia, in the Bowery division of the Out 
Ward." He seems to have been a brickmaker 
by occupation, but among other offices held by 
him he was constable in 1695. Fourteen years 
later his domestic happiness was interrupted 
by the wiles of one Cordaz, a neighbor brick- 
maker, who, having been tried and found 
guilty, was fined by the court of sessions. Vin- 
cent left the city, but it is thought he returned, 
but there is no record of his death. He mar- 
ried, in 1684, Adriana. daughter of Jan 
Tho'masz Aken, by whom he had nine children. 
Children: i. John, born T689; married in Hol- 
land and had'a son. 2. Thomas, mentioned be- 
low. 3. Appolonia. born 1694- 4- Jessie, born 
1696. 5. Petrus, born 1698, died 17.31: mar- 
ried Janette Over in 1723. 6. Peternella, born 
1701"; married Godfricius Benner. 7. Annetie, 



370 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



born 1703; married Henry Dyer. 8. Vincent, 
born 1705; married Elizabeth Murray in 1737. 
9. Rachel, born 1707. 

(IV) Thomas, second son of Vincent and 
Adriana (Akcn) De la Montanye, was born 
in 1691, died in 1761. He was a shopkeeper 
by occupation, doing a considerable trade in 
one of the principal streets of the town. His 
dwelling house in Prince street was sold by 
his son Peter as executor in May, 1784. He 
married, November 25, 1718, Rebecca Bruyn, 
who died in 1775, and had by her fifteen chil- 
dren. His children were: i. Vincent, men- 
tioned below. 2. Peter, born in 1723, died 
1798; married Catherine Vanderhoof in 1754. 
3. Adriana, born 1724; married Abraham 
Lefoy. 4. Martha, born 1726, died 1758; mar- 
ried Abram Alienor. 5. Thomas, born 1731. 
6. Rebecca, born 1735. 7. Plannah, born 1737; 
married Morris Earl. 8. Jane, born 1739; 
married John Wright. 9. Appolonia, called 
Prudence, born 1741 ; married Elbert Amer- 
man. 10. John T., born 1743 ; married Mary 
Blain. 11. Benjamin, born 1745; married 
(first) Eliza Norris, (second) Cornelia 
Cooper. 12. Peternella, born 1747; married 
Isaac Vredenburg. Three others. 

(V) Vincent (2). eldest son of Thomas and 
Rebecca (Bruyn) De la Montanye, was born 
in 1 72 1, died in 1773. He was a shopkeeper, 
and was well known and much respected in 
the town. He was fifty-two years old when he 
died, but Dr. O'Callaghan, misled in his '"His- 
tory of New Netherland"' by those who con- 
founded the two Vincents among the Mon- 
tanyes, makes the later Vincent a hundred 
and sixteen years old, the "connecting link 
between Stuyvcsant and Washington." He 
married (first') Catherine Hartc in 1743: (sec- 
ond) Gertrude Vouck, in 1761, a year after 
the death of his first wife ; (third) Mary Brun- 
dage. His children were: i. Thomas, born 
T745, died T789; married, in 1766, Catherine 
Smith, who died in 1770. 2. John, born 1747. 
died 1829: married Mary Briegs in 1825. 3. 
Isaac, born 1751; married Gusie Bauta in 
1789. 4. Rebecca, born 1752: married Peter 
Truman. 5. Peter, mentioned below. 6. Mary, 
born 17(>8, died 1814; unmarried. 

(VI) Peter, fourth son of Vincent (2) and 
Catherine (Hartel De la Montanye. was born 
in 1757. died in T828. He was in the tailorinsr 
trade, but did not work at it constantly until 
after the revolutionary war, in which he was 



a soldier. He removed to Ulster county, New- 
York, where he passed his latter years. He 
had only three children, all of them sons. He 
married Gertrude Keator, but there is no ex- 
tant record of the date of that event. His 
children were: i. George, married a Miss 
Burger. 2. Isaac, mentioned below. 3. Abram, 
married a Van Dyck. 

(VII) Isaac, second son of Peter and Ger- 
trude (Keator) De la Montanye, was born in 
1783 at Marbletown, New York. He was a 
tailor and did business in Olive, Ulster county. 
New York. He was a Whig in politics, and 
a Methodist in religion. He served during 
the war of 1812, and in the year 1813 was an 
ensign in the Light Infantry. Finally in iSiS- 
he became a lieutenant in the One Hundred 
and Thirtieth Regiment of Ulster County and 
served in that grade with distinction. He mar- 
ried Mary Longyear, by whom he had nine 
children. His children were: i. John, married 
Mary Phillips. 2. Charles, married Ellen Gard- 
ner. .3. Franklin, mentioned below. 4. Maria, 
born 1814, died 1880; married Albert North. 
5. Gertrude, born 1816, died 1S41 ; married 
Thomas Hill. 6. Jane, married Josiah Turner. 

7. Sarah, married (first) James Hallister, (sec- 
ond) John Ingraham. 8. Eliza, died at the 
age of twenty-one. 9. Rebecca, married Will- 
iam Teller. 

(VTII) Franklin, third son of Isaac and 
Mary (Longyear) De la Montanye, was prob- 
ably born at Olive, New York, about 1813. 
He was a school teacher in various towns of 
Ulster county, and was for a time superintend- 
ent of schools in Marbletown. He followed 
various vocations during his life, and was in 
turn storekeeper, farmer, commissioner of 
deeds, justice of the peace, justice of the ses- 
sions. In politics he was a Republican. He 
married, in Olive, New York, about 1849, 
Blandina, daughter of Matthew Person and 
Ann Peck (Keator) Ten Eyck. His children 
were: 1 George, born about 1S50. 2. James, 
mentioned below. 3. Anna, born about T834. 
4. Mary. 5. Charles. 6. John. 7. Ten Eyck. 

8. Newton. 

(IX) James, second son of Franklin and 
Blandina (Ten Eyck) De la Montanye. was 
born in Marbletown, New York. November 
Id. 1S52. He attended the public schools in 
Marbletown, and finally entered the Fort Ed- 
\v;ird Preoaratorv School at the same place. 
.After graduating he entered the United States 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



371 



mail service in Kingston and was finally pro- 
moted to assistant postmaster of that city, a 
position which he held from 1874 to 1879, 
when he resigned to engage in the confec- 
tionery business. He remained in that busi- 
ness for twenty-three years. He then em- 
barked in real estate and insurance, and he is 
still engaged in that business. He is now 
treasurer of the Empire State Society Sons 
of the American Revolution. He is a Re- 
publican in politics and is a member of tne 
Holland Society of New York City, Society 
of Colonial Wars of New York, American 
Scenic and Historical Preservation Society, 
and of the New York State Historical Society. 
He also belongs to the Collegiate Club of 
Harlem. He married, May 15, 1884, in Jersey 
City, Anna Lynn Williams, born August 12, 
1862, in Londonderry, Ireland, daughter of 
Samuel Williams, a prosperous shipping mer- 
chant, and Mary (Berry) Williams. Mr. 
Williams' other children were: Joseph, 
Thomas, Samuel, Marcus and James. 



The surname or family name of 
ROY Roy has no relation to the French 

word "roi," meaning "king." It is 
Gaelic and signifies "red-haired," and as such 
it has often been used as a sobriquet down 
almost to our own times in the Gaelic-speaking 
parts of Ireland and Britain in conjunction 
with or to supersede a family name. "Burke's 
Heraldry" gives three families of the name 
who have the right to bear arms. The arms 
of the Roy family of Scotland are: Azure a 
lion rampant, argent on a border of the sec- 
ond eight torteaux. Crest : A lymphad, her 
sails furled and oars in action, in the sea 
proper. Motto: Qua Tend is. 

(I) Joseph Roy, the immigrant ancestor of 
the Roy family in America here dealt with, 
was born at Bolton. Lancashire. Eneland, 
about the year 1817, died at Wappingers Falls, 
Dutchess county. New York. September 26. 
1900. He came to the United States in 1834 
and settled at Pawtucket, Rhode Island, en- 
ga.n'ing as a calico printer in one of the large 
mills. In 1858 he went to Wappingers Falls, 
Dutchess county. New York, and became head 
of the denartment of calico printing with the 
firm of Garner & Company. He remained 
with this firm until his death. He married 
Hannah F.. born at Manchester. England, 
daughter of Richard Warren, an engraver in 



that city. They had eleven children, among 
them John H., mentioned below. 

(II) John H., son of Joseph and Hannah 
F. (Warren) Roy, was born July 26, 1864, at 
Wappingers Falls, Dutchess county. New 
York. He was educated in the district schools, 
and in 1881 he became connected with the 
Sweet, Orr Company of Newburg, Orange 
county. New York, which has continued as 
such for the past twenty-five years. In the 
year 1887 he became credit man and manager 
in the business, a position which he still re- 
tains. He is a member of the Masonic order, 
a member of the Newburg Historical Society, 
and trustee of Washington's Headquarters, 
Newburg, Orange county, New York. He 
married, June 20, 1888, Cora J., daughter of 
Thomas Harris, a prosperous farmer of Leo- 
minster. Massachusetts. There has been one 
son, Kenneth W. 



The early settlers of the town 
BLAKE of Montgomery, in Orange coun- 
ty. New York, included many 
Scotch-Irish families, such as Neeley. Eager, 
Blake and Morris. They developed a fine 
farming region, and were active in organiza- 
tion of civil and religious affairs, and their 
descendants in many cases are still resident 
in the locality. 

(I) John Blake appears in Montgomery in 
the spring of 1761 and purchased. May i, of 
that year, four hundred and seventy-seven 
acres of land. This was probably in the east- 
ern part of the town, where his descendants 
were later found. He married Mary Morris, 
of Coldenham, who was born in Northern 
Ireland. John (2). son of John (i) and 
Mary (Morris) Blake, was a prominent citi- 
zen, active in the affairs of the county, mem- 
ber of the state legislature and of the national 
coneress, as well as filling other positions of 
responsibility. The next mentioned was prob- 
ably a son of John (1) and Mary Blake. 

(II) Edward Blake, born about 1780. re- 
sided in the eastern part of the town of Mont- 
gomery. He married Chloc Belknap, prob- 
ably a dauehter of Samuel and Mary C Gold- 
smith) Belknap, of what is now the town of 
Crawford, then Montgomery. They had eight 
children, the last two, David A. and William 
J. bein? twins. 

(TTI) William T.. son of Edward and CMoe 
(Belknap) Blake, was born July 22. 1817. in 



37^ 



SOLTIIERN NEW YORK 



Montgomery. He attended the country schools 
adjacent to his home until fifteen years of age. 
At that time he became a student of the Mont- 
gomery Academy, and it is apparent tliat he 
made most diligent use of his opportunities 
for study. At the age of twenty years, in 
18.^7, he entered the sophomore class of Union 
College at Schenectady, from which he was 
graduated in June, 1839. Following this he 
acted as tutor for one year in the family of 
a naval officer residing in the South. Return- 
ing to his native town, he began the study of 
law in September, 1840, with Charles Borland, 
of Montgomery, and was admitted to practice 
before the supreme court at Rochester in De- 
cember, 1843. Soon after this, while on a 
visit to Cold Spring, Putnam county. New 
York, he was engaged to try some cases and 
soon decided to settle there to engage in prac- 
tice. In 1846 Governor Silas Wright ap- 
pointed him a master and examiner in the 
court of chancery. He was successful as an 
attorney, but was compelled to abandon his 
practice because of a defect in his hearing. 
In the midst of his private practice and offi- 
cial duties, during the year 184S, he gathered 
considerable material pertaining to the history 
of Putnam county, which was published in 
1849. Closing his law office in April, 1850, 
he spent the following year in the state of 
Minnesota, returning to Orange county in 
i8!;i. In the spring of 1852 he became as- 
sociate editor of the Putnam County Courier, 
and from that time forward until his death be 
continued to reside at Carmel. In 1854 he 
was appointed postmaster of that place and 
held the position four years. Following this 
he established the Piitnani Free Press, issuing 
the first number, June 12, 18=58, This was 
the first Republican paper in the county, and 
Mr. Rlake continued its publication to Octo- 
ber T7, t868. when he sold out. He again 
became pr^'Uical and literary editor of the 
paper, whi'-b had been purchased bv his fam- 
ily, February 14, t88o, at which time the name 
of the naper was changed to Putnam County 
Repuhlican. Mr. Blake was an earnest stu- 
dent and exercised a larp'e influence in the af- 
fairs of Putnam coimty for many years. 

He married Emmelinda. dautrhter of 
Charles Minor, of Carmel. Their daughter, 
Ida M. Rlake, was lonsr her father's companion 
and aid in literary work. She became pro- 
prietor and publisher of the Putnam County 



Republican in 1880, and has continued as both 
editor and publisher of that journal until the 
present time. It is one of the most influential 
papers published in the county and continues 
to sustain Republican principles in politics. 



Tuttle or Tuthill is a surname 
TUTHILL borne by families in New 

England for more than two 
hundred and seventy years. The English sur- 
names, whence the surname Tuttle is derived, 
are Tothill or Tuthill, ancient family names 
in England. These surnames are said to be 
taken from names of old localities in England 
and Wales. Tuttle, the American surname, 
came to be generally adopted by the second 
and third generations of descendants of the 
immigrant settlers, although some branches 
continue to this day to adhere to the English 
form of the surname. The second syllable of 
the English surname passed through every 
possible change of spelling before it finally 
settled into its present form "tie." A family 
pedigree bearing the date of 1591 places at 
its head William Totyl, of Devonshire, called 
"Esq.," who served as bailiff in 1528, and 
again in 154S: was high sheriff in 1549, and 
lord mayor of Exeter in 1552. As these offices 
were only given to men of large estate and 
high family connection, it may be inferred 
that he was a man of social eminence. The 
present agitation against race suicide would 
have found in him an enthusiastic supporter, 
as the pedigree above mentioned credits him 
with being the father of thirty-six children, 
but it is reasonable to assume, however, that 
he wa:> married more than once, although his 
only recorded marriage was to Elizabeth Matt- 
hews, of Vorganwg, \\'^ales. The names of 
twelve of his children appear in the records, 
and it is quite probable that Elizabeth was 
the mother of four of them, namely: Geoffrey, 
John, Robert and Richard. 

Four distinct families by the name of Tuttle 
immigrated from England in 163=;. and three 
of them arrived at Boston on the "Planter," in 
the spring of that year. The heads of these 
three families were: John, who settled in 
Ipswich; Richard, who remained in Boston; 
William, who went to New Haven. The fourth 
was that of another John Tuttle, who em- 
barked on the ill-fated "Angel Gabriel," which 
was wrecked on the rocky coast of Maine, Au- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



373 



gust 15, 1634. This John Tuttle settled in 
Dover, New Hampshire, prior to 1640, and 
became the progenitor of a numerous poster- 
ity. In the same year arrived another immi- 
grant, whose descendants are numerous and 
have been conspicuously identified with the 
history of New York from a very early period 
in its settlement to the present day. Many 
prominent citizens of Orange county have 
borne and now bear the name. 

(I) The first of whom definite knowledge is 
now obtainable was John Tuthill, who resided 
at Sa.xlingham, England. 

{ II) Henry, son of John Tuthill, born 1580, 
resided at Tharston, in the county of Nor- 
folk, England, where he was buried March 
26, 1618, in the churchyard of St. Mary's 
church. His will was made six days before 
his death. He married Alice Gooch, and the 
baptisms of their children are recorded in St. 
Mary's register: John, William, Henry, Alice, 
Elizabeth. It is a natural supposition that the 
John and William Tuthill, who founded fam- 
ilies in this country, were of this family. 

(HI) Henry (2), third child of Henry 
fi) and Alice (Gooch) Tuthill, was baptized 
June 28, 1612, at Tharston. He married in 
England, Bridget, who accompanied him to 
America in 1635. In that year he settled in 
Hingham, Massachusetts, where he had a 
planting lot at Broad Cove and a house lot in 

1637. He was admitted freeman in March, 

1638, and served as constable in 1640. He sold 
his property there June 20, 1644, and removed 
to Southold, New York, where he died before 
1650. His wife survived him and married 
(second) William Wells, of Southold. Chil- 
dren: John, Elizabeth, Nathaniel, Daniel. 

(IV)" John (2). eldest child of Henry (2) 
and Bridget Tuthill, was born July 16, 1635, 
probably in Hingham, died October 12, 1717, 
in Southold, where he was a large land holder. 
He married (first) February 17, 1657, De- 
Hverance, baptized October 31, 1641, in Salem, 
Massachusetts, died January 25, 16S9, at Sout- 
hold, daughter of" William and Dorothy 
(Hayne) King. He married (second) May 
28, 1690. Sarah, probably the widow of 
Thomas Young, and daughter of John Frost. 
She died November 8, 1727, surviving him 
more than ten years. Children : John, Eliz- 
abeth, Henry, Hannah. Abigail. Dorothy. De- 
liverance, Daniel, Nathaniel, Mary, all born 
of the first wife. 



(V) John (3), eldest child of John (2) and 
Deliverance (King) Tuthill, was born Febru- 
ary 14, 1658, in Southold, where he died No- 
vember 21, 1754, in his ninety-seventh year. 
He owned land in Southold, where he served 
as justice of the peace, and was commissioner 
to lay out the King's Highway, the first public 
road from Brooklyn to Easthampton. From 
1693 to 1698 he was a member of the pro- 
vincial assembly of New York, and also served 
as sheriff'. He married, about 1683, Mehitable 
\\'ells, born 1666, died August 26, 1742. Chil- 
dren : John, James, Mary, Joshua, Dorothy, 
Daniel, Freegift, Hannah. 

(VI) Freegift, fifth son of John (3) and 
Mehitable (Wells) Tuthill, was born August 
8. 1698, in Southold, died in September, 1765, 
in Goshen, New York, at the age of sixty- 
seven years. His will is on record in Albany. 
He married, in June, 1727, Abigail Goldsmith 
and had children : Abigail, Nathaniel, Joshua, 
Freegift. All the sons were soldiers of the 
revolution, and the last died in the service. 
He learned the trade of tailor and was oc- 
cupied at that for a few years in his native 
town. In 1730 he purchased a tract of four 
hundred acres in the wilderness near Goshen, 
New York, and there settled and engaged in 
agriculture. After a short time he erected 
a substantial stone house, which was his home 
until his death. 

(VII) Nathaniel, eldest son of Freegift and 
Abigail (Goldsmith) Tuthill, was born Jan- 
uary 17, 1730. in Brookhaven, died Septem- 
ber 6, 1803, in the town of Blooming Grove, 
Orange county. New York. His farm com- 
prised a part of the original homestead on 
which he built a stone house. He was among 
those stationed at Fort Montgomery when it 
was captured by the British durin.g the revo- 
lution, but himself escaped capture. He mar- 
ried Margaret, daughter of John Herod, of 
Long Island, born August 3. 17,^9. Children: 
John Herod. Beniamin. Mary. Nathaniel. 

(VIII) John Herod, second son of Na- 
thaniel and Margaret (Herod) Tuthill. 
was born in 1761, in the town of Blooming 
Grove, New York, where he grew to man- 
hood on the paternal farm. In 1819 he settled 
in the town of Erin, Chemung county. New 
York, where he purchased nine hundred acres 
of land and engaged extensively in agriculture. 
He was a member of the Presbyterian church, 
and served in the state legislature. He died 



.574 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



about 1845 in Erin, at tiie age of eighty-four 
years. He married Elizabeth Seeley. Chil- 
dren: John, died in Chemung county; Edward 
Brewster, lived and died in Chemung county; 
Hiram, mentioned below; Francis, a merchant, 
died in Chester, Orange county; Green M., 
three terms county clerk of Chemung county, 
died in Ottawa, Illinois; Orpha, deceased, mar- 
ried (first) Timothy Little, (second) 

Johnson; Milicent, married Dr. Townsend 
Seeley, and resided in Kendall, Illinois ; Eliz- 
abeth, wife of John L. Smith, lived in Elmira. 

(IX) Hiram, third son of John Herod and 
Elizabeth (Seeley) Tuthill, was born Novem- 
ber 30, 1799, in Blooming Grove, New York, 
where he spent his early years attending the 
district school at Goshen. He was in his 
twentieth year when he removed with his 
father to Chemung county, and there engaged 
in farming, receiving one hundred acres of 
the paternal homestead to which he subse- 
quently added two hundred acres. He was 
an active citizen ; a Democrat in politics, and 
served four terms as supervisor of the town of 
Erin, where he died September 18, 1876. He 
was tall and erect in figure, a scrupulously 
honest and industriotis man, esteemed and re- 
spected in the community. He married Azu- 
bah Seeley, born May, 1804, at Hector Falls, 
near Seneca Lake, New York, daughter of 
Bartlett Seeley, a farmer of that place. She 
died in Erin in 1888. Children: i. The first 
died in infancy, unnamed. 2. Charles Seeley, 
was a grocery merchant for some years in 
Chester, New York, and subsequently at 
Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York, where he 
died March, 1905. 3. John Bartlett, mentioned 
below. 4. Francis G., was a farmer in Che- 
mung county, where he died in February, 
iQio. 5. William M., a farmer of Chemung 
county, died in 1862. 6. Sarah Milicent, died 
in early life. 6. Hiram, mentioned below. 7. 
Stella Azubah. died unmarried in 1862. 

(X) John Bartlett, .second .son of Hiram 
and Azubah (Seeley) Tuthill, was born No- 
vember 4. 1828, in Erin, died February 24, 
1913. He remained on the paternal home- 
stead until twenty-one years of age, re- 
ceiving his education in the district 
schools. On attaining manhood he went to 
Chester, Orange county, where for two and a 
half years he was a clerk in the general store 
of Tuthill, Seeley & Johnson, the senior part- 
ner being his brother, Charles S. Tuthill. In 



1852 J. I',. Tuthill purchased the interest of 
Mr. Johnson, and subsequently Mr. Seeley 
sold to William Eager, and the business was 
conducted for some years under the style of 
Tuthills & Eager. The latter sold out in 1864 
to his partners, and for three years the Tut- 
hills continued the business alone. They con- 
ducted a large mercantile and forwarding busi- 
ness, and in 1867 John B. Tuthill sold his in- 
terest and soon after purchased a farm, which 
he operated two years. Selling this he pur- 
chased another farm of one hundred and 
thirty-three acres, to which he made subse- 
quent additions and carried on a general farm- 
ing and dairying business until he retired in 
1901. He was a director of the Chester Bank, 
and was always active in promoting the gen- 
eral interests of the community. In 1874 he 
built a handsome brick residence on an emi- 
nence, commanding a fine view of the sur- 
rounding region. Throughout his life Mr. Tut- 
hill was identified with the Democratic 
party, and was honored with various of- 
fices, such as overseer of the poor and county 
overseer of highways. He was very ac- 
tive in the Presbyterian church, and was for 
six vears a member of the board of education 
in Chester. 

He married (first) December 10. 1856, 
Martha S., daughter of Francis and Elizabeth 
(Seeley) Tuthill, born October 30. 1836, died 
September 25, 1857. He married (second) 
January 26, 1859, Jane, daughter of James 
Durland, of Chester, born May 6. 1837, died 
September 2-\. 1867. He married (third) Feb- 
ruary 4, 1869. .Susan, daughter of John and 
Mary Ann (Pilgrim) Fowler, of Monroe, 
born November 10. 1835. .granddaughter of 
John Fowler, who came from Scotland and 
settled in Monroe. Children: i. Stella Azu- 
bah. born Januarv 28, 1870; was educated at 
the Chester school; married, January 29, 1901, 
William W. Startup, born July 4, 1871. at 
Ellenville, Ulster county. New York, and is 
the head of the drv goods firm of Startup & 
Ouackcnbush, of Middletown. 2. Sarah, horn 
May W. 1871. died in infancv. 3. Hiram Bart- 
lett. December 8. 1872; resides on the paternal 
homestead in Chester: he married Nellie, 
daughter of Nelson Durland. of Chester, and 
ha<: a son. John Bartlett (2). 

(X^ PTiram (2). .son of Hiram (i) and 
Azubah (Seeley) Tuthill. was born in Erin, 
Chemung county. New York, November 30. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



375 



I '337, and is now living in Chester, 
•Orange county, New York. He received 
his education in the district schools of Che- 
mung county, and came to Chester when he 
was sixteen years of age. At that time his 
brothers were in business there, and he con- 
nected himself with them for about a year, 
and then went as a clerk into the Chester 
Bank, where he remained for the following 
thirteen years, after which he went to Elmira, 
New York, and engaged in mercantile pur- 
suits, but in 1869 he returned to Chester and 
bought out his brothers and formed the part- 
nership of Tuthill & Clark, general mer- 
chandise, which continued until 1875, when he 
bought out Mr. Clark's interest and conducted 
the business alone until igoo, when he sold 
out. During this time he had been a director 
in the Chester National Bank, and upon re- 
tiring from mercantile pursuits he was elected 
president of the bank, a position he still holds. 
He is a Republican in politics and a member 
of the Presbyterian church of Chester. He 
married, in 1869, Pauline, daughter of Icha- 
bod and Katharine (Seeley) Conklin, who was 
torn December 12, 1844, died March 15, 1903. 
Her parents were old residents of Orange 
county, and lived for some years at Elmira, 
N. Y. Children: Joseph E., died aged ten 
years ; Leddra W. C, born June 22, 1874, mar- 
ried Alvira R. Andrews, of Chester. N. Y. 

(XI) Hiram B., son of John Bartlett and 
Susan (Fowler) Tuthill, was born on the Tut- 
Tiill homestead in Chester township. Orange 
county. New York, December 8, 1872, and is 
now living in Chester. He received his educa- 
tion in the district schools of Orange county 
and in the Oaverack Institute on the Hudson, 
from which he graduated with the class of 
i8go. He then spent three years in Texas, 
after which he returned to New York and en- 
gaged in the milk and dairy business. Later 
he assumed the management of his father's 
farm, which he has continued until the pres- 
ent time. He is a member of Standard Lodge, 
No. 711. Free and Accepted Masons, of Mon- 
roe. New York, a past master of the Chester 
Grange, a trustee of the Presbyterian church 
in Chester, and he has served one term as 
democratic assessor for the town of Chester. 
He married. May 25, 1898, Nellie, daughter of 
Nelson and Phoebe ( Kellog) Durland. Child, 
John Bartlett, born February 21, 1901. 



This name, pronounced 
VERMELLE by the Dutch and French 
fairmoyla, means "from 
IVieule," and is an ancient surname of Zee- 
land and Flanders, whence it spread over the 
Netherlands and France. The assumption 
that the original form was Vermeulen is not 
borne out by examination or etymology, al- 
though the latter family became the more 
numerous, and their name was frequently, by 
the error of scribes and the indifference of 
branches of the family, substituted for Ver- 
meule. Adrian, of Vlissengen and America 
(1665-1735) was well educated. He wrote 
his name in a fine, legible hand without the 
final "n," and it must be assumed that he 
did this advisedly. That it has been care- 
fully preserved in its present form for over 
five hundred years seems certain. The 
Romans, in introducing the mill to Northern 
Europe, brought with them two words, 
"mola," a millstone, and "molina," a mill. 
From the first came the French Flemish and 
Old Dutch "meule." From "molina" came 
French "moulin"; early Dutch "meulen," 
late Dutch "molen" ; Old High German 
"mulin": Anglo-Saxon "mylen." (The 
words denoting millstone, in later times, 
came to be used by some of these races for 
mill; so we have Middle English "melle or 
mulle," Old Frisian "mole," Middle and 
Modern High German "muhle.") "Meule" 
still survives in France, and retains its orig- 
inal meaning, "millstone."' It also survives 
in certain place names in Flanders, such as 
"Aleulestede," (Mill-stone place) near 
Ghent, and "Meulebeke," (Millstone Brook) 
near Thielt. Just where Meule was is not 
now clear. Unquestionably it was in Flem- 
ish Zeeland and may have been identical 
witli Meulcstcdc. In 1502. Jan, of Brughes, 
acquired citizenship at AHissengen, and on 
tlirough the sixteenth and seventeenth cen- 
turies the family were skippers and mer- 
chantmen, trading to Dutch, Flemish and 
other ports. In 1639 Adrian was a skipper 
of Aardenburg, near Brusfhes, and in 1676 
Jan. of Hulster Ambacht (Manor), near 
\'lissengen, was a soldier with Admiral Ban- 
chert, fighting the French. Considering their 
environment, religfion and calling, it may be 
safely inferred that thev fought with the 
water beggars under William the Silent. 
In 1661 Cornelius Vermeule purchased 



376 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



burgher rights at New Amsterdain, where 
he had brought goods for sale, and where he 
stated that his mother then lived. Although 
various members of the family were at New 
Amsterdam, those in the direct line appear 
not to have remained continuously here, and 
probably they were either traders in the 
Dutch West India Company, or else they 
returned to Holland after the English occu- 
pation of New Amsterdam, coming again 
to this country later on. 

(I) Jan Cornelissen Vermeule (son of 
Cornelius), resided in Vlissengen, or Flush- 
ing, Holland, where he was elected an elder 
of the Dutch church, May i, 1686, re-elected 
May 6, 1690, and May 15, 1694. He was 
evidently a well-to-do burgher. In 1695 he 
purchased a pleasure garden from Catalina 
Sauchard, widow of Moses Cateau. His sons 
were Jan. Cornelius and Adrian. 

(II) Adrian, son of Jan Cornelissen Ver- 
meule, was born about 1665-68 in Holland, 
and was educated with the ministry in view. 
He joined the church in Vlissengen, Octo- 
ber I, 16S6. His friend, the Rev. Guillaem 
Bertholf, who married Adrian's cousin, 
Martnintie Hendricx Vermeule Verwey. 
was a famous evangelist and church organ- 
izer, and was for many years the pastor at 
Hackensack, New Jersey. In May, 1688, 
he had a child baptized at the New Amster- 
dam church. Bertholf returned to Holland 
to be ordained at Middleburgh, and per- 
suaded his friend, .'\drian Vermeule, to visit 
this country. They arrived about 1694, and 
Vermeule. being an educated man, was in- 
duced to remain and accept the position of 
voorleser and town clerk at New Harlem, 
where he witnessed a document in 1699. He 
served as town clerk and voorleser until 
1708. Some of the New Harlem town docu- 
ments are sealed with Adrian's private seal, 
bearing the Vermeule coat-of-arms. In 1707 
the church at Bergen, New Jersey, invited 
him to settle there as teacher and voor- 
leser, which he did, officiating for the first 
time, February 8, 1708. In the absence of a 
settled clergyman he conducted the religious 
service, acting every Sunday morning at 
Bergen and on alternate Sundavs in the 
afternoon at Communipaw and Harsamus. 
He was teacher, both secular and religious. 
and on May it, 1708, laid the cornerstone 
of a new stone building to accommodate the 



secular school. This was first occupied in 
its finished state, October 3, 1710. For his 
services Adrian received a salary of about 
six hundred florins per year, and from De- 
cember, 1712, to April 28, 1717, he also kept 
the journals of the deaconry, for which he 
received an additional annual recompense of 
twelve florins. He evidently had some con- 
siderable private means in addition, how- 
ever, and was not dependent upon his sal- 
ary. He was a brother-in-law of Dirck Cad- 
mus, of Pamrapaugh, and they remained 
fast friends until Adrian's death. He died 
in the latter part of 1735 or early part of 
1736, and during his twenty-seven years of 
service at Bergen seventy-nine members 
were added to the church. He married, or 
published the bans of some fifty couples, 
stood at the side of sixty-nine death beds, 
and comforted many of the ill and sorrow- 
ing members of that early settlement. In 
1735 he purchased a large tract of land at 
Plainfield, New Jersey, on which his two 
sons settled and where his descendants con- 
tinued for several generations. 

He married (first) May 30, 1690. at Vlis- 
sengen. Holland, Dinah Swarts, who had 
one child that died in infancy in 1692. The 
death of his wife and child probably caused 
the loss of health and need for diversion 
which led to his visiting America with Dom- 
inie Bertholf in 1694, for it was this, and not 
permanent settlement, which he had in mind 
when he came. He married (second), at 
Bersren. July i, 1708, Christina Fredericks 
Cadmus, horn at Bergen, and their three 
children were born there, viz. : Frederick, 
Mav 20, 1700: Teuntje. Anril 8, 1712; Cor- 
nelius, mentioned below. The elder son died 
unmarried July 13. 1706. He resided with 
his brother on the plantation purchased by 
their father at Plainfield. 

(HI) Cornelius, junior son of Adrian and 
Christina Fredericks (Cadmus') Vermeule. 
was born April 2, 1716, at Bergen, died 
March 15, 1784, at Plainfield. He was a 
member of the provincial congress and 
council of safety in 1775 at the outbreak of 
the revolution. He was a devout man and 
an elder of the Raritan Church, at \^an Vech- 
tens Bridge, but also an active man of af- 
fairs and an ardent patriot. His four sons 
served in the militia during the revolu- 
tionary war, and his first born, Adrian, no 



SOUTHERN NEW -YORK 



.Ml 



doubt as a punishment for the father's patri- 
otic activities, and to his great grief, was 
captured by the British in January, 1777, 
and died a prisoner in the Sugar house in 
New York two months later. Washington 
occasionally visited the homestead, and the 
officers of one of his regiments were the 
guests of Cornelius one entire winter. That 
Washington and his officers were not un- 
mindful of this experience is evidenced by 
the fact that in 1799, when war with France 
was threatened, the government purchased 
a part of the Vermeule plantation for a per- 
manent camp, and by the further fact that 
in 1814 a grandson, Cornelius, was enter- 
tained at Mount Vernon by Judge Wash- 
ington (the General being then dead) and 
has left an interesting account of his visit. 
Cornelius prospered, his plantation grew to 
full one thousand two hundred acres, and 
was manned by a goodly company of slaves. 

He married Mary Marcelis, born 1720, 
died May i, 1766. Children: Adrian, born 
February 21, 1741, died March 9, 1777; Gar- 
rity, September 4, 1744, died August 27, 
1764: Eder, January 4, 1748, died April 5, 
1828: Frederick, February 8, 1751, died 
March 13. 1830; Christine, November 4, 
1754, died November 4, 1779; Cornelius, 
mentioned below ; Dinah, September 25. 
1759, died February 10, 1825. The last 
named married Richard Field and died with- 
out issue. The other daughters died unmar- 
ried. 

(IV) Captain Cornelius (2) Vermeule, 
fourth son of Cornelius ( i ) and Mary ( Mar- 
celis) Vermeule, was born June 30, 1757, at 
Plainfield, died there October 11, 1823. He 
remained upon the homestead plantation, 
which he called "Warren Plains" after Gen- 
eral Joseph Warren, whom he greatly ad- 
mired, and for whom he also named a .son. 
He enlisted in the Somerset militia when 
eighteen years old, became captain and won 
the hand of his colonel's daughter. The reg- 
iment fought at Monmouth, and its service 
was most arduous during the war. A letter 
from Colonel Dirck Middagh's daughter 
says that for months her father was scarcely 
at home at all. He spent a goodly fortune 
in the cause of his country. Captain Cor- 
nelius Vermeule remained with his company 
until 1802, when he resigned after twenty- 
seven years' service. 



He married, February 14, 1781, Elizabeth, 
daughter of Colonel Richard Middagh, born 
1764, who died July 9, 1849. Children: 
Richard Middagh, born January 27, 1783, 
died February 8, 1861 ; Dinah, January 26, 
1785, died October 17, 1867; Cornelius, Jan- 
uary 27, 1787, died January 15, 1859; Mar- 
garet, 1789, died December 17, 1856; Fred- 
erick, 1791, died January 30, 1865; Isaac 
Davis, mentioned below ; Judith Middagh, 
September 30, 1795, died February 22, 1881 ; 
John Marsellis, August 8, 1800, died March 
15, 1833; Field, September, 1803, died Feb- 
ruary 26, 1877; W^arren, March i, 1806, died 
March 9, 1861. All of these married and left 
issue except Frederick. 

He gave all of his large family a liberal 
education. Of his seven sons, four were 
physicians. Drs. Richard M., Field and 
Warren practiced in New York when the 
Bowery was the fashionable quarter, and 
Dr. John Marsellis in Plainfield. His son 
Cornelius, for a time a professor at Rutgers 
College (1814), was for many years pastor 
of the Reformed church at Harlem, and an- 
other, Frederick, was educated for the min- 
istry, but his health failed. His daughter, 
Judith M., a woman of much literar}-^ ability, 
became the wife of Rev. Dr. James Phillips, 
a professor at the University of North Car- 
olina, and the mother of Rev. Charles Phil- 
lips, also a professor there; Samuel Phillips, 
a prominent lawyer of Wa.shington, D. C, 
and solicitor of the court of claims, follow- 
ing the civil war; and Cornelia Phillips 
Spencer, a historian and poet who received 
the degree of LL.D. an honor then unusual 
for a woman. Judith M. Vermeule. after 
her father's death, pleaded earnestly with 
his executors for the release of his slaves in 
New Jersey. Her pleas are .still extant, yet 
thirty-five years later, in her old age, she 
found herself, by environment and all nat- 
ural ties, a Confederate, on the side of the 
.south, although one son espoused the north- 
ern cause. That through this unusual and 
trying experience her thoughts went back 
to her girlhood home at Plainfield is evi- 
denced by some touchingly reminiscent letters 
to her northern kin, from whom she was for 
several vears cut off by the war. Captain 
Cornelius Vermeule's other daughter, Mar- 
garet married John Clarkson, and became 
the mother of Dr. Cornelius Vermuele 



378 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Clarkson, a prominent New York City phy- 
sician, and Dr. Frederick V. Clarkson, who 
also practised in New York. The foregoing 
is certainly an unusual professional record 
for a single family of children. 

(V) Isaac Davis, fourth son of Captain 
Cornelius (2) and Elizabeth (Middagh) 
X'ermeule, was born at Warren Plains, Sep- 
tember 7, 1793, died near by, at New Market, 
December 7, 1822. He married, January 30, 
1818, at Fieldville, New Jersey, Mary Field, 
born December 8, 1796, daughter of Dennis 
Field, and a sister of Judge John D. Field. 
Her's was a prominent family of that part of 
New Jersey. He set up his home near the 
homestead, at Warren Plains, but died four 
years afterward of typhoid fever. He is 
described as a well educated, tall young 
man. of striking appearance. Children: 
Dennis Field, born December 29, 1818; 
Adrian, mentioned below; Mary Elizabeth, 
January 2, T823. 

(y\) Adrian (2). second son of Isaac 
Davis and Mary (Field) Vermeule. was born 
October 13,1820, at New Market, New Jersey, 
died May 15, 1903, at New Brunswick, New 
Jersey. He was an architect and builder at 
Plainfield and New Market. Later he pur- 
chased a large and beautiful tract of land 
known as Landing Farms, near New Bruns- 
wick, and brought it to a high state of cultiva- 
tion. It is still in the possession of the family. 
He also carried on a coal and grain business at 
New Brunswick, was a director of local 
banks and corporations, and was charged 
with the settlement of several estates. He 
was long an elder in the Presbyterian 
church of Bound Brook, and later in the 
Second Reformed Church of New Bnms- 
wick. He was a man of uncompromising 
integrity, a wise coiuiselor, a genial friend 
and neighbor, exercising much influence po- 
litically, although never a candidate for pub- 
lic office. The loss of his father while he 
was an infant, rendered still worse by the 
fact that but little of his grandfather's prop- 
erty came to his mother, constituted a seri- 
ous handicap to y\drian, but he overcame it 
by perseverance, acquired a good education 
before reaching manhood, and won the re- 
spect and confidence of the community in 
which he lived. 

He married, June 3, 1852, at Six Mile Run. 
New Jersey, Maria Veghte, born there April 



6, 1825, daughter of Nicholas and Cornelia 
(Beekman) Veghte, and connected with the 
oldest Dutch stock of America. Children : 
Georgiana, Dennis Field, Cornelius Clark- 
son, mentioned below ; Cornelia, Adrian, all 
of whom are still living. The daughters 
and youngest son are unmarried. The eld- 
est son married Amy Kline Field and has 
children : Edyth and Roy Field. 

(VII) Cornelius Clarkson, second son of 
Adrian (2) and Maria (Veghte) Vermeule, 
was born September 5, 1858, at New Bruns- 
wick, New Jersey. He was fitted for college 
at the Rutgers Preparatory School, follow- 
ing which he spent four years as a student 
in the engineering course at Rutgers Col- 
lege, New Brunswick, graduating in June, 
1878, with the degree of B. S. and receiving 
the degree of C. E. for progress in his pro- 
fession three years later. After graduation 
he was immediately employed on the New 
Jersey State Survey, of which he became 
engineer in charge in 1879. This work he 
completed with marked success in 1888. It 
was pioneer work of its kind in this country, 
and its successful organization and execu- 
tion by so young a man as Mr. \'ermeule 
then was, attracted much favorable com- 
ment. He has continued with the state as 
consulting engineer to the present time, and 
has investigated and reported upon water 
supply, water power, drainage, inland water 
ways, the effect of forests upon streams, the 
imjirovcment of harbors and other matters 
referred to him, in a long series of valuable 
official reports. He is widely known as an 
authority in hydraulic and sanitary matters. 
Since 1888 he has conducted an extensive 
engineering practice, with an office in New 
York City, operating throughout the New 
luigland. Middle and Southern States, and 
in Cuba, .\fter an arduous campaign in 
Havana and Washington in 1908. he per- 
suaded the government to rehabilitate im- 
portant works of sanitation at Cienfuegos, 
Cuba, which works had been seriously in- 
terfered with by the insurrection and inter- 
vention of two years before. He founded 
York Clififs. a summer resort in Maine, in 
1892. While leading an active, practical life, 
Mr. Vermeule finds time for literary culture 
and historic research. He is a public-spir- 
ited supporter of all municipal, state and 
national measures for sanitation or other 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



379 



economic or social betterment. Pie is in- 
dependent in politics. He resides at East 
Orange, New Jersey, and is identified with 
the Presbyterian church. He is a member 
of the Century Club and the Holland Soci- 
ety of New York, the New England Society 
of Orange, the New Jersey Historical So- 
ciety, the Newark Board of Trade, and the 
American Water Works Association. 

He married, June 7, 1888, in New York 
City, Mary Caroline Carpenter, born in 
NewGurg, New York, daughter of Colonel 
Horatio and Alida Carpenter Reed. Colonel 
Horatio Reed served through the civil war 
with distinction, and became colonel of the 
Fifth United States Artillery. At the close 
of the war his regiment garrisoned Fortress 
Monroe, when Jefferson Davis was in cus- 
tody there, and between his and the Davis 
family a mutual regard resulted. He was 
subsequently a Pasha in the Egyptian army, 
which position he was compelled to resign 
on account of ill health. His children were : 
Mary Caroline, mentioned above; Benjamin, 
died young; William Warren. Children of 
Cornelius C. Vermeule : Cornelius Clark- 
son and Warren Carpenter. Both are now 
engaged in preparation for college at Car- 
taret Academy, Orange, New Jersey. 



There appears to have been a 
GRIFFIN large number of early settlers 
in America bearing the name 
of Grififin. Savage's "Genealogical Diction- 
ary" mentions seventeen emigrants of this 
name who arrived in America between the 
years of 1641 and 1700. 

The ancestry of the Grififin family to 
whom this sketch refers, can be traced to 
Major Jasper Grififin, who was born in 
Wales, in 1648. He settled first in Essex 
county, Massachusetts, in 1670. and the rec- 
ords show that in 1674 he was a resident of 
Marblehead, Massachusetts, He brought 
with him to America the Grififin coat-of- 
arms, on which is inscribed the motto. Sem- 
per parafns — "Always ready", and in con- 
sulting the biosranhies of several descend- 
ants of Jasper Griffin it is a noteworthy fact 
that the family motto has invariably been 
lived up to. 

In 1(^7=;. Jasper Grififin, with his wife and 
three children, removed to Southold, Suffolk 



county, Long island, where he acquired a 
large tract of land. He was a farmer of con- 
siderable importance and was appointed ma- 
jor of the provincial militia troops. A street 
in Southold still bears his name, and it was 
here that he died, April 17, 1718. 

Among the children of Jasper Griffin was 
a son Edward, who was married at South- 
old, and had children who settled near 
White Plains, Westchester county, New 
York. Among them was John Griffin, who 
left numerous descendants. Of these, 
Charles Griffin, who married Mary Brewer] 
is the direct ancestor of George Griffin, the 
principal subject of this review. The chil- 
dren of Charles and Mary (Brewer) Griffin 
were: Cornelius, Charles, William, Milton, 
Nelson and Edward. 

Milton Griffin, fourth son of Charles, was 
born in Westchester county, New York, 
July 13, 1812. In early manhood he moved 
to Dutchess county, locating at New Ham- 
burgh, New York. Here he operated and 
owned the largest lime kilns along the Hud- 
son river, distributing his products in his 
own vessels to the various water markets. 
He married Mary E., daughter of John and 
Elizabeth De Groot, descendants of an old 
French Huguenot family of Ulster county. 
Mr. and Mrs. Milton Griffin were devout 
Methodists, and contributed liberally to the 
cost of building the Methodist Episcopal 
church at New Hamburgh. In their family 
were Austin, Maria, Jennie, Gertrude, Ma- 
mie, Levi'is, Milton and George. 

George, son of Milton and Mary E. (De 
Groot) Griffin, was born at New Ham- 
burgh, New York, in 1854, and died at his 
home in Dutchess county. May 29. 1910. 
After completing his studies at the public 
schools he located on Staten Island, where 
with Lewis St. John he was extensively en- 
gaged in the shipbuilding business, in which 
he achieved an unusual degree of success. 
Mr. Griffin married, in 1880, at Staten Is- 
land, Miss Catherine Wait, and the follow- 
ing children were born : Mamie, who mar- 
ried Austin B. Hitchcock, of the town of 
Wappinger ; Eloise, married Jacob T. Tomp- 
kins, of the town of Fishkill ; Bessie W., 
and George L.. all now living. In 1897 
Mr. Griffin decided to retire from active bus- 
iness life, and removed with his family to 
his native county of Dutchess, where he 



38o 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



engaged in the cultivation of a farm until 
the close of his life as noted above. 



It is not possible to state 
HOLLISTER outright the derivation of 
the family name of Hol- 
listcr. There is a variety in the explanation, 
none of which may be selected as the correct 
one with certainty, but nevertheless they 
do explain. One forms the name "holly" 
and "terra", meaning a land where the holly- 
tree abounds, and this is pointed out as a 
fair reason, for in Somersetshire, England, 
where such trees do grow abundantly, there 
is a place called Hollister. On the other 
hand, such a combination is a hybrid, yet 
hybrids in names and words do exist and 
not uncommonly, too. "Holly" is an Eng- 
lish word, while "terra" is of the Latin. In 
olden times the name was also written 
"Holester", and that would indicate a deri- 
vation from "Holy", (Saxon "Halig",) with 
the other Saxon word "steora", being the 
common affix "ster", a director, — hence 
"Halig-steora", a Holy Guide. Correspond- 
ing in sound with the word Hollister is 
"holster", (Saxon "Heolster"), a hiding 
place, or recess. To go back several cen- 
turies in the history of this family, fraught 
with changes of pronunciation continuous- 
ly, it is truly difficult to reach a decision. 
We can only discuss the derivations of the 
sounds in the same manner as we would 
point out antecedent nationalities by gazing 
upon a face. 

The arms used by the Hollister family in 
America are: Sable, between a greyhound 
courant bendways and a dolphin, hauriant 
in base, argent, three roses gules; on a chief 
of the second, two slips of strawberry fruct- 
ed proper. Crest: An arm in armor, em- 
bowed between two sprigs of strawberry, 
as in the arms, and holding a branch of holly, 
proper. Motto : Fuiiiius, et sub Deo Eri- 
miis. In a coat-of-arms owned by Hon. 
Gideon H. Hollister, the armor is sable, 
but striped or; the greyhound is argent, as 
is the dolphin, except the back, tail and fins. 
which are or. The crest rests on a wreath 
of gules and argent. 

The Hollister family is of Anglo-Saxon 
stock, long settled in England. It cannot 
be said that they were confined to any par- 
ticular nart of the kingdom, but those of 



whom there has been handed down a good 
record lived in Gloucestershire, Somerset- 
shire and Wiltshire. 

The earliest mention of the name has been 
found in the sixth year of Queen Elizabeth, 
between November 17, 1563, and November 
17, 1564. This entry in the English records 
shows that Henry, Lord Berkeley, sold the 
fourth part of his manor of Almondsbury, 
Gloucestershire, to John Hollister and 
others. There is a will on file, made by John 
Hollister, a merchant of Bristol, of the same 
name and almost the same period as of the 
first of the name in America, dated July 29, 
1575. The parish register of Stinchcombe, 
Gloucestershire, in the year 1584. gives the 
marriage of one and the burial of another 
of the name, and it is almost certain that 
the progenitor came from that parish. 

(I) John Hollister is the ancestor of the 
family in America. It is believed that he 
was born in England in 1612, and to have 
emigrated to this country about 1642. He 
probably sailed from Bristol. It is certain 
that he was educated and of good family, 
for immediately upon arriving he became 
one of the most prominent and influential 
men of Wethersfield and the Connecticut col- 
ony. His name first appears in the records 
of that colony as a juror of the particular 
court held March 2, 1642, which goes to es- 
tablish the fact that he was a settler at that 
time. He was admitted freeman in 1643; 
was a deputy in 1644. again in April, 1645, 
and represented the town of Wethersfield 
many times thereafter until 1656. His name 
appears as a juror in June, 1646. With 
Thomas Coleman and Nathaniel Dickerson, 
he was appointed for Wethersfield, October 
3, 1654, to join with the deputy-governor 
to press men at Wethersfield for an expedi- 
tion, probably against the Indians, who were 
then at war against the settlers of that 
neighborhood. He was appointed by the 
general court, in February, 1656, to give 
"the best and safe advice to the Indians, if 
they agreed to meet and should crave their 
advice." His name first appears on the 
records as Lieutenant Hollister in March, 
1658-59, when he applied to the general 
court as to the charges of the church at 
\\'ethersfield against him for which he had 
been excommunicated. The quarrel is spread 
upon the record as follows: 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



381 



"By this time, the church at Wethersfield had 
again become ripe for dissensions. Probably 
within two years after the death of Mr, Smith, 
but at what precise date is not known, the Rev. 
John Russell was called and ordained there, so 
far as appears, without opposition. The first part 
of his ministry was quiet and seemed to promise 
well for the future. But the Hartford controversy 
gradually extended into the church and some 
other elements of a very combustible character 
were made to feed the flame. Among other 
things, Mr. Russell appears to have been a wit- 
ness in a lawsuit, and to have testified in a way 
that was extremely animadverted upon by Lieu- 
tenant John Hollister, a prominent member of 
the church. Mr. Russell held the views with 
Mr. Stone of Hartford in relation to church gov- 
ernment and discipline, and without giving the 
offending member an opportunity to have a hear- 
ing, or even the benefit of a vote of the church, 
he privately excommunicated him in 1656, and 
afterward refused to give his reasons for such 
summary proceeding when they were demanded 
by Mr. Hollister. Had Mr. Russell been anxious 
to test the practical workings of his plan of 
church government, he could hardly have chosen 
a more favorable subject than one of Captain 
Mason's military officers, a gentleman of un- 
doubted probity, and experienced member of the 
general court and a man not likely to be out- 
done by Mr. Russell in the steadiness of his 
purposes and the obstinacy of his resistance. Be- 
sides his own natural force of character, Hol- 
lister had married a daughter of Richard Treat, 
Esquire, one of the most formidable opponents 
in the colony, and could bring into the quarrel an 
arrav of names that the general court would 
hardlv treat with contempt. The whole town 
was of course tlirown into a state of excitement, 
at this unusual war waged between a clergyman 
against a member of his church. * * * The 
quarrel ended with the removal of Mr. Russell 
to Hadley, with his adherents, where he spent 
the remainder of his days." 

Lieutenant Hollister was appointed col- 
lector in Wethersfield. March 14. 1660. He 
was a large land-holder there, especially in 
the part of the town on the east side of the 
Connecticut river, later on known as Glas- 
tonbury. It was the first portion of the 
town laid out by survey for the colony, and 
was intended to give each occupant a fair 
portion of meadow and upland. These were 
called "Naubuc Farms", and Lot 34, from 
the Hartford line southward, was originally 
set ofT for Matthew Mitchell, who removed 
to Stamford. It contained about nine hun- 
dred acres. One-third of this came into pos- 
session of Lieutenant Holli.^.ter. and he also 
acquired the next lot to the south, adjoin- 
ing the Treat farm of his father-in-law. A 
considerable portion of the land remained 



in possession of the HoHister family until 
as late as 1884, but when Charles Hollister 
died it was sold. The house in which he 
lived was built in 1675, ^i^^ was known as 
"the old Red House", located on the west 
shore of Roaring brook, facing the south, 
on the road leading to Rocky-Hill ferry. 
It is a large, commodious house, with an 
upper story projecting over the lower by 
a few inches, according to the architectural 
style of colonial days. The finishing of the 
"best room" is particularly handsome, 
adorned with panels and moldings which 
are unusually fine for a house built at that 
time. The outside is ornamented by brack- 
ets or corbels carved in the corner and door- 
posts. The ancient well was covered over 
about the year 1800, but in 1885 was once 
more put into service. 

Lieutenant John Hollister married Joan- 
na, daughter of Hon. Richard Treat Sr., and 
his wife Joanna. His death occurred at 
Wethersfield, Connecticut. April. 1665; she 
died in October, 1694. His will was drawn 
April 3, 1665, and was probated June i. 
[665. Children: i. Elizabeth, married 
Saniuel Welles, in 1659, and although she 
is not mentioned in her father's will, three 
of her children received legacies. 2. John, 
see forward. 3. Thomas, born in Wethers- 
field, in 1649. died there, November 8. 1701; 
married (first) Elizabeth, daughter of Jolin 
Lattimer: married (second) Elizabeth, wid- 
ow of Amos Williams, about 1690. 4. Jos- 
eph, died August 29, 1673-74. unmarried. 5. 
Lazarus, born in 1656, died September, 
1709. unmarried. 6. Mary, born in Wethers- 
field : married John Welles. 7. Sarah, born 
in Wethersfield. died December 8. 1691 : 
married (first) Rev. Hope Atherton; mar- 
ried (second) Lieutenant Timothy Baker. 
8 Stephen, born in Wethersfield in 1658, 
died at Greenbush (Rensselaer). New York, 
of camp distemper, about October 2, 1709; 
married (first) in 1683. Abigail Treat; mar- 
ried (second), between 1702 and 1709. Eliz- 
abeth, widow of Tonathan Revnolds and 
daughter of John Coleman, both of Weth- 
ersfield. Connecticut. 

(ID John (2). son of Lieutenant John (i) 
and Toanna (Treat) Hollister. was born in 
Wethersfield. Connecticut, about 1644- rle 
was one of the principal men of Glaston- 
bury where he died November 24, I7"- 



382 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



From what is known of his Hfe he must 
have possessed largely the very belligerant 
spirit of his father, for he was engaged in 
the noted lawsuit which continued over sev- 
eral years between Hollister and Bulkley, 
over the boundary line of certain lands. 
This controversy finally resulted in a re- 
survey of all the "lots", from the Hartford 
line to Nayaug, by order of the general 
court, and which has been preserved in the 
state archives, which papers are most im- 
portant to the place. He married. Novem- 
ber 20, 1667, Sarah, daughter of William and 
Sarah (Marvin) Goodrich. Children: I. 
John, born August 9, 1669, died December 
13, 1741 ; married (first) his cousin, Abigail 
Hollister. June 7, 1693; married (second) 

Susannah . 2. Thomas, see forward. 3. 

Joseph, born July 8, 1674, died at Glaston- 
bury, Connecticut. July 9, 1746; married 
(first) Ann — ■ — , November 27, 1694; mar- 
ried (second) Sarah . "4. Sarah, born 

October 25, 1676, died at Glastonbury, Oc- 
tober 15. 1715; married, January 5. 1699, 
Benjamin Talcott. 5. Elizabeth, born March 
30, 1678. died in infancy. 6. David, born 
November 20, t68i, died December 27, 1753 ; 

married Charity . 7. Ephraim, born 

March 13, 1684, died in 1733; married, April 

1, 1707, Elizabeth Green. 8. Charles, born 
July 29, 1686, died before November 11, 
1711. 9. Elizabeth, married, in Berlin, Con- 
necticut, February t6. T71S. Dr. Joseph 
Steele. 10. Marv, married Captain Rnl>ert 
Welles. 

(HI) Thomas, son of John (2) and .Sarah 
(Goodrich) Hollister, was born in Wethers- 
field. Connecticut. January 14. 1672. died in 
Glastonburv. Connecticut. October 12, T741. 
He resided most of his life in Glastonbury. 
where he was a deacon of the church, and nn 
the records he is known as "the weaver". He 
married Dorothy, daughter of Josenh and 
Phillis rLvttian) Hills (or Hill). She was 
born about 1677. died October 3, 1741. Chil- 
dren : I. Tosiah. born in Glastonbury, Con- 
necticut, June 7, i6o6, died January 3. T749; 
married, January 18, 1718, Martha Miller. 

2. Dorothy, born October 17, 1697: married. 
January 3. 1717. Abram Fox. 3. Gideon, see 
forward, d. Charles, see forward. K. Eliza- 
beth, born December 17. 1703: married. Oc- 
tober 11, 173T. William Miller, of Glaston- 
bury. 6. Hannah, born December 26, 1705, 



died October 12, 1712. 7. Thomas, born 
January 13, 1707, died in Eastbury, Con- 
necticut, September 17, 1784; married, Jan- 
uary I, 1734, Abigail Talcott. 8. Ruth, born 
October 13, 1710: married Nehcmiah Smith, 
of Hartford. 9. Rachel, born July 27, 1712; 
married Joshua Talcott, of Bolton, Connecti- 
cut, died at Bolton, March 10, 1807. 10. 
Hannah, born February 16, 1714; married 
William House, of Glastonbury. 11. Eu- 
nice, born in Glastonbury ; married, Novem- 
ber 27. 1733, Thomas Loveland Jr. 12. Su- 
sannah, born in Glastonbury ; married. May 
4, 1741, Benoni House. 13. Elisha, born in 
Glastonbury, in 1722, died November 12, 
1800; married (first) about 1748. Experience 
Robbins, of Wethersfield ; married (second) 
about 1766. Penelope Graves, widow of 
Elihu Dwight. 

(]Y) Gideon, son of Thomas and Doro- 
th)- (Hills or Hill) Hoflister, was born in 
Glastonbury, Connecticut, September 23, 
1699, died in Eastbury, Connecticut, Febru- 
ary 15, 1785, where he was buried. He re- 
moved from Glastonbury to Eastbury, tak- 
ing up his residence in the house built there 
by his father, and which was still standing 
in 1882. He was aopointed a lieutenant of 
militia in 1736, and was a deacon of the 
cluircli. He married, in 1723, Rachel Tal- 
cott. born in Glastonbury, October 6, 1706, 
died there. June n. .1790, daughter of Na- 
thaniel Talcott. Children: i. Gideon, born 
March T. 1728. died January 12, i8t2: mar- 
ried ("first) a daughter of Stephen Hollister; 
married (second) Esther Case, of East Hart- 
ford. 2. ^Tary, born in T730: married Ben- 
jamin Strickland. 3. Nathaniel, see forward. 

4. Jemima, born in 1731; married 

Brainard. a farmer, q. Rachel, born in 1738; 
married (first) November 25, 1762. Jona- 
than Holden ; married (second") 

Holmes. 6. Israel, born in 1741, died Febru- 
ary 28. 1818: married Sarah Skinner, of 
Colchester. 7. Elizabeth, born in 1743; 
married. November 20. T777. John Howe. 
8. Hannah, born March i. 1743, died March 
■JO. T840: married. December 2. 1767. Ralph 
Smith, of Chatham. Connecticut. 0. .A.nn, 
born March i. x~^^ (twin) : married Elisha 
Howe. 

(V) Nat'ia'i'el. son of Gideon and Rachel 
(Talcott) Hollister. was born in Glaston- 
bury. Connecticut, in 173T. died in 1810. He 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



383 



married, October 29, 1754, Mehitable Mat- 
tison (sometimes called in records Mabel 
Matson), born in 1739, died September 26, 
1824. Children: i. Patience, born March 
21, 1756: married, November 11, 1777, Jos- 
eph Hollister. 2. Nathaniel, born February 
25, 1757, died August 12, 1768. 3. David, 
born October 9, 1758, died July 20, 1836; 
married, June 6, 1782, Hope Clark, born 
September 28, 1760, died September 22, 
1855. 4. Ruth, born August 5, 1760, died 
August 3, 1820; married, February 28, 1782, 
Daniel House, who died February, 1819, 
aged sixty-two years. 5. Chloe, born Octo- 
ber 3, 1762, died October, 1826: married. 
March 21, 1782, Abner House. 6. John, born 
August 3, 1764, died aged three days. 7. 
Jonathan, born August 3, 1764 (twin), died 
aged three days. 8. Isaac, born August 21, 
1765, died in Chenango Forks, New York, 
about 1845; married Betsy Lucas. 9. 
Amasa, born May 30, 1768, died March 30, 
1847. in Hollisterville, Pennsylvania; mar- 
ried, in 1790, Mehitable Everts, born April, 
1768, died June 26, 1843. 10. Edith, born 
Augvist 7, 1770; married, November 18. 
1792, Asa Cook. IT. Nathaniel, born March 
28, 1772, died in Canada, March 15, 1839; 
married. June 5, 1791, Prudence Strickland, 
born in 1767, died April 15, 1843. 12. 
Phoebe, born February 20 (or 27), 1774, died 
in 1865 : married, October 13. 1797. William 
Case, of Rhode Island. 13. Gideon, see for- 
ward. 14. Giles, born March 14, 1778, died 
March 28, 1852: married Rhoda May, born 
December 15, 1783, died aged ninety years: 
both joined Mount Lebanon, New York, 
Shakers, iq. Rachel, born in 1780, died in 
1782. 16. Rachel, born .September 17, 1783, 
died in 1836: married, February, 180S. Allen 
Hollister, who died December 23. 1823. 

(VI) Gideon (2), son of Nathaniel and 
Mehitable (Mattison) Hollister. was born 
in Glastonbury, Connecticut, January 20, 
1776, died in Andover, Connecticut, Febru- 
ary 22, 1864. He was a manufacturer of 
paper at Andover, whither he had moved, 
and was regarded as a valuable, highly re- 
spected member of the community. He 
p-iarried Alary Olmsted, of F-^^t Hartford, 
Connecticut, who was a beautiful young wo- 
man, possessed of great energrv and force of 
character, trulv a helnmeet to him. She died 
September i, 1827. Children: t. Edwin M.. 



see forward.- 2. Samuel O., born June 4, 
1801 ; married, November 18, 1824, Sally m! 
Loomis, of Andover, born there, July 15, 

1800. 3. Whiting H., born January 19] 
1804, died in Boston, November 14, 1883; 
married (first) November 11, 1829, Sarah 
Ann Buell, daughter of Major John H. 
Buell, of Andover, born there, October 11, 
1803, died in Boston. August 31, 1877; he 
married (second) February 21, 1882, Lu- 
cella P. Ware. 4. Charles, born in Dover, 
Connecticut. October 21, 1805, died about 
1863: married Elizabeth Frances Griswold, 
of Windsor. Connecticut, born there. May 
20, 1808. 5. Mary, born in 1808, died in 
1869: resided in Hartford, Connecticut; 
married John H. Buell, who died in 1836; 
no issue. 6. Nelson, born in Andover. Con- 
necticut, February 12, 1810; resident of 
Hartford: married. May 12, 1834. Edith 
Sawyer, of \Yindham, Connecticut, who was 
born there, November 21. 1815, daughter of 
Elijah Ringe Saw\'er and Fanny Spencer. 
7. Esther, born in 1812. 

(VII) Edwin M., son of Gideon (2) and 
Mary (Olmsted) Hollister, was born in An- 
dover, Connecticut, in tSoo, died in Wind- 
sor, Connecticut, in 1870. Upon growing up 
he settled in Hartford, where he was a dry 
goods merchant, and later removed to 
Windsor, where he engaged in the manu- 
facture of paper. He married Gratia Tay- 
lor Buell, born in .'Vndover. Connecticut, in 

1801, daughter of Major John H. Buell. an 
officer in the revolution ; aide to General 
^^'ashington and an original member of the 
Society of the Cincinnati from whom it de- 
scended to Henry H. Hollister. Children: 
I. Edward Hubbell. born in Hartford, Con- 
necticut. November 27. 1826: merchant of 
New York City : resided in Brooklyn. New 
York, where he died November 27, 1875 ; 
married, December 6, 1849, Emily Harriet 
Phelps, of Windsor, Connecticut, born in 
Pnquonock. Connecticut. December 30, 
1822. died March 14. 1878. 2. Sarah Buell. 
born in Hartford. Connecticut; married 
Broughton D. Harris, of Chesterfield. New 
Hampshire, graduate of Dartmouth and 
resident of Brattleboro. Vermont, where 
he engaged in railway construction. 3. 
George, born in Windsor. Connecticut, in 
1832: eneae-ed in wholesale grain business 
in New York City as senior member of Hoi- 



384 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



lister, Crane & Company; residing in Ruth- 
erford, New Jersey ; married Phoebe Conk- 
ling, of Mattituck, Long Island. 4. Mary 
Louisa, born in Windsor, Connecticut, April 
17, 1834; married, September 23, 1863, Wal- 
ter Albert Pease, born in Troy, New York, 
October 13, 1833; became a wholesale flour 
merchant in New York City; children: 
Henry Hollister, born September i, 1868, 
and Walter Albert Jr., born December 14, 
1871. 5. Helen Maria, born in Windsor, 
Connecticut, about 1836; married Effing- 
ham Maynard, of Clark & Maynard, whole- 
sale publishers and booksellers in New 
York City ; children : Mary Hollister, Wal- 
ter, Helen Louise and Effingham Jr. 6. 
John Buell, born in Windsor, Connecticut, 
in 1S38: became partner of his brother, 
George, in wholesale grain business in New 
York City, with residence in Rutherford, 
New Jersey; married Ellie Crane, of New 
York City; children: Emeline Iveson, Ed- 
ward H., Gratia Buell and Henry Hutchin- 
son. 7. Henry Hutchinson, see forward. 

(VHI) Henry Hutchinson, son of Edwin 
M. and Gratia Taylor (Buell) Hollister, was 
born in Brattleboro, Vermont, January 4, 
1842. He attended the College of the City 
of New York, leaving to serve with Com- 
pany K, Seventh Regiment, in a six months' 
campaign during the civil war. He re- 
turned to New York and went into the 
banking business, member of several firms, 
Le Grand Lockwood & Company, H. H. 
Hollister & Company, and in 1S91 formed 
the firm of Hollister & Babcock, of which 
he was a member until his death, April 10, 
IQ09. He served as a governor of the New 
York Stock Exchange for a number of 
years and as governor of the Union Club. 
Member until his death of the State Board 
of Charities of the Manhattan State Hos- 
pital. One of the original founders of the 
Riding Club, being president for twentv-one 
years. Treasurer of the National Horse 
Show Association from its foundation. 
Member of the Sons of the Cincinnati through 
his grandfather. Major John H. Buell. Mem- 
ber of the Union, Metropolitan, Southside, 
Sportsmans, Matamajaw Salmon and Rid- 
ing clubs. He married (first") April 19, 
1871, at Newark, New Jersey, Sarah Louise 
Howell, of Newark, New Jersey, where she 
was born December 22, 1851, died in New 



York City, January 18, 1885. She was the 
daughter of William A. and Lucetta B 
(Gould) Howell. He married (second) July 
4, 1891, Annie Willard Stephenson. Chil- 
dren by his first wife: i. Isabelle Howell, 
born July 16, 1876, died December 25, 1885. 
2. Henry Hutchinson, born June 2, 1878; 
married, October 25, 1906, at Providence, 
Rhode Island, Hope Shepley. 3. Louise, born 
February 7, 1882; married, at No. 21 West 
Forty-ninth street. New York City, Lang- 
don B. \^alentine, March 27, 1909 ; daughter, 
Anne, born April 28, 191 1. 4. Buell, see 
forward. S- Louis Howell, born January 4, 
1885, died July 8, 1891. 

(IX) Buell, son of Henry Hutchinson and 
Sarah Louise (Howell) Hollister, was born 
at No. 13 East Fifty-seventh street. New 
York City, September 13, 1883. He attend- 
ed the Groton School, and completed his 
education at Yale University, graduating in 
1905. He engaged in the banking and brok- 
eraee business in New York City, first with 
Hollister & Babcock, on leaving college, and 
in February, T009, formed the brokerage 
firm of Pyne. Kendall & Hollister, located 
in 1913 at No. 55 Wall street. He is a 
Republican and attends the Episcopal 
church. Yale gave him the degree of A. B. 
He is a member of the Sons of the Revolu- 
tion, Union, Matamajaw Salmon, Yale, City 
Midday. Racquet and Tennis clubs. He 
married, at St. Bartholomew's Chapel, New 
York Citv. Rev. Leiehton Parks ofliciatine. 
November 14, 1012, Louise Rockwell 
Knowlton, born in New York Citv, October 
22. 1886. daughter of Danford Henry and 
Minnie (Tohnes) Knowlton. 

(W) Charles, son of Thomas and Doro- 
thy (Hills or Hill) Hollister. was born in 
Glastonbury. Connecticut, July 26, 1701, 
died in Eastbury, Connecticut, February 2, 
ITS'?. Of the thirteen children of Thomas 
Hollister. grandson of the first of the name 
in America, he was the next younger to 
Gideon, whose descent has been given, and 
he was closely associated with this brother 
throughout his life. To be near his broth- 
ers, Gideon. Thomas and Elisha, he settled 
in Eastbury, where he resided up to the 
time of his death, and his gravestone is still 
to be seen in the old burial ground of that 
place. He married. April 5, 1720. Prudence, 
daughter of John Francis, of Wethersfield. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



385 



Children: i. Charles, born in Glastonbury, 
November 2, 1729; married, September 17, 
1749, Charity, daughter of John and Charity 
(Dickinson) Waddams, who was born Au- 
gust I, 1729. 2. Elizur, born in Glastonbury, 
May 27, 1731 ; was a captain; died Septem- 
ber II, 181 1 ; married, December 12, 1754, 
Elizabeth, daughter of Timothy Nash, of 
Ellington, Connecticut, who was born De- 
cember 3, 1722. 3. Captain Francis, see for- 
ward. 4. Prudence, born August 16, 1735; 

married McKee. 5. Appleton, died 

about 1761 ; inventory returned February 23, 
1761, by Gideon and Amos Hollister, and 
his estate distributed. 6. Mabel, married 

McKee. 7. John, born in Eastbury 

Parish, Glastonbury, in 1742; married. May 

19, 1761, Fox. 8. Robert, born in East 

Glastonbury about 1744, died there about 

1763: married Katharine ; inventory of 

his estate. April 19, 1763. 9. Ichabod, born in 
Glastonbury, in 1747; married, May i, 1771, 
Esther, daughter of Samuel Fox, and died 
in Glastonbury, May 11, 1791. 

(V) Captain Francis Hollister, son of 
Charles and Prudence (Francis) Hollister, 
was born in Glastonbury, Connecticut, April 
22, 1733. died in Havana, Cuba, January 15, 
1770. He was a sea captain, and it was 
while on one of his voyages that he was 
taken sick and died. His estate insolvent ; 
administration was granted August 7, 1770, 
and his two eldest children, Abner and Bet- 
ty, chose Robert McKee guardian ; the in- 
ventory showing over forty-one pounds 
English. He married, December 15. 1753, 
Betty McKee. and they went to live in 
Tyringham, Massachusetts. Children: i. Ab- 
ner. see forward. 2. Betty, born March 14. 
1757, died in Erie county. New York; mar- 
ried, September. 1774. Samuel Kelsey. 3. 
Jerusha, born September 6. 1759. died in 
iBethlehem, Connecticut, September 30. 
1804; married Colonel Robert Hannahs; left 
descendants living in Rochester, New York. 
4. Frances Vose. born IMay 10, 1761. died in 
Torringford, Connecticut, May 15. 1815; 
married Russell Burr. 5. Prudence, born 
August 24, 1763, died in Ira, Vermont, April 
I2."i822; married Omri Warner. 6. Timo- 
thy, born March 4, 1765, died March 26, 
1787. at Tyringham, Massachusetts. 7. Ap- 
pleton, born January 14, 1767. died in Glas- 
tonbury, August 26, 1773. 



(\T) Abner, son of Captain Francis and 
Betty (McKee) Hollister, was born Octo- 
ber 28, 1754, died in Cato, Cayuga county, 
New York, September 12, 1813. He was a 
soldier in the revolution, and was with Gen- 
eral Benedict Arnold in his march to Que- 
bec. After Arnold's surrender, he made his 
escape through the almost pathless wilder- 
ness, and after great suffering reached his 
home. He married (first) June 28, 1775, 
Sarah Betty, of Tyringham, Massachusetts; 
he married (second) Widow Elizabeth 
(Granger ; children, all by first wife : i. Mar- 
garet, born September 22, 1777; married 
Francis McKee, and resided in Adams, New 
York. 2. Francis, born May 7, 1779: mar- 
ried Silence Richards, of Oneida, New York; 
removed to New Orleans, in 1808. and died 
there shortly. 3. James, born March 16, 
1781, died at Tyringham, July i, 1781. 4. 
Abner, born September 26, 1782, died at 
Cato, New York, March 13, 1852; married 
(first) December 3, 1804, Polly Woodbridge, 
married (second) M^arch 10, 1843, Mrs. 
Nancy Kirkpatrick, of Syracuse, New York. 

5. Harleigh, born December 25, 1784, died 
at sea, October 15, 1808; married Polly, 
daughter of Judge Ebenezer Butler, of Man- 
lius. New York. 6. Sarah, born August 12, 
1787, died at Salina, New York, September 
21, 1804; married Daniel Sparks. 7. Betty, 
born October 31, 1789, died in Syracuse, 
New York. September. 1876; married, in 
1804, David Carter, of Jefferson county, 
New York. 8. Almyra, born January 5, 1792, 
died in Rochester, New York, December 21, 
1842; married (first) Timothy Cossett Jr., 
of Pompey. New York ; married (second) 
Rev. Chauncey Cook. 9. Philander V.. born 
July 21, 1793. died in Bloomfield, Indiana; 
settled in Green county. Indiana, where he 
married Polly Brazle. 10. John Bentley, see 
forward, n. Millicent, born October 17, 
1798, died, without issue, July 15, 1823; mar- 
ried Edmund Root, a merchant of Lima, 
New York. 12. George A., born November 

6, 1800. died in Rochester. New York, Feb- 
ruary 28, 1856; married Sarah Cooper, of 
.Adams. Jefferson county. New York. 

(VII)" John Bentley.' son of Abner and 
Sarah (Bettv) Hollister, was born October 
iq, 1795, died in Mt. Clemens. Michigan, at 
the age of thirty-five years. He was a gov- 
ernment surveyor and prosecuted his work 



386 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



in Missouri and Arkansas, where he sur- 
veyed enormous sections of the country 
while in a primitive state, a pioneer as it 
were. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, 
and was severely wounded in the battle of 
Lundy's Lane. He married, at Lima, New 
York, Mary Chamberlain. Children: i. 
Hamilcar, born August 15, 1822, died June 
13, 1824. 2. John Hamilcar, born in Riga, 
Monroe county, New York, August 5, 1824, 
deceased ; graduated at the Berkshire (Mas- 
sachusetts) Medical College in 1847, and 
removed to Grand Rapids, Michigan; later, 
1855, to Chicago, and on the founding of 
the Chicago Medical College he was elected 
professor of anatomy; for several years was 
president of Cook County Bible Society ; 
vice-president of American Sunday School 
Union, and director of the Illinois Home 
Missionary Society; married, Jaiuiary 2, 
1849, Jennette Windiate, born in Drayton, 
England, deceased. 3. Juliette, born May 
27, 1826, died August 25, 1828. 4. Jeanette, 
born August 31, 1828; married William M. 
Ferry Jr., brother of United States Senator 
Ferry; resident of Grand Haven, Michigan. 
5. Harvey James, "see forward. 

(V'lII) Harvey James, son of John Bent- 
ley and Mary (Chamberlain) Hollister, was 
born in Romeo, Michigan, August 29, 1830, 
died in Grand Rapids, Michigan, September 
25, 1909. He organized and o])erated the 
banking institution now known as the Old 
National Bank of Grand Rapids, Michigan, 
holding for a period of fifty-five years the 
office of cashier and then president. He was 
a Republican. He attended the First Con- 
gregational Church, was its deacon and 
treasurer. He married, June 6. 1855, Mar- 
tha Clay, born June 30, 1833, at Putney, Ver- 
mont, died at Grand Rapids, Michigan, De- 
cember 23, 1901. Her father was Captain 
George Clay, of Putney, Vermont, who died 
in 1856. Her mother was Sarah Buel 
(Goodhue) Clay, born October 4. 1800, died 
July 31, 1852. They were married Septem- 
ber 18, 1832. Sarah Buel Goodhue was the 
daughter of Dr. Joseph Goodhue, who was 
born in Dunstable, Massachusetts. Decem- 
ber 20. 1784, died in Deerfield, Massachu- 
setts ; was a surgeon in the United States 
army for twenty-one years and eminent in 
his profession; he married, December 20, 
1784, Martha Clay, who died July 19, 1795. 



Dr. Joseph Goodhue was the son of Rev. 
Josiah Goodhue, born in 1728; graduate of 
Harvard, 1755 ; died at Putney, Vermont, 
November 14, 1797, who married Elizabeth 
Fletcher, of Dunstable, Massachusetts, who 
died October 22, 1793. His parents were 
Samuel Goodhue, born April 6, 1696, died 
November 7, 1785, who married, in 1717, 
Abigail Bartlett, of Newburyport, Massa- 
chusetts ; son of Joseph Goodhue, born at 
Ipswich, 1639, died there, September 2, 1697, 
who married, July 13, i66r, Sarah Whipple, 
daughter of Elder John Whipple, and his 
father was William Goodhue the emigrant, 
born in England, 161 2- 13, arrived in Amer- 
ica in 1635-36, married Margery W'atson, of 
Kent, England. Children: i. Mary Goodhue, 
born at (irand Rapids, Michigan, Feb- 
ruary 2, i860; married there, January 8, 
1885, McGeorge Bundy. born July 8, 1855, 
son of Soloman and Elizabeth A. Bundy, 
both of Oxford, Chenango county, New 
York; Hon. Soloman Bundy was a member 
of the forty-fifth congress from the twenty- 
ty-first New York district ; McGeorge Bun- 
dy qualified as a lawyer and practiced in 
Grand Rapids; issue: Nathan Hollister, 
born May 18, 1886, graduated at Yale Uni- 
versity, class of 1908, treasurer, director 
Fasburgh Lumber Company, Norfolk, Vir- 
ginia, where he resides ; Harvey Hollister, 
born March 30, 1888, graduated at Yale Uni- 
versity, class of 1909, and Harvard Law 
.School ; Frederick, born January 4, 1900. 2. 
Clay Harvey, born at Grand Rapids, Michi- 
gan, October 7, 1863 ; graduate of Amherst, 
1886; married, Holyoke. Massachusetts, De- 
cember 19. 1888, Justina Merrick; issue: 
Paul Merrick, born November 12. 1890, 
graduates at Harvard University, class of 
19:3; Martha Clay, born October 24, 1892, 
graduates at Vassar College, class of 1914; 
George Merrick, born April 23, 1896; 
Clay H. Jr.. born May 14. 1902. 3. George 
Clay, see forward. 4. John Chamberlain, 
born at Grand Rapids. Michigan, March 2'j, 
1873 ; graduated at Boston Latin School, 
1892, Yale University, 1896; married Jane 
Bowen. April, 1902. 

(IX) George Clay, .son of Harvey James 
and Martha (Clay) Hollister, was born at 
Grand Rapids, Michigan. September 8. 1871. 
He attended the Boston Latin School. 1889- 
92, and Yale University, 1892-96. He se- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



387 



lected the profession of banking, and first 
became a clerk in the office of Dominick & 
Dickerman, where he remained from 1897 to 
igoo. He then became a partner of Halsted 
& HoHister, continuing as such 1900-04. He 
was made a member of the New York Stock 
Exchange in 1904, and formed a partnership 
with others, constituting the farm of Hol- 
Hster, Lyon & Walton, at No. 7 Wall street. 
He was a member of Squadron A, National 
Guard, New York, for five and one-half 
years; is a Republican; attends the Episco- 
pal church. He is a member of the Uni- 
versity, Yale, Alpha Delta Phi, Metropoli- 
tan, Squadron A and Riding clubs. Previ- 
ously he resided at Grand Rapids, but his 
home is Quaker Ridge. New Rochelle, New 
York. He married, at Mamaroneck, New 
York, June i, 1899, Martha Swift, born at 
Yonkers, New York, July 27, 1878, daughter 
of Samuel Swift, M. E)., and Lucy (Davies) 
Swift. Children: i. Martha, born at Mam- 
aroneck, New York, July 30, 1904. 2. Anita, 
born at New York City, February 12, 1906. 
3. Watson Dickerman, born at New Ro- 
chelle, New York, May 24, 1910. 



This name has been described 
HICKS as being of Norman or Anglo- 
Saxon origin, and some author- 
ities state that it has been derived from a 
village of the name in Gloucestershire, Eng- 
land. The name is, however, frequently 
found in Wales, where the Ap Hickses were 
prominent for many centuries, and are of 
Celtic origin. The earliest historical refer- 
ence to the Hicks family is found in the rec- 
ord of the knighting of Ellis Hicks on the 
battle field of Poictiers, September 19, 1356, 
by Edward, the Anglo-Norman Black 
Prince, for distinguished bravery in captur- 
ing a set of colors from the French, whose 
force is said by English historians to have 
outnumbered the English by five to one. 

(I) Robert Hicks, immigrant ancestor of 
the Hicks family in America, arrived in 
Plymouth harbor, November 11, 1621, on the 
ship "Fortune". He was a son of James, 
of Southwark, London, and was lineally de- 
scended from Sir Ellis Hicks. Robert's sec- 
ond wife, Margaret Winslow. and her chil- 
dren, followed him on the ship "Ann", the 
latter part of 1622. They settled in Dux- 
bury, Massachusetts, where he did full duty 



as a pioneer in developing the land and 
building a home. He was a man of consid- 
erable consequence in the community. The 
"I-Iistory of Plymouth" states that he owned 
considerable land in that town, and gives a 
fac-simile of a deed made by him to Miles 
Standish for the transfer of certain real es- 
tate in Plymouth. The same history gives 
the fac-simile of his will and that of Mar- 
garet Winslow, his second wife, who was a 
sister of Governor Winslow. Robert Hicks 
took the oath of fidelity about 1644. He 
married (first) Elizabeth Morgan ; and (sec- 
ond") I\Targaret Winslow. Children by first 
marriage: Elizabeth; Thomas; John, men- 
tioned below; and Stephen. 

(II) John, second son of Robert and Eliz- 
abeth (Morgan) Hicks, was born in Eng- 
land, and came to this country in 1630. He 
was a graduate of Oxford University. He 
remained a short time in Massachusetts with 
his father, but in company with his brother 
Stephen he migrated to Rhode Island, and 
in 1639 he was in Newport, Rhode Island. 
Still with his brother Stephen, he went to 
Long Island about 1640, and settled at what 
was subsequently Flushing. John was an 
original proprietor of the town of Flushing, 
as well as incorporator, October 10. 1645, 
and of Hempstead in 1647. In 1645 Gover- 
nor Kieft granted patent to Thomas Far- 
rington, John Hicks and others, of the town 
of Flushing. He was a member of the cele- 
brated Hempstead convention. February 28, 
1665. In 1664 he was a justice under com- 
mission from Connecticut, the same year be- 
ing also a deputy from Hempstead. His 
name and the name of his son Thomas appear 
in connection with almost every public 
measure for years, and he was frequently 
appointed to fill some of the most important 
offices. He acquired considerable reputation 
as a successful negotiator with the Indian 
tribes of Long Island. He married (first) 
Herodias Long, of England; Csecond") Ra- 
chel Starr. Children: Thomas, mentioned 
below; Hannah, and Elizabeth. There was 
no issue bv the second marriage. 

(III) Thomas, son of John and Herodias 
(Long) Hicks, was born in 1640, probably 
at wliat was later called Flushing, and died 
in 1739. He was a man of considerable abil- 
ity and seemed to have a liking for public 
affairs, following the example of his father 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



in taking a prominent part in initiating and 
promoting the advancement of the com- 
munity. He was a large landowner and 
engaged in farming, and also seems to have 
been interested in numerous commercial en- 
terprises. He was the first judge appointed 
for the county of Queens, and was a lieuten- 
ant-colonel of the Continental forces on 
Long Island. In 1666 he obtained from 
Governor Nichol a patent for four thousand 
acres including Great Neck and adjacent 
lands. Here he erected a fine mansion and 
introduced the English manorial manner of 
living. He married (first) Alary, daughter 
of Richard Butler, of Stratford, Connecticut, 
and widow of John Washburn; and (sec- 
ond) Mary, daughter of Thomas Doughty. 
Children, by first marriage: Thomas, and 
Jacob, mentioned below ; by second mar- 
riage : Isaac, William Stephen, John, 
Charles, Benjamin, Phoebe, Charity, Mary. 
Elizabeth. 

(IV) Jacob, son of Thomas and Mary 
(Butler) (Washburn) Hicks, was born at 
Hempstead, Long Island, in 1669, and died 
in 1755. He lived for some years at Rocka- 
way, Long Island. He married Hannah, 
daughter of Nathaniel Carpenter. Children : 
Samuel. Stephen, Thomas, Joseph, Jacob, 
Benjamin, Elizabeth, John, mentioned be- 
low; Sarah, and Hannah. 

(V) John, son of Jacob and Hannah (Car- 
penter) Hicks, was born at Rockaway, Long 
Island, about 1709. He was a farmer and 
owner of considerable land. He married 
Martha, daughter of Gershom Smith. Chil- 
dren : Samuel, born March 2Q. 1739; Jos- 
eph, February 26, 1741 : John. July 11, 1743: 
Elias. March 19, 1748; Stephen, mentioned 
below; Jacob, July 11, 1753. 

(VI) Stephen, son of John and Martha 
(Smith) Hicks, was born at Hempstead. 
Scptcmlier 0. 1750, and died December 20, 
1S16. Although his immediate ancestors 
had been Quakers, Stephen was an Episco- 
palian. He married Mary Hewlett, who was 
born November 17, 1758, and died March 
30. 1830. at Rockaway, Long Island. Chil- 
dren : John, born February i:;, 1778; Sarah. 
September 18, 1779; Oliver Hewlett, men- 
tinned below; Stephen. October 7, 1783; 
Martha, October 29, 1785; Richard. .August 
4, 1788; Abraham. January 16. 1701 ; Phoebe, 
March 22, 1793; Mary, May i. 1795; White- 



head, September 20, 1797; and Samuel, June 
I, 1800. 

(VII) Oliver Hewlett, son of Stephen and 
Mary (Hewlett) Hicks, was born at New 
York, June 30, 1781, and died there, of 
cholera, September 17, 1832. He engaged 
in business about 1800 and soon became 
well known in commercial circles. He first 
resided at 87 Maiden Lane, and his counting 
house was at 88 South street. In 1819 he 
was elected secretary of the Fulton Fire 
Insurance Company, which office he held 
until 1828. In 1830 he was elected president 
of the Farmers' Fire Insurance and Loan 
Company, now the Farmers' Loan and 
Trust Company. He was president of the North 
American Insurance Company. He lived at 34 
Wall street, and in 1823 at 29 Wall street. In 
1826 he moved to 540 Broadway, where until 
the spring of 1832 he continued to reside, at 
the end of which time he purchased a house at 
415 Broome street. He owned a farm on 
the old Bloomingdale road from 83d to io6th 
street, where he lived in 1800 and where 
afterwards his family spent their summers. 
He gave the land on which St. Michael's 
Church was built, and was one of the origi- 
nal pew holders, occupying one of the two 
large bo.x pews. He was a vestryman of 
St. Michael's from 1807 to 1813, from 1813 
to 1815 was a warden, and treasurer from 
1810 to 1815. The early vestry meetings 
were usually held at his house in Wall 
street. On April t. 1823. he was elected a 
vestryman of St. George's Church, and was 
its senior warden for several years. He was 
also a vestryman of St. Thomas' Church ; 
his pew there was No. 138. He gained a 
reputation by his production of a book "The 
Insurance .^djuster". written in 1825 and 
reprinted in several editions. The following 
extract is from the Ad-rcrtiscr of September 
17, 1832: 

'It is with deep regret we announce the sud- 
den decease of Oliver Hewlett Hicks, president 
of the Farmers' Loan and Insurance Company. 
Mr. Hicks has been in delicate and rather feeble 
health for some time past, but was able to at- 
tend to the laborious duties of his office. He 
was able to attend church three times on Sunday, 
and went to bed in the evening in better health 
and spirits than usual. .Kt. throe o'clock yester- 
day morning he was seized with cholera, and so 
rapid was the disease that hi? feeble constitution 
sunk rapidly and he expired at six o'clock last 
evening. For the last forty years Mr. Hicks has 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



389 



been one of the most active business men in 
Wall street, and for a number of years has en- 
joyed the confidence of the merchant community 
in adjusting marine losses. No person was more 
deservedly esteemed in private life, and in special 
business in which he was engaged none had at- 
tained a higher reputation. His loss to his af- 
flicted family and numerous circle of friends is 
irreparable. The death of so valuable a member 
of society may be truly considered a public loss." 
He married, in 1800. Julia, daughter of 
Samuel and Anne (Hubbard) Bush, of 
Greenwich, Connecticut, where she was 
born July 4, 1784. dying March 21, 1871. 
Children : John Augustus, mentioned be- 
low; Samuel Bush, born August 13, 1804; 
Mary A., March 4, 1807; Charlotte A., De- 
cember 10. 1809; Julia B., August 15, 1812; 
Matilda, April s, 181 S: Oliver H., January 
I, 1818: Maria B., March 18, 1821 ; William 
H., January 30, 1824; Samuel B., May 3, 
1827. 

(Vni) John Augustus, son of Oliver 
Hewlett and Julia (Bush) Hicks, was born 
at No. 54 Wall street. New York, February 
21, 1802, and died at Burlington, Vermont, 
November 4, i86q. He was graduated from 
Columbia College, New York, in 1823, and 
from the General Theological Seminary in 
1826. He was ordained deacon by the Right 
Rev. John Henry Hobart, in Grace Church, 
Jamaica, New York, August 22, 1826, and 
became assistant to the Rev. Evans M. 
Johnson in Jamaica and Brooklyn, and rec- 
tor of Trinity Church, Easton, April i, 1827. 
His ministry in Easton was very successful. 
He was ordained to the priesthood by Bish- 
op White of Pennsylvania, in Christ Church, 
Philadelphia, May 28. 1828. In April, 1831, 
he accepted a call to St. John's Church, 
Troy, New York, and resigned in January, 
1832, on being called to Rutland, Vermont. 
He was rector of Rutland for twenty-eight 
years, and the parish under his care became 
one of the largest in Vermont. He received 
the degree of D. D. both from the University 
of Vermont and Middleburv College in 1847, 
and also ad cuudcin from Trinitv College in 
1849. The high esteem in which his char- 
acter and services were held bv the clergy 
and laity of the diocese is clearly shown by 
the frequency with which they elected him 
to the highest offices in their gift. He was 
elected in 1836 a trustee of the newly or- 
ganized Vermont Episcopal Institute. His 
voice lost its power in i860, and he resigned 



from his parish to accept the Willoughby 
professorship in the Institute. As a preach- 
er his style was clear, logical and terse, and 
always clothed in classical English. He 
preached last on Sunday, October 17, 1869, 
in Milton, Vermont, and was taken ill on 
his return Monday, and died on Wednesday, 
November 4, 1869. He married Lucy, 
daughter of George and Catey (Caldwell) 
Cleveland, at Middlebury, Vermont, Sep- 
tember II, 1828; she died August 6, i860. 
Children : William Cleveland (q. v.) ; Julia 
Bush, January 20, 183 1, died October 13, 
1873; Marriette Kieth, July 4, 1832; James 
Milnor, June 25, 1834, died August 2, 1910; 
George Cleveland, April 20, 1836; Henry 
Hubbard, May 20, 1838, died June 12, 1872; 
John Augustus, mentioned below: Kate 
Caldwell, October 17, 1844, died April, 1911, 
and Oliver Hewlett, June 11, 1849. 

(IX) John Augustus (2), son of John 
Augustus (i) and Lucy (Cleveland) Hicks, 
was born at Rutland, Vermont. January 13, 
1842, and died June 10. 191 1, at the home 
of his son, Arthur W. Hicks, at Millington, 
New Jersey. He enlisted for three j'cars 
August 5. 1862, as a private in Company B, 
Tenth Vermont Volunteers. He ser\-ed with 
distinction for three years in the war of the 
rebellion, and after being severely wounded 
was mustered out as major by brevet for dis- 
ability, after going through every intermediate 
rank. He was mentioned on several occa- 
sions in general and special orders for espe- 
cial bravery, serving most of his time as a 
staff officer. He then entered the machinery 
business in New York City, making his 
home in Summit, New Jersey, doing- much 
for the development of that town through 
real estate and building operations, and in- 
venting many machines and devices in the 
art of carbonated beverages and vessel 
closures. He married, September 22. 1868, 
Caroline A., daughter of Marcius and Fran- 
ces (Pierpont) Willson. who survives him. 
Children: .\rthur Willson. born August \-K. 
i860: Helen Cleveland. July iS. 1872: Eve- 
Ivn Pierpont, mentioned below : and Julia 
Carolyn. July 20. 1870. 

(X) Evelvn Pierpont. son of John .Xugus- 
tus (2) and Caroline .V. (Willson") Hicks, was 
born at Summit. New Jersev. November 9, 
1874. He received his preliminary educa- 
tion at private schools, later taking the 



390 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



course at the Summit Military Academy. 
Afterwards he engaged in business pursuits 
in New York City, eventually becoming 
identified with various real estate interests. 
He is president of the Lackawanna Realty 
Company. Mr. Hicks is prominent in so- 
ciety and is a member of the Calumet Club 
of New York, of which he is also a gov- 
ernor; the St. Nicholas Club of New York; 
Amateur Comedy Club of New York ; the 
Larchmont Yacht Club, Baltusrol Golf Club, 
Canoe Brook County. Club, and Highland 
Club of Summit. He married, November 8, 
1005. Edith, daughter of Henry J. and Mary 
(Black) Burchell, of New York, who died 
February 12, 191 i. 



(TX) William Cleveland Hicks, 
inCKS son of John Augustus Hicks (q. 
v.) and Lucy (Cleveland) Hicks, 
was born in New York City, July 21, 1829, 
and died in Summit, New Jersey, October 
iQ, 1885. He received his education in 
Rutland and Middlcbury, Vermont, and 
gr-duated at Trinity College. Hartford, 
Connecticut, B. A., 1848, and M. A.. 1851. 
He was the inventor of the first automatic 
cartridge ejector, and of the Hicks four-cyl- 
inder engine, as well as a great number of 
other inventions. He was a patent expert 
in scientific cases, a civil, mechanical and 
electrical engineer. For some 3'ears he was 
a lecturer on mechanics at Trinity College. 
In politics he was a Republican and attended 
the Protestant Episcopal Church, officiating 
as senior warden of Calvary Parish, at Sum- 
mit, New Jersey ; deputy to the general con- 
vention of the Episcopal Church ; president 
of the Laymen's Association. Diocese of 
Newark : president of the Citizen's Associa- 
tion of Summit. New Jersey. He resided 
at various periods in New York City; Rut- 
land. Vermont ; Hartford, Connecticut ; Bos- 
ton, Brooklyn and Summit. Although a lay- 
man, about fifty of the clergy and two 
bishops were at his funeral. He married, 
June T, 1854, Birmingham. Connecticut. 
Emily Norwood, daughter of Charles and 
Catherine (Burlock) De Forest, who was 
born in New York City, October 20, 18,^5. 
and died in \'inevard Haven, Massachu- 
setts. April 21, 1898. She was educated at 
tlie Troy Female .\cademy. known at that 
time as the Emma Willard School. She was 



a lady of many accomplishments and much 
ability, and took part in a number of move- 
ments for the public good. She was presi- 
dent of the Woman's Auxiliary of the Board 
of Missions, Diocese of Newark, New Jer- 
sey; president of the Woman's \'illage Im- 
provement Association, of Summit, New 
Jersey ; and previously resided in New York 
City, Pottsville, Pennsylvania; Derby and 
Hartford, Connecticut: Boston, Brooklyn, 
and Summit. Children: i. Lucy Cleveland, 
born in Hartford, Connecticut, Alarch 8, 
1855, died in Vineyard Haven, Massachu- 
setts, May 21, 1897. 2. Emily De Forest, 
born in Hartford, Connecticut, July 25, 1857, 
died there August 13, 1857. 3. Helen De For- 
est, born in Hartford. Connecticut. May 7, 
1859, died there June 11. i860. 4. George 
Cleveland, born in Boston, Massachusetts. Jan- 
uary 27 1861, died in Brooklyn. March 14, 

1864. 5. Edith Norwood, born in Brooklyn, 
November 18, 1864, died there September 23, 

1865. 6. Norwood De Forest, born in Sum- 
mit, New Jersey, 1872. died there in 1876. 7. 
William Cleveland, born in Summit. New 
Jersey, January 31, 1866: married at St. 
John, New Brunswick, Canada, November 
17, 1897, Jennie Margaret Hughes, who was 
born in Gagetown, daughter of Benjamin 
Nunn and Margaret (Good) Hughes. 8. De 
Forest, of whom further. 

(X) De Forest, son of William Cleveland 
and Emily Norwood (De Forest) Hicks, 
was born at Summit, New Jersey. October 
.30, 1875. He received his education at St. 
Paul's School, Concord, New Hampshire, 
and was graduated from Trinity College in 
1896 with the desrree of Bachelor of .^rts. 
He is in the banking Iiusiness in New York 
City. He belongs to \'etcran Company K of 
the Seventh Regiment, and is secretary of 
the St. Nicholas Club. 

(The Cleveland I. inc. "I 
There has licen much controversy among 
those interested regarding the proper 
orthography of the surname Cleveland. The 
signature of Moses Cleveland, of Woburn, 
Massachusetts, as a subscribing witness. 
December 8, 1662, to a certificate, would 
certainly indicate that the ancestor of the 
Clcvelands of New England origin spelled 
his own name Cleveland. On old \\'oburn 
records the name is rendered Cleauland, 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



391 



1648-82, 1692; Cleaveland, 1701 to 1704, and 
Cleveland in 1702. In England from a very 
early period the name has always been 
spelled Cleveland, except in a few instances, 
where it has been rendered Cleaveland or 
Clevland. Certain branches and individuals 
of the posterity of Moses Cleveland spell 
the name Cleaveland. The name would seem 
to be derived from Cleveland, North Riding, 
Yorkshire, England, Thorkil de Cleveland 
in 1066 being apparently the first to bear it. 
(I) Moses or Moyses Cleveland or Cleave- 
land, the common ancestor of the Cleve- 
lands of New England origin, was prob- 
ably born at Ipswich, England, about 1624, 
and died at Woburn, January 9, 1701. He 
came, it is thought, when a youth from 
Ipswich, Suffolk county, England, and 
sailed, according to a family tradition, from 
London, arriving in America in 1635. He 
first landed somewhere in Massachusetts, 
probably either at Plymouth or at Boston. 
John Cleveland wrote, in 1759: "My great- 
grandfatlier's name was Moses Cleveland, 
and he came from Ipswich to Sufifolk, Eng- 
land. He was young when he came to New 
England, and was an apprentice to a joiner, 
and came here with his master. He settled 
in Woburn, near Boston, married, and had 
seven sons." He married, in Woburn, 1648, 
Ann Winn. Children: Moses, born 1651; 
Hannah, 1653; Aaron, mentioned below; 
Samuel, 1657; Miriam, 1659; Joanna, 1661 ; 
Edward, 1664; Josiah, 1666; Isaac, 1669; 
Enoch, 1671. 

(II) Aaron, son of Moses and Ann 
(Winn) Cleveland, was born at Woburn, 
Massachusetts, January 10, 1654, and died 
at Woburn, September 14, 1716. He was a 
soldier in the King Philip's war, as were also 
his brothers Moses and Samuel. He was 
made a freeman in 1680, and became prom- 
inent in all affairs at Woburn. He was a 
housewright by trade, though he also en- 
gaged in farming and land speculating, be- 
ing known as a man of distinction in the 
town and wealthy. He married (first) at 
Woburn, September 26, 1675, Dorcas, 
daughter of John and Hannah (Jones) Wil- 
son ; (second) Prudence . Children: 

Dorcas, born 1676; Hannah, 1678; Aaron, 
mentioned below; Hannah, 1687, married 
a Beard; Moses, 1689; Sarah, 1692; Miriam, 



1694; Isabel, 1697; Ann, 1699; and Benja- 
min, 1701. 

(HI) Aaron (2), son of Aaron (i) and 
Dorcas (Wilson) Cleveland, was born at 
Woburn, Massachusetts, July 9, 1680, and 
died in that part of Cambridge called Mys- 
tic, now Medford, Massachusetts, in 1755. 
He was a captain of militia, and lived in 
Woburn till 1704, later in Medford and 
Charlestown. He was admitted in 171 1 by 
proof and baptism to Cambridge church, 
and he was transferred in 1720 to Medford 
church and received to communion in East 
Haddam. He was a constable in 1717, an 
office like that of a magistrate and con- 
ferred usually on the best scholars and the 
best men. lie kept a tavern at Cambridge, 
on the western side of the Mystic river, 
and was a builder and contractor. At East 
Haddam he became prominent in the mil- 
itary and was successively cornet, lieuten- 
ant and captain. He married, at Woburn, 
lanuarv i, 1701, Abigail Waters, born at 
Woburn, November 29, T683, died probably 
at Norwich, in 1761. Children: Samuel, 
born 1704; Abigail, 1706; Dorcas, 1708; 
Josiah, 1713; Aaron, mentioned below; 
John; Moses, 1719; and Mary, 1724. 

(IV) Aaron (3), son of Aaron (2) and 
Abigail (Waters) Cleveland, was born at 
Charlestown, October 19, 1715, and died at 
Philadelphia, Penn.sylvania, August II, 
1757. He was a clergyman and a character 
of considerable note. 'He entered Harvard 
in 1731 and was graduated in 1733. He was 
a large, powerful man, it is said, and excel- 
lent in all exercises requiring strength and 
agility. It is not known where he studied 
theology. He probably preached his first 
sermon at Medford. He was ordained min- 
ister of the Strict Congregational Church, 
Haddam Society, July. 17.W. He became 
an Episcopalian, and took his family m 1754 
to Norwich, where his widowed mother re- 
sided He married, August 4. I7.^6, Susan- 
nah Porter, born at Medford, April 26, 1710. 
Children: Susanna: Stephen, 
1738- Aaron, mentioned below; Dorcas, 
1740'; William, 1742; George. 174'^; ^^ar- 
garet, 1748; Lucy, 1749; Abigail, 1751; t-''^" 
abeth, 1752. / n „„j 

(V) Aaron (4). Pon of Aaron (3) and 
Susannah (Porter) Cleveland, was born m 
1738 at Medford, and died at New Haven, 



392 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Connecticut, September 21, 1815. He was 
one of the most prominent characters of the 
Cleveland family. He was apprenticed to a 
hatter at Haddam. While learning his trade 
he devoted all his leisure to study, and when 
nineteen wrote a poem that is still pub- 
lished. He married (first) Abiah Hyde; 
(second) Elizabeth Breed. Children: 
George, mentioned below ; William, born 
1770; Charles, 1772; Frank, 1774; Aaron, 
1778; Lucy, 1787; Stephen, 1792; Jeremiah, 
1794: Abiah Hyde, 1796. 

(VI) George, son of Aaron (4) and Abiah 
(Hyde) Cleveland, was born January 9, 
1769, and died at Middlebur}^ Vermont, 
February 2, 1851. He lived first at Nor- 
wich, Connecticut, where he entered into 
partnership with his father and commenced 
the manufacture of hats. In one week their 
manufactory was burned in a great fire. 
George removed to Guilford, where he car- 
ried on the business and resided there till 
1808, when he gave up his business and 
removed to Middlebury, \^ermont. There 
he was a merchant and postmaster for 
twenty years. He was appointed United 
States tax collector and was elected member 
of the Vermont legislature from Weybridge. 
He married Catey Caldwell, born at Guil- 
ford. August 29, 1776, daughter of Samuel 
and Rachel (Ranna) Guilford. Children : 
Catherine, born 1792; Samuel, born 1794; 
Marietta, 1796; George, 1797: Sarah, 1799; 
.Samuel. i8oi ; Susan, 1802 ; Charles, 1804; 
Lucy, mentioned below; William, born 
1809; Aaron Porter, 1809; Edward Henrv. 
1813. 

(VII) Lucy, daughter of George and Catey 
rCaldwell) Cleveland, was born at Guilford. 
Connecticut. January 12, 1806, and died at 
Rutland, X'ermont. .'\ugust 10. 1860. .She 
married, at Middleburj'. \''ermont. Septem- 
ber 28. 1828, Rev. John Augustus Hicks, 
born in New York Citv. Februarv 22, 1802, 
and dicfl at Rurlineton, Vermont, November 4, 
1869. son of Oliver Hewlett and Julia 
(Bush) Hicks. (See Hicks). 



John Reynolds (i), pro- 

REYNOLDS genitor of this branch of 

the family, is supposed to 

have sailed from the port of London — i. e., 

Ipswich. England, in 1633. .Sarah Reynolds 

(his wife), aged 20, was a passenger on the 



ship "Elizabeth," which sailed from Ipswich 
"bound for New England the last of April, 
1634'' 

Among the passengers were many who set- 
tled at \\'atertown, Massachusetts, and sub- 
sequently removed to Weathersfield and Stam- 
ford, Connecticut, but John Reynolds was not 
among them. John Reynolds was admitted a 
freeman of Watertown, May 6, 1635. Robert, 
his brother, had been admitted Sejitember 3, 
1634- 

Sir Richard Saltonstall, together with a 
body of Pilgrims or Separatists, had founded 
Watertown, Massachusetts, where a church 
was "gathered'' under Phillips as pastor, Au- 
gust 27, 1630. The latter came from Box- 
ford, county Essex, and most of the colonists 
were members of his former charge. Un- 
fortunately, the records describing the settle- 
ment of Watertown are not in existence, but 
on pa.ge 4 of the earliest book of records is 
the first entry in which the names of colonists 
are mentioned: "Nov. 14, 1635 — agreed that 
Daniel Patrick, Brian Pemberton, Richard 
Bernard, Ephraim Child, Abraham Browne, 
Charles Chaddock and John Reynolds shall 
divide to every man his Property and Meddow 
and upland that is plowable ancl the rest to be 
common." 

The first book of deeds entitled "The W'a- 
tertown Lands, Grants and Possessions," page 
157. and constituting the second inventory, de- 
scribes his allotment as follows : "John Rei- 
nolds, An Homestall of five acres and half 
by estimation bounded the North with the 
Hi,ghway, the .South with Isaac Mixer and 
the East with John Sherman granted to him " 

Learning of the rich meadows along the 
Connecticut river, some few of the Water- 
town colonists, in the late autumn of 1634, 
founded the settlement of "Pyquag," now 
Wethersficld. and spent the winter there. On 
May 29th of the vear following, six persons 
(among them Robert Reynolds) under the 
head of Rev. Richard Denton, who had re- 
ceived their dismissal from the Watertown 
church March 29th of that year, set out to 
"form a newe in a church covenant in the 
River of Connecticut" (Coim. Col. Records, 
p. tL 

On October isfh. T'135. about sixty colon- 
ists set out from Watertown to the new set- 
tlement. Such was the general distress that 
many of tlicm returned in December, but in 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



393 



the early spring of 1636 once more repaired 
to "Watertown on the Connecticut River." It 
was not until Feb. 21, 1637, that the settle- 
ment received the name of Wethersfield. The 
colonists were continually exposed to danger 
from the Pequots. In April, 1637, they way- 
laid the settlers as they were going into their 
fields and killed six men and three women. 
On May 26, 1637, the Wethersfield men, unit- 
ing with those from Windsor and Hartford 
and with seventy Mohegans under their 
sachem, Uncas, attacked the Pequots, burnt 
seventy wigwams and killed five or six hun- 
dred of the enemy. (See Trumbull, vol. i., 
chap. V.) 

Both John and Robert were among those 
who removed from ^^^atertown prior to July 
2i^, 1636, as they did not share in that divi- 
sion of land. As stated above, John still 
owned property in Watertown at the time of 
the second inventory, i. e., 1644. Robert Feke, 
Brian Pemberton and Daniel Patrick are also 
included, although all of them had removed to 
Wethersfield and Stamford. 

Robert removed from Wethersfield to Bos- 
ton, where he died April 27, 1650. His will, 
executed 20, 2, 1658, proved in Boston, July 
27, 1650, gives the names of Marv, his wife, 
and children : Nathaniel, Ruth Whitney, Ta- 
bitha Abdy. Sarah Mason, and Mary Sanger. 
His will concludes with the statement, "I and 
my wife being stricken in ace and are almost 
past our Labour." From this we must con- 
clude that he was born about i.SQO, and was 
either much older than his brother John, or 
that the latter was born earlier than 1612. 
the date of birth attributed to him. (See 
New Eng. His. & Gen. Reg., vol. ix., p. 137.) 
His onlv son Nathaniel removed to Bristol. 
Rhode Island, where the familv still continues. 
The tombstone of Joseph, Nathaniel's son, 
still standing at Bristol, is well known as a 
fine example of early carving and shows the 
Reynolds coat of arms — three foxes statant in 
pale proper, crest on an Esquire's helmet, a 
fox statant proper. 

John Reynolds' house as given in the map 
of Wethersfield was on High street, the third 
from the meeting house and near the center 
of the town. This and other property were 
recorded bv him, "the 12th month and 11 
daie, 1640." and again recorded by John Hol- 
lister on "^m 2od 1644. as "bought of John 
Reynolds." 



It was not long before internal dissensions 
were disturbing the church at Wethersfield 
and dividing inhabitants as well as the breth- 
ren. The Rev. Richard Denton became the 
leader of the more progressive and radical 
party. The ministers of the other churches of 
the river, and Mr. Davenport from New 
Haven, successively tried to unite the fac- 
tions. The latter suggested the expediency 
of one of the parties removing and making a 
new settlement. At length a number of men 
who were the most pleased with the advice 
of Mr. Davenport and the New Haven breth- 
ren, and to whom the government of that 
colony was most agreeable, determined to re- 
move and settle in combination with New 
Haven. Nathaniel Turner had on July ist, 
1640, on behalf of the New Haven Colony, 
bougrht of Ponus, sagamore of Toquams, and 
of Wascussee, sagamore of Shippan, a tract 
of land which includes the present towns of 
Daricn and Stamford and part of Greenwich 
paying about 33 pounds for a tract of land of 
one hundred and twenty-eight square miles. 
This tract, Rippowanis, Mr. .Andrew Ward 
and Mr. Robert Coe, of Wethersfield, on 
October 30. 1640, purchased of the New Ha- 
ven Colony on behalf of themselves and about 
twenty other planters on these conditions: 
1st. The Wethersfield men were to give the 
price paid to the Indians for the land by Mr. 
Turner. 2nd. A fifth part of the lands were 
to be reserved to be disposed of by the court 
to such other settlers as they saw fit. 3d. 
They were to join with the New Haven plan- 
tation in the form of government there 
adopted. Twenty men were to settle in Stam- 
ford by the last of November. 1641. 

It was decided that the majority of the 
seven church members, church membership 
being essential to becoming a freeman, should 
remove with a minority of the planters and 
that they should take the church orsranization 
with them. Thirty men, amoner them John 
Reynolds, volunteered as pioneers of the new 
colonv. These subscribed "100 bushels of 
cornc," to be paid May or June, 1^141. to the 
New Haven Colony, to make good the pur- 
chase price of the land, each man giving as 
he was able and receiving a proportional 
amount of land. In this subscription, Mr. 
Denton ranks third with 4.1 bu. ; Jo. Rey- 
nolds, eiehth with 3.2 bu. (Stamford Rec- 
ords, p. 5.) 



394 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Of these thirty, twenty-eight removed to the 
site of Stamford in the summer of 1641. On 
October 19th they held their first meeting, 
electing five men to form a provisional gov- 
ernment and dividing the land between them. 
An account of this is to be found at Stam- 
ford in the earliest town record entitled "1640- 
41 a towne book of ye free holders of ye 
towne of Stamford as it was after wards 
called but now Rippowan, containing the acts 
and conclusions of the companie of Wethers- 
field men." At this meeting "the man under 
consideration absenting himself while his case 
was in hand and so successively and when 
he was called in again and demanded if so 
much gave him content and so content and 
satisfaction was by every one of these men 
acknowledged and they set down these num- 
bers of acres of marsh and upland after the 
same proportion that followeth xxx Mr. Den- 
ton 14 acres xxx John Renoulds 11 acres." 
(Stamford Records, p. 7.) 

The New Haven Colony had not been fully 
satisfied by the one hundred bushels of corn, 
so that an assessment was laid to make this 
good. The following is John Reynolds' ac- 
count: "For rate — now 56.10.0 and due at W. 
13. s. 6 d and to received Jo Renoulds 17 S. 
II d. makes 4. lbs.08-3.,' each of whom sub- 
scribed a 'pick.' The next mention of him is 
in a list of twelve men. Here his name ap- 
pears as Jo. Renoulds. Latter is a tax list to 
make good the loss of the town mill and 
dam and for building a 'captain's house.' 
'Jo. Reynoulds debtor for loss by mill 269, 
house 13 both 39.9 and he hath paid (for loss) 
at mill. First bill 9 s. 6. and dam 9 s. 3 s. 
house, 12 s. last charge 5. s. all 38 s. 6d.' " 

The last mention of him is in a deed recorded 
March, 1651, of property in the extreme west 
section of the town near the site of Old 
Greenwich, bounded by "ye lot which was 
John Renoles." (Stamford Records, p. 51.) 

On page 55 of the original Stamford rec- 
ords is recorded the marriage of his daugh- 
ter: "Peter Ferris and Elizabeth Rincalls 
Joyned ye 15 July. 1654." Her husband. Free- 
man, of Stamford. Connecticut, 1662, renre- 
sentatTve 1667. was the son of Jeffrey Fer- 
ris, one of the seven original proprietors of 
Greenwich, who had, like John Reynolds, re- 
moved successively from Watcrtown and 
Wethersficid to .Stamford. Thcv had the fol- 
lowing children: i. Joseph, son of Peter Fer- 



ris, b. 20-6-1657, (Stam. Rec. p. 74.) 2. Illeg- 
ible, son of Peter Ferris, illegible, 1659. 3. 
Elizabeth, dau. of Peter Ferris, b. 28-11-1659 
— d — 5-2-1660, Stamford Rec. p. 98. 4. Mary, 
dau. of Peter Ferris, b. May 2, 1662. (Stam. 
Rec. p. 76.) 5. Elizabeth, dau. of Peter Ferris, 
b. Jan. 2, 1664. (Stam. Rec. p. 76.) 

As Peter Ferris is mentioned as Sen. in 
the entry of his death, September 28, 1706, it 
is probable that the illegible name was Peter. 

On page 19 of the Stamford Records is en- 
tered the death of the wife of John : "Sarrah 
Reanolds died 31-16-1657." On page 20 a 
second entry gives it as "Sarra Reanols died 
ye 31 August 1657." We have records of 
only three of John's children: i. Elizabeth, 
b. about 1634. 2. Jonathan, b. about 1636. 3. 
John, b. about 1638. 

The subsequent history of John is unde- 
termined. A John Reynolds, often confused 
with him, was at Wethersfield as early as 
June 29, 1674, when he had by Naomi Lati- 
mer a son John, and a second son Jonathan. 
As Naomi Latimer was born April 4, 1648, he 
would have been approximately thirty-six 
years older than his wife, and sixty-two years 
of age when the first child was born. These 
children are not to be confounded with the 
John and Jonathan of Greenwich, as the his- 
tories of all four are well known. It is said 
that only a few years ago there was at Weth- 
ersfield a tombstone to a certain John Rey- 
nolds who died in 1662. The constant recur- 
rence of the names John and Jonathan in the 
Greenwich and Wethersfield families impliei 
an intimate connection. 

Jonathan, eldest son of John the Emigrant. 

The site of "Old Greenwich," now Sound 
Beach, lying some three miles to the west of 
Stamford, had been purchased from the In- 
dians on behalf of the New Haven Colony, 
on July 18. 1640. by Robert Peaks and Cap- 
tain Daniel Patrick, the latter a companion of 
John Reynolds of Watertown and Wethers- 
field. 

About 1653 many of the settlers of Stam- 
ford had moved there, and among the earl- 
iest inhabitants were Jonathan and John Rey- 
nolds, whose land lay along the Two Brothers' 
Brook, which fact probably suggested its 
name. 

Subsequently to 1653 the name of Jonathan 
Reynolds appears but once in the Stamford 
Records: "Jan. 7, 1666, Wm. Grimes for 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



395 



swearing veanly by ye name of God it being 
fully proved by Mr. Jones and Jonathan Re- 
nolds and Jos. Knapp ye said Grimes is fined 
ten shillings and to pay all charges of his be- 
ing to Stamford which is four shillings to each 
man." This Grimes at that time was an 
"Inhabitant" of Greenwich, as were the wit- 
nesses. 

In the Greenwich Town Records is an ac- 
count of a town meeting held February 5, 
1664, in which it was proposed to divide the 
"common lands by a rule of proportion accord- 
ing to what each man's estate shall be visable." 
The proprietors are given as follows : "Jeffre 
Ferris Sense, Joshua Knapp Sense, Joseph 
Ferris, Jonathan Reynolds. Angell Heusted, 
John Mead Sense, John Hobbe." These were 
termed the "Seven Proprietors." (Sense is an 
abbreviation for Senior.) 

One of the earliest deeds recorded at Green- 
wich (p. 3, vol. A.) is a bill of sale bearing 
date December 13, 1665, from Richard \'owles 
of Rye to Jonathan Ronalds, of Green- 
wich, of "seven acres of upland more or lesse 
which lieth within the compass of ye land 
that was called ye ox pasture, situate in Green- 
wich, bounded as followeth. northerly by ye 
hye way. westerly by Grimes land and south- 
erly by Joseph Ferrises land. Easterly by a 
Swamp, also three acres of Maddow more or 
less bounded southwest by Jonathan Ronaldoes 
land. North east by Joseph Ferris, Westerly 
by Joshua Knapps' land and Eastardly by 
Jonathan Ronoldes upland also a sartaine par- 
soli of upland XXX also my whole rite and 
interest Elizabeth Neck also mv whole inter- 
est in land unto Myanos River." At the bot- 
tom of the page is the following : 

I. Jonathan Ronalds do ty this firmly assigne 
and make over this within "bill of sale unto my 
Brother John Ronalds freely oneing and ac- 
knowledging the whole rite and interest in ye 
aforsayd bill of sa'e to be his to wit my brother 
John Reyno'ds and for a witness of ye truth of 
ye same I have set to my hand according to date 
within written. Jonathan Ronalds. 
In presence of 

Joseph IMead. 
Timothy Knapp, 

This bill and deed entered in the year of our 
Lord 1682. Februari 27. 

In 1667 Jonathan Reynolds was made a 
member of the Assembly for Greenwich, and 
on October 24tli, 1669, he was made a free- 
man of Connecticut by the Assembly of Green- 
wich. On December 28th, 1669, Jonathan Rey- 



nolds, Sargent Lockwood, John Hobby, Joshua 
Knapp, John Mead, and Joseph Mead, were 
appointed to free the town of all claims by 
Daniel Patrick, the son of Daniel Patrick, 
formerly Patroon of the Manor, who now ap- 
peared laying claims to his father's land. The 
committee for the settlers who held by squat- 
ter sovereignty bought him off by paying a 
horse, saddle and bridle and fifty pounds. He 
served on various important committees for 
the laying out of lands, for making survey of 
Horseneck to see if it be suitable for the 
settlement of a township, as surveyor of 
highways, etc., all of which appointments are 
recorded in the Common Place I5ook of Green- 
wich. The following is a last mention of 
Jonathan in the Greenwich Records: "At 
town meeting 13, 12th month, Joshua Knapp 
is chosen to be a townman in the room of 
Jonathan Reynolds." No other business was 
considered at this meeting. The last previous 
meeting was November 13, 1673. It is there- 
fore probable that he died in November or 
December, 1673. 

Letters of administration on his estate now 
filed at Fairfield, Connecticut, January 23, 
1673-74, speak of him as "lately deceased," 
and mention his children : Jonathan R., about 
13 years; John R., about 11 years: Joseph 
R., about 41^2 years ; Rebecca R., about 14 
years ; Sarah R., aged 8 last November 6th ; 
Elizabeth R., aged 6 last August. 

Apportionment was by Angell Heusted and 
Jonathan Knapp. He left a "widow Renal.':" 
and a total estate of three hundred and fifty- 
eight pounds. Inventory taken March 10, 
1673-74. Ebenezer, a posthumous child, was 
born in 1673. 

The apportionment was by Angell Heusted, 
and showed a total estate of three hundred and 
fifty-eight pounds. The will of Angell Heus- 
ted, also filed at Fairfield in 1706, mentions 
his "son-in-law Jonathan Rcnalds." It is pos- 
sible that the "widow Renals" mentioned in 
the apportionment might have been a daughter 
of Heusted. While the above estate would not 
to-day be considered a large one, it was suf- 
ficient to place him second among the 
"Twentv-seven Proprietors of 1672," who pur- 
chased the Horseneck tract, for at that time 
the rights in the distribution of land were 
based upon the wealth of the colonists. 

The following are the descendants of Jona- 
than Revnolds as far as they have been as- 



396 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



certained ; unless otherwise stated it may be 
assumed that they were all of Greenwich, Con- 
necticut. 

We have no information concerning the eld- 
est child, Rebecca, excepting that she was 
born in 1659. 

2. Jonathan — Jonathan — John. 

The second child, Jonathan, was born in 
1660, and married, Dec. 7th, 1682, Nevill Ride- 
were. The marriage is recorded in the Com- 
mon Place Book at Greenwich, as are the 
births of their children, i. e., 

1 . Jonathan — Jonathan — Jonathan — John. 
Their eldest child was Jonathan, who was 

born in 1683, and who married, April 13, 1703, 
Rebecca Seaman, and had ist, Rebecca, b. 
Feb. 12. 1704, married, Jan. 29, 1727, Isaac 
Knapp; 2nd, Sarah, b. 1706, married, Feb. 7, 
1744, Benjamin Holmes, and had Enoch 
Holmes; 3rd, Jonathan, b. Jan. 26, 1707-08; 
married, Mny 6, 1731. Elizabeth Briggs, dau. 
of Daniel Briggs of Stamford, by whom he 
had: ist, Mercy, b. June 23, 1736; 2nd, Dan- 
iel, b. Aug. 7. 1739; 3rd, Hannah, b. Jan. 21, 
1742; 4th, Phillip, b. Mch. 30, 1744; 5th, Sam- 
uel, b. Mch. 29, 1747. 

Abigail, fourth child of Jonathan and Re- 
becca Seaman, was born about 1709. and mar- 
ried. July 17, 1731, John Martin and had John 
Martin. 1). Dec. 24. 1731. and possibly others. 

2. John — Jonathan — Jonathan — John. 
John, the second child of Jonathan and his 

wife. Nevill Ridewere. was horn about 1684, 
and m. Hannah Jessup. dau. of Edward Jessup 
of Stamford. His will, dated at North Castle, 
Westchester county, New York, June 14. 1764. 
proved in New York City, liber 246, p. 590. 
Oct. 25. 1764, mentions his wife Hannah and 
his children: 1st. Margaret, m. .Andrew 
Purdy. 2. Robert, of Bedford. N. Y.. who. in 
his will, executed .'Vpr. 8. 1808. proved at 
White Plains. April to. 1810. mentions his 
wife Ann. widow of John Kipp. his brother 
Sutton, and his children : 

1. Elijah, of New Castle, whose will, exe- 
cuted Jan. 26. 1814, proved at White Plains 
Nov. 1st that year, mentions his wife .Abigail 
and his daughter .Ann Maria, who died unm.. 
and whose will is probated at White Plains. 
Apr. 9. 1829. 

2. Elias. whose will, executed Oct. 7. 1814. 
probated at White Plains, Nov. ist, 1814, 
mentions no children. 

3. Rebecca, of Bedforfl, who died unm.. and 



whose will is probated at White Plains, Mch. 
2nd, 1818. 

John, the third child of John Reynolds and 
Hannah Jessup, lived at North Castle, West- 
chester, and married Ann Finch, who died in 
1787, and had: ist, John, m. Rebecca Run- 
dell, in 1759, he was of North Castle, and she 
of Poundridge ; she m. after his death Isaac 
Clark; they had: 1st, Jonathan, b. 1761, m. 
Sarah St. John, and d. at Bedford, N. Y., in 
1823 ; 2nd. Solomon, b. June 3rd, 1763, m. 
Joanna Miller, and d. Jan. 23. 1848, at Elmira, 
N. Y., leaving ist. Isaac, b. Feb. 13. 1786, d. 
at Elmira. 1864, and 2nd, Wright, b. Dec. loth, 
1787, d. Mch. 14. 1855. Rebecca, third child 
of John and Rebecca Rundell, m. Timothy 
Newman, and moved to Rensselaer county, 
N. Y. ; 4th, Robert, m. Lydia St. John; 5th, 
Jonah, m. ist, Polly Tilton, and 2nd. widow 

Betsy White; 6th, John, m. Esther . and 

d. 1809; 7th, Jesse, d. at Poundridge; 8th, 
Richard, who d. young. 

Ann. second child of John Reynolds and 
Ann Finch, m. Stephen Edgett. and removed 
to Nine Partners, N. Y. ; 3rd, Sarah, m. John 
Knapp. and removed to Nine Partners. N. Y. ; 

4. Polly, m. 1st Jehicl Davis, and 2nd David 
Cook and removed to Delaware county, N. 
Y. ; 5. Edward, who m. Polly Chapman; 6. 
Lizzie, m. John Banks, and d. at North Castle ; 
7. Jessup, m. Millicent Green ; 8. Hannah, m. 
Jeremy Green and resided in W^estchester 
countv ; Q. Jerusha. m. Jonathan Finch, and 
lived in North Castle; 10. Jonah, m. Ire- 
land: Ti. Deborah, m. James Smith, moved 
to northwestern part of New York state. 

Nothing is known about Joseph, the fourth 
child of John Reynolds and his wife Hannah 
Jessup 

5. Richeson had a son Richeson. 6. James. 
7. Sutton, was of New Castle. Westchester 
county. N. Y.. and his will, executed .Vugust 
12. 1824. probated .April 9. 1829. mentions his 
wife Anna and his children: i. .Amy. 2. 
Sutton, who lived at Billings, in town of 
Beekman, Dutchess countv. N. Y.. and m. 
Phebe Seaman, and had Man', who m. James 
Johnson. Sutton and his wife .Ainia also had: 
3. Hannah, wife of Thomas Dodge. 4. Joseph. 

5. Jonathan. 6. .Andrew. 

Nothing is known of .Andrew, the eighth 
child of John Reynolds and Hannah Jessup. 
3. Nathan — Jonathan — Jonathan — John. 
Nathan, third child of Jonathan and his 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



397 



wife, Nevill Ridewere, was born about 1688, 
and d. in 1748, and m. Ruth Reynolds, and 
had John, b. Aug. 16, 1727. 

4. Peter — Jonathan — Jonathan — John. 

4. Peter, son of Jonathan and his wife Ne- 
vill Ridewere, was born about 1691. We have 
no other information concerning him. 

5. Josiah — Jonathan — Jonathan — John. 

5. Josiah, b. Jan. 13, 1708, m. May i, 1735. 
Barbara Briggs, dan. of Daniel Briggs, and 
had: i. Elizabeth, b. Mch. 23, 1737. 2, Mar- 
tha, b. Dec. 29, 1739. 3. Sarah, b. May 21, 
1742. 4. Barbara, b. Nov. 14, 1744. 5. Jo- 
siah, b. July 31, 1747. 6. Jonathan, b. May 
6. 1750 7. Obediah, b. Jan. 21, 1753. 8. 
Briggs, b. July 21, 1754. 

3. John — Jonathan — John. 

John, third child of Jonathan, the eldest 
son of the emigrant John, was born in 1662, 
and married Ruth Knapp, b. 1667, dau. of 
Joshua Knapp; he d. in 1736, and his will 
executed Sept. 22, 1732, proved Apr. 6. 1736, 
states that he leaves no issue, but leaves his 
property to his wife, Ruth. He describes him- 
self as "the present Deacon of West Society." 
Ruth, his widow, when the will was proved, 
describes herself as the wife of Ebenezer 
Mead. 

4- Sarah, b. Nov. 5, 1665, m. Joseph Mead. 
5. Elizabeth, b. Aug., 1667, m. Mch. 16, 1687, 
Joshua Knapp. 

6. Joseph — Jonathan — John. 

6. Joseph, b. in 1669, m. in 1698, Abigail 
Finch : d. in 1727. His wife Abigail was dau. 
of Joseph Finch, of Greenwich. She d. in 
171=;. and he then m. Abigail Rundell. 

On June 6, 1727. .'\ndrew Burr, jud.ge of 
the court of probate of the county of Fair- 
field, appointed the widow Abigail and his eld- 
est son. Joseph, as administrators of his estate. 
The widow, Abigail Reynolds, joined the Sec- 
ond Society at Greenwich, December 16, 1728, 
and the church records show that Abigail Rey- 
nolds, who was probablv identical with the 
above, was married at the church. Nov. 19, 
1729. to John Benedict, of Norwalk. 

I . Joseph — Joseph — Jonathan — John. 

Joseph and his wife. Abigail Finch, had: i. 
.Joseph, b. at Greenwich. May 11;. 1699. m. 
Ruth Ferris. Mch. 5. 1721-22. They joined 
the church Feb. 28, 1733. He had by her 
three children, and the others were by a sec- 
ond wife; he removed with his brother Nehe- 
miah to Nine Partners, or North-east Patent, 



now Pine Plains, Dutchess county, N. Y., 
where he owned an immense tract of land. He 
had the following children: i. Ruth, b. Dec. 

13, 1722. 2. Rosanna, b. Sept. 6, 1724. 3. 
Joseph, b. Aug. 27, 1727. He was of Crum 
Elbow in 1748, and d. Nov. 12, 1799. He m. 
on Jan. 21, 1745, Ruth Rich, who d. Aug. 5, 
i7.=;o; he m. at Bedford, N. Y., for his second 
wife, Lydia Parker, May 12, 1751; she d. 
March 28, 1789. 

.Joseph and Ruth Rich had the following 
children: 

I. Joseph, b. July 23, 1746, m. Lydia Jenks; 
d. in 1799. 2. Ruth, b. Aug. 5, 1749; bpt. at 
Amenia, N. Y., Oct. 25, 1752, and d. Aug. 5, 
1776. 

Joseph had by Lydia Parker: 3. Lydia, 
b. Feb. 20. 1752, d. Sept. i, 1804; m. Joseph 
Jenks. 4. Israel, b. Dec. 25, 1753 ; bpt. at 
Amenia. N. Y., Mch. 17, 1754, lived at Peru, 
in northern N. Y., and d. Nov. 22, 1812. He 
m., Mch. 5. 1778. Deborah Thacher, who was 
b. Apr. 9, 1760. and d. Jan. 26. 1813, and had 
the following children: i. Lucy, b. Jan. 6, 
1779, d. Dec. 6, 1852; m. Simeon Frisbie. Apr, 
10. 1796, and removed to Essex county, N. Y 
and left issue. 2. Leonard, b. Jan. 9. 1781. 3 
Solomon, b. Sept. 5, 1783. 4. Raymond, b 
Feb. 18, 1786. 5. "josiah, b. Aug. 10, 1788 
6. Irena, b. Sept. 2. 1790. 7. FLirvey, b. Aug, 
26, 1793. 8. Seneca, b. Mch. 7, 1796. d. Apr 

14. 1872, removed from Vermont to Michigan 

and m. .'\nn , July 3rd, 1823. and had: i 

George, b. Feb. 19. 182.S, d. Dec. 30, 1891. z. 
Preston, b. May 5, 1828. d. Oct. i, 1847. 3 
Edmund, h. Mch. 18. 1831, d. Dec. 13. 1904 
4. Myron, b. Aug. T2. 183Q. 

Israel and his wife, Deborah Thacher. had 
also a ninth child, Israel, b. July 11. 1800, re- 
moved to Michigan. 

Joseph and his wife, Lydia Parker, had a 
fifth child, the Rev. ParkeV, b. Oct. 10, 175.V 
at Nine Partners, d. at Canton, N. Y.. 182^1. 
m. first Esther Dagctt. and second Rhoda 
Carter and had: i. Lydia, b. July 6, 1778: m. 
Ethan Branch. 2. Esther, b. July 4, 1780, m. 
Benjamin Warren. 3. John Parker, b. Sept. 
21, 1782. m. Rebecca Newell, and second 
Patience Wilson and had Laura Patience, b. 
Oct. 23. 1818, at Middletown. Ohio: m. An- 
drew Campbell. Ruth, fourth child of the 
Rev. Parker, was b. Mch. 7, 178=;. .=;. Cvnthia. 
b. Mav 20. 1787. 6. Werden Peter, b. Feb. 
6. 1789: m. I. Emme. dau. of Asa Reynolds: 



398 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



2nd Beulah Wentworth; 3rd Nancy Purdy. 
7th Lynas, b. Nov. 3, 1790; m. Alice Baker. 

Nothing is known of Joanna, the sixth 
child of Joseph Reynolds and his wife, Lydia 
Parker. Asa, the seventh child, d. Aug. 8, 
1729. All of the above seven children were 
born at Nine Partners, New York. 

Samuel, fourth child of Joseph, the son of 
Joseph, the son of Jonathan, the son of John 
the emigrant, was born Aug. 8, 1729. 5. Roo- 
lah, b. Nov. 8, 1731. 6. Israel Jacob, b. Jan. 
16, 1734. 7. Reuhama, b. Feb. 2, 1735. 8. Ra- 
chel, b. Aug. 16, 1738. 9. Johanna, b. Dec. 
21, 1740. 10. Elizabeth, b. Dec. 9, 1744; m. 
Calvin Averill. 11. Phebe, b. Feb. 25, 1749; 
m. John Howe. 

2. Abigail — Joseph — Jonathan — John. 
Joseph had a second child, Abigail, b. Apr. 

3, 1701 ; m. David Reynolds, son of John, the 
third child of John the emigrant. Their mar- 
riage occurred Nov. 24, 1720, and the issue 
will be found under the record of her husband. 

3. Samuel — Joseph — Jonathan — John. 
Samuel, third child of Joseph, was born 

July 16, 1703; m. Jan. 26, 1727-28, Rebecca, 
dau. of Ephraim Palmer. He d. Mch. 6, 
1727-28, and had Rebecca, b. Nov. 4, 1727; m. 
Joseph Palmer, Jr., of Crum Elbow, N. Y. 
4. Benjamin — Joseph — Jonathan — John. 

4. Benjamin, b. Mch. 26, 1705; d. in 1727. 
5. John — Joseph — Jonathan — John. 

5. John, b. May 23, 1708; m. Nov. 19, 

1729, Ruth, dau. of John Reynolds, "The 
Cooper." the son of John, the son of John 
the emigrant, and had: i. Ruth, b. Sept. 28, 

1730. 2. John, b. Nov. 7. 1732. 

6. Nehemiah — Joseph — Jonathan — John. 

Nehemiah, sixth child of Joseph, was b. 
Apr. 8, 1709, at Greenwich. In a deed of 
May 20, 1743, he described himself as being 
of Filkintown, Nine Partners, N. Y., and to- 
gether with Peter Palmer sold over 4,000 acres 
to Joseph Reynolds. He m. first Abigail. 
who, in the above deed, resigned her right of 
dowry, and second in 1743, at Nine Part- 
ners. N. Y., Mary . He had the follow- 

insr children : 

I. Nehemiah. who m. first, Mary Arm- 
strong, and had: i. Jacob, b. 1761 ; d. 1831 ; 
lived at Chatham, N. Y. ; m. first. Sarah 
Hart, and had: i. Robert, b. 1798; lived at 
Austerlitz, Columbia county, N. Y., and m. 
Amelia Hnrton, and had: i. Lewis Hart. b. 
1822. 2. Truman Horton, b. 1824. 3. Clar- 



issa, b. 1826; m. David E. Hawes. 4. Fidelia, 
b. 1828; m. Anson E. Barrett. 5. John Moffitt, 
b. 1832 ; m. Lucy Rhodes. 6. Rhoda Elizabeth, 
b. 1834; m. James H. Milling. 7. Robert 
Edwin, b. 1837; m. Mary Reynolds. 8. Milton 
Duane, b. 1839; m. Ellen H. Smith. 9. Sam- 
uel Moore, b. 1842. 

Jacob and his wife, Sarah Hart, had: 2. 
Hiram, m. Rachel Westcott, and had: i. 
Henry. 2. Hiram. 3. Betsy. 4. Frank. 5. Rob- 
ert. Jacob and Sarah Hart had also : 3. 
Salome. 4. Phebe. 5. Hart. 

Jacob, after the death of his wife, Sarah 
Hart, m. Mary Olds, and had by her: 6. 
Nehemiah. 7. Milton. 8. George. 9. Eliz- 
abeth. 10. Serepata. 11. Leonard. 12. Sarah. 
13. Mehitable. 14. Jacob Alonzo. 

Nehemiah had by his wife, Mary Arm- 
strong: 2. Benjamin. 3. Nehemiah. 

After the death of Mary Armstrong. Nehe- 
miah m. Anstres, and had by her: 4. 

David N., b. Oct. 3, 1785; d. 1867; m. 1807, 
Amy, dau. of Solomon Reynolds, and had: i. 
Edward W., b. at Chatham, Sept. 3, 1836; d. 
June 18, 1838. 2. Lewis, b. Oct. 21, 1809; d. 
Jan. 17, 1894; m. Ann Goodfellow, no issue. 
3. Rachel. 4. Pamelia. 5. Abraham. 6. Ste- 
phen, b. Nov. 3, 1815; d. July 30. 1848; m. 
1847, Sabrinia Van Alystyne, and had: 1. 
Frederick ; d. Apr. 17, 1893. 2. Stephen, b. 
Nov. 19, 1848; m. June 10, 1869, Ida Hatch, 
and second Feb. 27, 1883, Elizabeth Rey- 
nolds, dau. of Harvey. He had by his first 
wife: I. Frederick, b. June 10. 1876: lives 
at Rayville, N. Y. 2. George N., b. Apr. 7, 
1880. 

David N. and his wife. Amy, had : 7. Mal- 
vinia. 8th. Salomy. 9. Jane, who m. David 
Wickham. 10. Elizabeth, m. Eben Phelps. 
II. James, b. Mch. 17, 1831 ; m. at Niverville, 
N. Y.. Julia Turner, in 1857. 12. Mary. 

Nehemiah and his wife, Anstres, had: 

5. William, who m. Sarah Mosher, and had: 
I. Martin. 2. Seneca. 3. John, who m. Char- 
itv Carnell, and had j^lartin. 4. Isaac, m. 
Mary Woodward, and had : Horace. 5. Jane. 

6. Wm. Henry, m. Eliza Melius. 
Nehemiah had by his wife Anstres : 

6. Andrew. 7. Abraham. 8. Jane. 9. Mary. 
10. Sarah. 11. Rachel. 12. Salome. 13. 
Amia. 14. Ruamia. 

Nehemiah, sixth child of Joseph, who was 
the sixth child of Jonathan, the second child 
of John the emigrant, had also: 2. Mary, 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



399 



who m. Solomon Finch, lived in Chatham, 
N. Y., and had nine children. 3. David, son 
of the above named Nehemiah, born Nov. 24, 
1745, removed to Chatham, N. Y., in 1764, and 
d. 1820, in Chatham. He m. Lois Finch and 
had: i. Joel, m. Elizabeth Crandall, lived in 
Clarkville, Otsego co., N. Y. 2. Nehemiah, 
lived near Hallsville, Otsego co., N. Y. 3. 
Amos, m. Patty Thompson, removed to Fond- 
du-lac, ^\'is. 5. Titus, b. Dec. 10, 1770; lived 
in Chatham, N. Y., d. Mch. 30, j86o; m. 
first Elizabeth Brown, in 1792; she was b. 
Oct. II. 1770; d. July 29. 1826; and second 
widow Margaret Brown Finch, her sister, b. 
1770; d. i860, and had: ist. Wm. L., b. Aug. 
22, 1794; d. Apr. 5. 1871 ; m. Matilda Hotch- 
kiss, and had: Eliza, b. Apr. 18, 1815. 2. 
Lydia, b. July 25, 1817. 3. George Mead, b. 
Nov. 9, 1820. 

Titus had by Elizabeth Brown : 2. Chloe, 
b. Nov. 8. 1798; m. Nicholas Wilbur. 3. Ira, 
b. Nov. 8, 1805 ; m. Elizabeth Burton. 4. Alan- 
son, b. Aug. 14, 1808; d. Sept. 23, 1878; m. 
first Caroline Ashley, second Patty Shumway 
Hunt, third Lydia Ray Gale, and had : 

I. Oliver, m. Gertrude Pierce, had an only 
son, Orlando. 2. Albert. 3. Smith, m. Julia 
Carpenter, lived in Stockbridge, Mass. 

Titus had also : 5. Alzena, b. May 29, 1814 : 
d. Aug. 15, 1856. 6. Lavinia, b. Oct. 17, 
1801 ; d. July 4, 1858. 7. Harvey, b. Jan. 29, 
1820: d. Feb. 3, 1891, and had: i. Water- 
man, b. Jan. 9, 1844; d. June 7, 1883. 2. Wm. 
J., b. Mav 24, 1849: 'd. Oct. 5, 1855. 3. 
Elizabeth S.. b. Sept. 18. 1854. 

David Reynolds and his wife Lois Finch 
had also: 5. Zaida, m. James Murphy. 6. 
Rebecca, m. Stephen Finch. 7. Lydia, m. 
Arnold Wooley. 8. Esther, m. Oliver Allen. 
9. Solomon, b. Dec. 23, 1766; d. Aug. 21, 
1850; m. Dec. 24, 1786, Deborah Brown, a 
sister of the wives of Titus Reynolds and 
had: i. David S., b. Sept. 4, 1787; d. June 
24, 1866; m., Apr. I, 1809, Sarah Gillette, 
and had: i. Harris, b. Mch. 18, 1810; d. at 
Battle Creek, Apr. 15, 1888. 2. Isiah, b. Oct. 
2. 1813: d. at Battle Creek, Mich., Sept. 12, 
1889; m. first Mary Hicks, second Har- 
riet Marcv, and had: i. Walter B., b. Mch. 
4, 1837, at Nassau, N. Y., d. Feb. 4. 1885. 
at Rochester, N. Y. ; m. Phebe Crandall. 2. 
Joseph H., b. Nov. 15, 1846, at Nassau; d. 
Feb. 25. 1S48. 3. BeVnard H., b. June 28. 
1851, at Nassau. 4. Sarah G., b. Feb. 10, 



1848; m. Sterling F. Hayward, of Yonkers, 
N. Y. 

David and his wife, Sarah Gillette, had also: 
3. Norman, b. Apr. i, 1816, at Westford, 
Otsego CO., N. Y., d. Oct. 2, 1888; m. Clar- 
issa Chapman, and left no issue. 4. Adel- 
phius, b. May 30, 1812; d. Jan. 13, 1854; m. 
Lydia Bowman, who d. Jan. 13, 1859; no 
issue. 5. Claudius, b. June 30, 1827; d. at 
Chatham, Jan. 27, i860, and had: i. Clar- 
ence Eugene, b. July 30, 1856; resides at 
Battle Creek, Michigan. 6. Charlotte. 7. Or- 
pah, b. July 29, 1832, d. unm. 

Solomon and his wife Deborah Brown also 
had : 2. Titus S., b. at Chatham, N. Y., Jan. 
9, 1790: d. Apr. II, 1862; m. Dec. 11, 1813-, 
Hannah Brockway, of Columbia co., who 
was born Mch. 12, 1794; d. 1881, and had: 
I. Horace, b. 1814. 2. Lester A., b. 1816, 
removed to Lucerne, Minn. 3. Sylvester, b. 
1816; d. at Toch, Wis., Dec. 4, 1890. 4. Ellas 
B., b. 1818: d. at Lyons, Wayne co.. N. Y.. 
May 24, 1880. 5. Mary Ann., b. 1820. 6. 
Warren, b. in Chatham, Col., co., Sept. 19, 
1821; lived at Amenia, N. Y., and had: i. 
.Mvah, of Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 7. Deborah 
J., b. 1823. 8. Laura, b. 1824. 9. Isaac B., 
b. 1824. 10. Julianna, b. 182S. 11. Freeman, 
b. Apr. 16. 1831: lives in Albany, Vermont. 
12. .Alida, b. 1833. 

Solomon Reynolds, ninth child of David 
Reynolds, had by his wife, Deborah Brown : 
3. Joseph S., b. Feb. 12, 1794; d. Oct. 11, 
1842; m. Delia Brown, and had: i. Con- 
stance. 2. Catherine. 3. Deborah. 4. John. 
Solomon Reynolds also had. 4. James, b. 
July II, 1796; d. at Chatham, N. Y.. Jan. 9, 
1864. m. Sarah Irish. 5. Jonathan, b. Mch. 
I, 1799: d. March 22, 1858; m. Nancy Green, 
and had: i. Henry, d. at Rayville. 1893. who 
had: i. Lavinia, m. Rensselaer Palmer, and 
d. in 1894. 2. Maria, m. 1858, Emeritt Gillett, 
and resides at Rochester, Indiana; Solomon 
also had: 6. Enos. b. May 18, 1807; d. Sept. 
3, 1868; m. Caroline Bristol. 7. Eunice, b. 
Dec. 27, 1808: d. Feb. i, 1872; m. Abram 
Doughty, of Nassau, Rensselaer co., N. Y. 
8. .Amv. b. Dec. 16, 1791 : d. Mav 12. 1844; 
m. David M. Reynolds. 9. Annis. b. Mch. 
I, 1809; d. June I, 1886. 10. Allen, b. Dec. 
18. 1810; d." Oct. 20, 1835. 

David Reynolds, who was born Nov. 24, 
1745, and who mar. Lois Finch, had also: 10. 
Mary, who m. Job Thompson. 11. Lois, who 



400 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



m. first Francis Barnard; lived at Clarks- 
ville, Otsego Co., N. Y., and second James 
Wilbur. 

Nehemiah, sixth child of Joseph, the son of 
Jonathan, the son of John the emigrant, had 
in addition to i. Nehemiah: 2. Mary. 3. 
David, previously mentioned. 4. Rosanna, 
b. 1750; d. June 8. 1833; m. Jabez Finch, and 
had nine children ; also 5. Amos, b. June 10, 
1759; m. Elizabeth Moshcr, lived at Chatham. 
They settled at Galway, Saratoga co., N. Y., 
and had: i. David, lived at Galway. 2. Sam- 
uel, lived in Saratoga co. 3. Judith, m. John 
Allen. 4. Phebe, no issue. He also had : 6. 
Abigail, b. Nov. 21, 1747; m. John Bishop, 
and lived at Granville, N. Y. 7. Anna, b. 
Oct. 30, 1754, m. Stephen Howland, lived at 
Galway, Saratoga co., N. Y. 8. Rebecca, m. 
Noah Ashley and had ten children. 

7. Isaac — Jose])h — Jonathan — John. 

Joseph had in addition to i. Joseph: 2. 
Abigail. 3. Samuel. 4. Benjamin. 5. John, 
and 6. Nehemiah, whose descendants have al- 
ready been given ; a seventh child, Isaac, b. 
June 15. 171 1, at Greenwich, and removed to 
Crum Elbow, N. Y. 

8. Reuben — Joseph — Jonathan — John. 

He also had an eighth child, Reuben, b. 
Dec. 4, 1713, at Greenwich. He d. in 1765. 
He m. Mch. 19, 1734. Elizabeth Mead, who 
was b. Apr. 5, 1709. He left a will executed 
Aug. I, 1765, proved at Stamford, Oct. 31, 
1765 ; his widow survived him. The following 
are his descendants: i. Reuben, b. Mch. 14, 
1735; m. Hepzibah , and had: i. An- 
drew, b. Mch. 1764, who m. Sarah Cleveland 
and had the following children: i. Isaac. 2. 
Hosea, m. Elizabeth Fuller. 3. Henry. 4. 
Sally. 5. Andrew. 6. Hepzibah. 7. Lucy. 
8. Amy. 9. Patty. 10. John. ii. Charles. 

8. Reuben and his wife, Elizabeth Mead, 
had also: 2. Titus, b. about 1736; lived at 
North Salem, Westchester co., N. Y., m. 

Sarah , who was b. in 1741, and d. 1833. 

He d. in 1808, and had: i. Benjamin, b. 
1770; d. 1850, and had: i. Mary, b. 1812; 

d. 1876: m. Lobdell, and lived at North 

Salem, Westchester co., N. Y. 2. Samuel, 
lived at North Salem, Westchester co., N. Y., 
and had: i. Frank S. 

Reuben and his wife, Elizabeth, had also: 
3. Moses, b. about 1739. 4. Elizabeth, b. about 
1741 ; m. Chas. Howe. 5. Joel, b. 1743; re- 



moved to Albany co., N. Y. 6. Bethania, b. 
about 1745. 7. Jonah, b. about 1747, and: 

8. David, b. June 6, 1753. He lived during 
the Revolution in Westchester co., and Gen. 
Washington and Gen. Lafayette stayed in his 
house several times. His house was fired by 
the British on three occasions. He d. Aug. 30, 
1827. at Scotchtown, Orange county, N. Y. 
He m. Margaret Crisey, July 12, 1787; she 
was b. Nov. 7, 1863, in Westchester, and d. 
Aug. 12, 1858, at Lake Sheldrake, Sullivan 
CO., N. Y., and had: i. Andrew Reynolds, 
b. May 26, 1792; d. May 11, 1876. He m. 
Oct. 20, 1813, Katrina Van Bencheton. and 
had: i. James Van Benchton, b. Dec. 4, 
1816; d. Sept. 13, 1867, at Fallsburg, Sullivan 
CO., N. Y. He m. Hannah Knapp, Oct. 25, 
1840, and had: i. Elmer E., who m. Nannie 
E. Howe, and lives at Oneida, N. Y. 

Reuben and his wife, Elizabeth Mead, had 
in addition to the above: 9. Mary, b. about 
1752. ID. Hannah, b. about 1754, m. in 1786, 
Israel Wood, of South Salem, N. Y. 11. 
Martha, b. about 1757. 

9. Elizabeth — Joseph — Jonathan — John. 

Joseph, sixth child of Jonathan, the jecond 
child of the emigrant John, had : 9. Eliza- 
beth, b. Aug. I, 1717; m. Richard Everitt, of 
Norwalk, Conn. ; they sold to Joseph Rey- 
nolds, her brother, Dec. 1742, their interest 
in the estate of her father, Mr. Joseph Rey- 
nolds, and all claim on the estate of her "Un- 
cle Deacon John Reynolds, late of Greenwich, 
deceased." 

7. Ebenezer — Jonathan — John. 

Besides the above mentioned children, Jona- 
than, the second child of the emigrant, had a 
posthumous child, b. 1673-74, who was his 
seventh child, named Ebenezer. He was pro- 
vided for by a gift of land from his brother, 
Jonathan, which is recorded on page 65 of 
vol. iii., of the Greenwich deeds. 

This Ebenezer. seventh child of Jonathan, 
the son of the emigfrant John, was married to 
Abigail, dau. of Ebenezer Smith, and d. in 
1749. He had the following clnildren: i. 
Deborah, b. Feb. 3, 1705, wlio m. Robert Peck. 

2. Ebenezer, b. Mch. 6, 1707, w^ho had: i. 
Ebenezer, b. Oct. 23, 1731 ; d. unm., in 1761. 

3. Lydia. b. Mch. i, 1709-10. 4. Sarah, b. 
171T; m. Peter Peck. 5. Abigail, b. 1713; m. 
^^'iIliam Johnson. 

6. Nathaniel — Ebenezer — Jonathan — John. 
6. Nathaniel, b. Jan. 27, 1715, m. Nov. 8, 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



401 



1743. Sarah, dau. of Nathan Lockwood, and 

had: 1. Nathaniel, b. Sept. 7, 1745, ni. , 

Jan. 23, 1772, and 2. Apr. 2, 1878, to 
Deborah, dau. of Benjamin Heusted and 
Sarah Newman. He died June 6, 1822, and 
had by his first wife: 1. Nathaniel, b. 1773. 

2. Zadoc, b, 1775. 3. Rebecca, b. 1777; by 
his second wife he had: 4. Ard, b. Mch. 20, 
1781 ; m. Dec. 13, 1810, Anna Eliza Doell, 
who d. Feb. 25, 1858; he d. Apr. 26, 1857, 
and had: i. Elizabeth P. 2. Sally D. 3, 
Benjamin H., d. young. 4. Ann Eliza, d. unm 
5. John G., b. Mch. 25, 1821. 6. Harriet E 
7. Julia H., m. to Seneca Howland. 8. Maria 
Nathaniel had also by Deborah Heusted : 5 
Harriet. 6. Benjamin. 7. Heusted. 

Nathaniel, who was b. Jan. 27, 1715, had by 
Sarah Lockwood, his wife: 2. Ezekiel, b. 
Oct. 13, 1747, d. Nov. 24, 1833, m. July 4, 
1770, Rlary dau. of Captain Caleb Mead. 3. 
Abigail, b. Dec. 11, 1749, d. May 27, 1839, 
m. May 21, 1778, Nathaniel Ingersoll. 4. 
Benjamin, who was killed in the Revolution, 
unm. 5. Phebe, b. Apr. 26, 1757; d. unm., 
June 19, 1829. 6. James, b. May 8, 1759; 
d. Mch. 2, 1833: m. Oct. 18, 1786, Abigail 
Knapp, who was born Oct. 4, 1755. They lived 
at South Salem, N. Y. Their children were 
baptized in the Church of Christ, Salem, 
Westchester, N. Y. (see N. Y. Gen. & Biog., 
vol. xxxiii, p. 38-39). I. Stephen, b. July 29, 
1787; d. Nov. 4, 1856. 2. Ezekiel, b. Aug. 7, 
1788; d. Jan. 24,^881; m. May 7, 1776, 
Phebe, dau. of Ezekiel Reynolds ; she d. Sept. 
21, 1855, and had: i. Adeline, b. Oct. 20, 
1810: m. Erastus Rundle. 2. Tames, d. young. 

3. Wm. T., b. July 18, 1814; d. Jan. 11, 1881 ; 
m. Feb. 23, 1836, Mary Ann Halsey. 4. 
Steohen. b. Dec. 22, 1815-; d. unm., in 1841. 
5. Elkanah M., b. Sept. 8, 1817: d. Jan. 16, 
1892; m. Jan. 31, 1844. Sarah Sackett Wil- 
son, who d. Aug. 27, T903. 

James and his wife, Abigail Knapp, had 
also: 3. James, b. Sept. 27, 1789; lived at 
Somers, Westchester co. ; his will was pro- 
bated at ^^^^ite Plains, May 28, 1855 ; he d. 
Apr. 29, 1855: and m., Sept. 17, 1820, Sarah 

. bv whom he had: i. Wm. Edward. 2. 

Sarah Louisa. 3. James Richard. 4. Jane 
Matilda : m. Randolph. 

James and his wife, Abigail Knapp, had 
also: 4. Tosiah, b. Feb. 19, 1791 ; d. Nov. 24, 
1874: m. "Dec. 16, 181.S. 5. Silas, b. Mch. 12, 
1702 : d. Mch. 23, 1878 ; m. Dec. 18, 1824. 6. 



Ebenezer, b. July 4, 1793; d. July 2nd, 1869; 
m. Oct. 31, 181 5. 7. Enoch, b. Dec. 19, 1794; 
d. Sept. 9, 1878; m. first, Dec. 15, 1819, Maria 
Reynolds, dau. of Nathaniel, son of Nathaniel, 
son of Nathaniel, son of James, son of John, 
son of John the emigrant; m. second, Sept. 
II, 1848, Deborah Ann Finch; by first wife he 
had: i. Ann Amelia, b. Nov. 3, 1821. 2. 
Nathaniel, b. Nov. 2, 1822. 3. James, b. Nov. 
8. 1825; d. July 18, 1891; m. Carrie Cole, 
Sept. 12, 1849. 4- Josiah, b. Oct. 6, 1827; d. 
Jan. 17, 1846. 5. Alvah, b. May 22, 1831. 6. 
Hanford, b. Dec. 27, 1833. 7. Catherine, b. 
July 7, 1836. 

James, b. May 8, 1759, had by his wife, 
Abigail Knapp, in addition to the i. Stephen: 
2, Ezekiel. 3. James. 4. Josiah, 5. Silas. 

6. Ebenezer. 7. Enoch, enumerated above. 8. 
Abigail, b. Mch. 26, 1796; d. Oct. 28, 1858; 
m. Dec. 16, 1815. 9. Reuben, b. Oct. 10, 
1797; d. Feb. 9, 1855; m. Oct. 9. 1823. 10. 
Rachel, b. Sept. 29, 1800: d. Apr i, 1879; m. 
Aug. 31, 1826. II. Hanford, b. Jan. 6, 1802; 
d. June 3, 1858; m. Nov. 12, 1829. 12. Lock- 
wood, b. Oct. 14, 1804; d. Oct. 25, 1881 ; m. 
Nov. 25, 1829. 13. Joseph, b. Aug. 26, 1807; 
d. Tune 8_ 1874: m. Dec. 16, 1835. 14. Sarah, 
b. Apr. 28, i8og; d. Jan. 15, 1888; m. Nov. 

7, 1827. 15. Amanda, b. Feb. 11, 1811: d. 
Mch. 30, 1861 ; m. Nov. 11, 1828. 

Nathaniel, b. Jan. 27, 1715, had by his wife 
Sarah Lockwood, in addition to the children 
enumerated above: 7. Sarah, b. Feb. 8, 1762, 

d. Aug. 31. 1849. m. Mch. 29. 1784, 

Smith." 8. Philemon, b. Feb. 21, 1764. d. July 
28, 1835, m. first, Oct. 21, 1787, Hannah, 
dau. of Caleb Mead, who was born Jan. 6, 
1756, d. Feb-. 24, 181 T, and second Sarah 
Holmes, on Feb. 20, 1814, by whom he had no 
issue. His will is recorded in White Plains, 
N. Y. He had bv Hannah Mead : i. Amy, b. 
Sept. 17. 1788, m. Samuel Buddington. 2. 
Arney, b. Sept. 22, 1790, m. Henry Close. 
Sept.' 29, 1812, and d. Apr. 9. 1870. 3. Hiram, 
b. Dec. 14, 1792. 4. Hannah M., b. Feb. 2, 
1795. m- Amos Searlcs. 5- Theresa M.. b. 
Oct. 10. 1797. m. George Miller. 6. Warren, 
b. Feb. 18. 1800. 7- R.ichel. b. June n, 1802, 
m. James Scoffield. 

Nathaniel, b. Jan. 27, 171.V '^Y 't^ ^^''^^ 
Sarah Lockwood, in addition to the above: 
9 Ebenezer, d. unm. 10. Deborah, b. May 
13 1766, m. Uriah Lockwood. it. Lockwood. 
h Mch. 20, 1768, d. June 7, 1827. 



402 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Ebenezer, seventh child of Jonathan, the 
second child of John the emigrant, had in ad- 
dition to the children enumerated above : 7. 
Enos, b. about 17 17. 8. Timothy, b. about 
1719, d. 1781, served in the French and Indian 
war ; his widow, Anna, survived him and was 
appointed administratrix of his children, all 
infants: i. Jeremiah. 2. George. 3. Asa. 
4. Abel. 5. Jared, d. 1822, without issue. 6. 
Timothy, d. 1816, had: i. Samuel H. 7. 
Elijah. 8. Abigail. 9. Anna. 

Ebenezer, the posthumous son of Jonathan, 
the second son of John the emigrant, had also : 
9. Rebecca who m. Samuel Bursham. 10. 
Eliphalet. b. about 1722, settled at Nine Part- 
ners, Dutchess CO., N. Y. 

The above dates, which have been obtained 
from the original records, do not agree as far 
as the day of the month is concerned with the 
genealogy of the children of Ebenezer, which 
dates are probably the dates of baptism. 

The above completes the descendants of 
Jonathan, the second child of the emigrant 
John, as far as they have been ascertained. 

JOHN REYNOLDS. (SECOND) SON OF 
JOHN THE EMIGRANT. 

The first entry on the first page of the first 
book of deeds in Greenwich, February i, 1663. 
records the purchase from Angell Heusted of 
sixteen acres of land on the west side of the 
Mvanos river, by John Ronalds, of Green- 
wich. This purchase was augmented by five 
pieces of land which Jonathan Ronalds had 
purchased of Richard Vowles, December 15, 
1665, and transferred on the same day to his 
"brother John Ronalds." 

On October 24, 1669, John was made free- 
man of Greenwich. 

On July 18, 1670. William Grimes left all 
his "lands to ye disposal of Joseph Mead, 
John Renals and Eliphalet Jones to be dis- 
posed of by them in such a wave as they 
shall judcrc meet for ye inlarging of ve town 
of Greenwich by accomodating such inhabitant 
or inhabitants as shall be admitted into ye 
town in an orderly wav. provided they bee 
such men as ve afore sd Mead, Rcnols & Tones 
shall bee desirable for ve promotintr of church 
& commonwealth." This William Grimes had 
on Januarv 7, 1666, been fined for swearing 
and Jonathan Renolds had gone from Green- 
wich to Stamford to appear aeainst him. It 
was not until March 7, 1694. that it was de- 



cided to dispose of the land "for ye use of a 
ministrie and if no ministrie be in ye place ye 
profit of sd land and meadow shall go to 
helpe maintain such as shall be employed in 
teaching children to reade." 

In 1669 John was appointed one of a com- 
mittee of five to purchase from the few re- 
maining Indians living about the west end of 
the town, the Horseneck tract three miles to 
the west of "Old Greenwich," from which it 
was separated by the Myanos river. The 
original settlers remained for the most part 
in the homelots at Old Greenwich and Horse- 
neck, now Greenwich, was largely settled by 
their children, who styled themselves as the 
"27 Proprietors of 1672." Among these 
Jonathan Reynolds ranked second and his 
brother John was the twenty-second among 
the proprietors. 

By the Greenwich inventory of 1688 it ap- 
pears that the number of "Inhabitants" had 
increased to fifty, among whom was John 
Reynolds, who was the wealthiest man. It 
would appear that his homelot adjoined the 
Church of the Second Society, for on Novem- 
ber 28, 1694, he was appointed "to supervise 
the building of a meeting house which is next 
to his own house." His name constantly ap- 
pears in the Greenwich Records up to the time 
of his death. John was appointed justice of the 
peace for Fairfield county, February 24, 1687, 
and Kine's Commissioner, 1690-97. 

His will, recorded in Fairfield, Connecticut, 
dated April 21, 1699, and a codicil dated No- 
vember 8, 1701. mentions his wife, Judah, and 
children John, Judah for Judith), James, 
IMary, Jonathan. Joshua and David. At the 
time of his death in 1701 he was the wealthiest 
"Inhabitant" of Greenwich. The widow was 
appointed administratrix and the inventory 
was taken prior to December 17, T701, when it 
was filed. The three distributors were all of 
Stamford. Joshua, the son of the deceased, 
chose his brother, John Rcvnolds, as guardian, 
while David chose Joseph Knapp as guardian. 
To James was given land next to Gearsham 
Lockwood. Joshua received land next to Jno. 
Heusted. and David land next to Joseph Fer- 
ris and Ephraim Palmer. The widow, his son 
John, and son-in-law Samuel Retts. were ap- 
pointed overseers. The daughter, Mary, had 
already received her portion. 

The town tax list of Greenwich in 1701-02 
contains the following of the name: 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



403 



Mr. John Renalls, 93 pounds; Sargent Jona- 
than Renalls, 22 pounds; Joseph, Jr., 52 pounds; 
Jonathan, Jr., 2J pounds; John, Jr.. 72 pounds; 
Ebenezer, 44 pounds; James, 46 pounds; John, Sr., 
71 pounds. 

On February 4, 1701-02, the town made 
another distribution of land ; eighteen acres 
were allotted to "Mr. Renalds deceased." He 
was the largest landholder in Greenwich at 
the time of his death, and this land was dis- 
tributed among his sons, who, in 1706, sold 
to one another the various portions which 
their "honored father, Mr. John Renals de- 
ceased" had obtained from the many distribu- 
tions of town land, with the evident intention 
of concentrating their individual holdings. 

Judah, the wife of John, was probably the 
daughter of John Palmer, one of the early 
settlers of Greenwich. In the settlement of 
his estate recorded at Fairfield. Connecticut, 
the heirs of Judah Reynolds appear with Wil- 
liam, Ephraim, James and Joseph Palmer. 
John Palmer is stated to have "died many 
years ago." This bears the entry "due August, 
1716," an addition was made to the inventory 
on April 17, 1778. 

Her mother's name was Judah, who was 
married after the death of John Palmer to 
Jefifery Ferris, one of the two purchasers of 
Greenwich Point, July 18, 1640, whose will, 
executed Jantiary 6, 1664, recorded in Fair- 
field, mentions his wife, "Judy." who was his 
third wife. She receipted for her dower May 
6, I (167, as "Judah Bowers, lately widow 
Ferris, sometime wife to Jefifery Ferris." 
Ferris left ten pounds apiece to the four 
"boies" of his wife, evidently the William, 
Ephraim. James and Joseph Palmer above 
mentioned. 

This is still further confirmed by the will of 
Ephraim Palmer above mentioned, who died 
August ig, 1684. and whose will is filed at 
Fairfield in book 1675-1689, page 140. The 
inventory was taken by John Reynolds ; John 
Bowers was the administrator, and mentions 
his daughter Judith, aged 11 years. If the 
above relationship is correct, John Reynolds 
would have been the brother-in-law of Eph- 
raim Palmer, John Bowers would have been 
his stepfather, and his daughter, Judith, born 
in 1673, would have been named for his sister 
Judith, wife of John Reynolds, or for his 
mother. 

The will of John Bowers, of Greenwich, 
drawn March 16, 1693-94, gives property 



"that was her mother's to his daughter-in-law, 
Mrs. Judah Reynolds," and again speaks of 
his "daughter Juda Reynolds and son Mr. 
John Ronalds." 

In Colonial times the stepchildren were re- 
ceived into the family and referred to as sons 
and daughters, thus in a deed dated April 
8, 1675, and recorded at Greenwich in Vol. 
A., p. 64, John Bowers gives land bounded by 
that of John Renalds to his son "Ephraim 
Palmer." 

Judah, the wife of "Mr. John Ronalds," 
had her first child as early as 1670. As Su- 
sanna Lockwood, the second wife of Jeffery 
Ferris, did not die until December 23! 1660, 
she could not have been a daughter of Jefifery 
Ferris by his third marriage. Since Jefifery 
Ferris did not die until May 31, 1666, it is 
still less possible that she could have been a 
daughter of John Bowers. Wc are forced, 
therefore, to conclude that Judah Reynolds 
was the daughter of Judah by a marriage pre- 
vious to that to Jefifery Ferris, and the Palmer 
records above quoted make us consider tlie 
conclusion warranted that her father was John 
Palmer. 

John Bowers married, after the death of 
Judah, Hannah Knapp, widow of Joshua 
Knapp. the parents of Ruth, born 1667, who 
married John Reynolds, son of Jonathan, and 
of Joseph Knapp, who married Elizabeth, 
daughter of Jonathan Reynolds. 

John Reynolds and his wife, Judah Palmer, 
had the following children : 

I. John, born about 1670. 2. Judith, born 
about 1672. 3. James, born 1674. 4. Mary. 
5. Jonathan, 1682. 6. Joshua, born about 
1686, and 7. David, born about 1689. 
I. John — John — John. 

I. John was known as "The Cooper." and 
was born about 1670. He received from his 
father in 1695 his house and homelot at 
Horseneck. He died in December. 1732. and 
left a will in which he appointed his brother 
Tames and his son-in-law, Samuel Mills, as 
his executors. He left the following children : 
I. Peter, born about 1695. 2. Judith, b. about 
1697. 3. David, b. about 1699. 4. Lydia and 
5. Ruth. 

I. Peter — John — John — John. 

I. Peter, the eldest son. was b. about T695, 
and d. in 1743. He m.. Jan. 14, 1718. Sarah 
Knapp. who survived him. Their children 
were the following: i. Peter, b. Dec. 14, 



404 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



i/iy. 2. Sarah, b. Aug. 19, 1721. 3. Han- 
nah, b. Sept. 6, 1723. 4. John, b. Aug. 16, 
1725. 5. Lyciia, b. Mch. 6, 1727, who m. a 
Ferris. 6. EHzabeth, b. Dec. 14, 1729. 7. 
Judith, b. July 29, 1732. 

2. Judith — John — John — John. 

2. Judith, the second child of John, "The 
Cooper," was b. about 1697, and m. Samuel 
Mills. 

3. David — John — John — John. 

3. David was b. about 1699, ^^'^ ^- '" ^75^- 
Letters of administration recorded at White 
Plains, June 3, 1751. He m. Lydia, a dau. 
of Caleb Knapp. He had three children who 
are known: i. David, who was born about 
1730. 2. Penelope, who was b. about 1732. 

3. James Reynolds, b. 1738, m. Judith , 

b. 1743. He lived in New Rochelle, and was 
elected constable and collector, Dec. 22, 1783. 
They had: i. David, b. 1761. 2. Mary, b. 
1763. 3. Samuel, born 1766. 4. Penelope, b. 
1769. 5. Peter, b. 1772. 6. Joshua, b. 1775. 
7. Enos, b. 1778. 8. Nathan, b. 1785. 9. 
Elizabeth, b. 1786. 

7. Enos, b. 1778; married Hannah Love, 
and had: i. Mary. b. 1801, m. Job Tripp. 2. 
James, b. 1803, m. Harriet Boyden. 3. So- 
phia, b. 1804. 4. Sidney, b. 1806, m. Juliana 
Brewster. 5. Ira, b. 1807. 6. Francis, b. 181 1. 
7. Eliza, b. 1813. 8. Vincent, b. 1815. 9. 
Milton, b. 1817. 10. Lawson, b. 1820. 

Nothing is known of the descendants of 4. 
Lydia, the fourth child of John, "The Cooper," 
but 5. Ruth, the fifth child, who was born in 
1702, m. Nov. 19. 1729. John Reynolds, the 
son of Joseph, who was the son of Jonathan, 
the son of the emigrant John, and had: i. 
Ruth, b. Sept. 28, 1730, and 2. John, b. Nov. 

7, 1732- 

2. Judith — John — John. 

Judith was born about 1672, and married 
-Samuel Betts. of Norwalk. Dec. loth, 1692, 
and Iiad the following children: i. Mary. b. 
Sept. 10. 1693. 2. Samuel, b. Oct. 28. 1695. 
3. Stephen, b. Aue. i, 1698. 4. Nathan, b. 
Nov. 5, 1700. 5. Hepzibah, b. Oct. 29, 1703. 
6. Judith, b. Oct. 25, 1714. 

The descendants of James, the son of John, 
are given hereinafter. 

Nothing is known of the descendants of 
IVfary. the fourth child. 

5. Jonathan — John — John. 

The fifth child. Jonathan, b. about 1682. 
was made an inliabitant of (Ireenwich, May 3, 



1704, and d. in 1708. He m. Mary Mead, of 
Greenwich, and had one child, Hezekiah, who 
was born about 1707, and d. in 1756, and m. in 
1734, Sarah, dau. of Joseph Webb, and had 
the following children: i. Hezekiah, b. May 

22, 1738. 2. Jonathan, b. Feb. 28, 1739-40. 3. 
Joseph, b. Nov. 19, 174 1. 4. David, b. Mch. 
25, 1743-44. 5. Israel, b. May 11, 1746. 6. 
Sarah, b. Oct. 4, 1749. 

6. Joshua — John — John. 
Joshua was born about 1686, and was a 
member of the Connecticut legislature. He 
left the following children: i. John, b. about 
1712. 2. Daniel, b. about 1714. 3. Caleb, b. 
about 1717. and 4. Mary, b. .\pr. 28, 1723. 

1. John — Joshua — John — John. 

I. John (b. about 1712), m, Feb. 16, 1740, 
Johannah Winans. by whom he had: i. Eliza- 
beth, b. Apr. 5, 1742. 2. Joshua, b. Nov. 30, 
1743. 3. Sarah, b. Apr. 15, 1746. 4. Geradus, 
b. Oct. 17, 1748. 5. John, b. Oct. 29, 1750. 
6. Joanna, b. Dec. 11. 1753. 7. Jacob, b. May 

23, 1756. and 8. Alpheius. b. May 11, 1760. 
The seventh child, Jacob, was born May 23, 

1756, and removed to W'esterlo. Albany co.. 
N. Y., where he organized a church in 1804. 
He died in 1828. and had by his wife. Martha 
Winans: i. Alphius. 2. James. 3. John. 4. 
Ira. The latter was h. in 1704. and d. in 
1844. and in 1814, m. Maria Snyder Wcsterlo, 
by whom he had: Jacob Ira. b. in 1815. d. 
1870, who m. in 1840, Amelia Disbrow. of 
Westerlo. by whom he had David H.. the 
father of Hofifman Kissam Revnolds. of New 
York City. 

2. Daniel— Joshua — John — John. 
Daniel, the second son of Joshua, was b. 

about 1714, at Greenwich, and removed to 
Courtlandt Manor. Westchester, N. Y. He 
died in 1803 and had: i. Samuel, whose de- 
scendants are unknown. 2. Daniel, who was 
b. Nov. 9. 1768, d. June 2. 1831. and was 
buried at Old Greenwich. Conn. : he m. Oct. 
3. 1790. Sarah Heusted, who was b. Apr. 13, 
1766, and d. Nov. 3, 1848. Thev had: i. 
John H., b. July 23. 1791. at Greenwich, and 
removed to Courtlandt Manor. 2. .'-^liubal. 3. 
Isaac. 4. Hannah, and 3. .\nna. 

3. Caleb — Joshua — John — John. 
Caleb, the third son of Joshua, was b. about 
T717. and d. in 1765, leaving a son: i. Caleb, 
who was b. about 1739, and was m. to Hannah 
Brown, a eranddauglitcr of James \Mnans. 
Tie removed to Pine Plains. Dutchess co.. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



405 



N. Y., where he had: I.Abraham, 2. David. 
3. Daniel. 4. Nathaniel. 5. Isaac. 6. John. 
7. Caleb. 8. Anna. 9. Rhuama. 10. Phebe, 
and II. Clara. Caleb, the son of Joshua, had 
besides the above: 2. Anna, b. about 1741. 

3. Mercy, b. about 1743, who m. a Carpenter. 

4. Joseph, b. about 1745. 5. Eunice, b. about 
1747. 6. David, b. about 1749, d. unm. in 
1770. 7. Mary, b. about 1755, and d. young. 

Nothing is known concerning the fourth 
child of Joshua, i. e., Mary, excepting that 
her birth is given in the Greenwich records 
as April 8, 1723. 

7. David — John — John. 

The seventh child of John, the son of the 
emigrant John, was David, born about 1689. 
In October, 1720, he was appointed ensign of 
the East Company, and in May, 1729, was 
created a lieutenant of the Connecticut Regu- 
lars. He died in 1749. He m., Nov. 24. 1720, 
at the Second Society of Greenwich, Abigail, 
daughter of Joseph Reynolds, who was the son 
of Jonathan, the son of John the emigrant. 
His widow survived him, and was granted per- 
mission by the General Assembly, held in 
Hartford, May ist, 1751, to sell enough of his 
land to pay 598 pounds, which was the amount 
of his debts. The tax books of Greenwich 
show that his estate for the times was a very 
large one. He had the following children : 
I. David, b. Sept. 19, 1722, d. unm., Oct. 12, 
1745. 2. Abigail, b. Mch. 9, 1724, m. Mch. 

26, 1756, William Blake. 3. Jemima, b. July 

27, 1726, m. James Mead. 4. Benjamin, b. 
Nov. 27, 1728, d. before 1753. m. Susanna 

; no issue. 5. Abraham, b. Sept. 19, 1731. 

6. Elizabeth, b. Oct. i, 1733. 7. Deborah, b. 
Feb. 24. 1734-5, removed to Norwalk. Con- 
necticut, prior to 1758, and probably married 
a Reynolds. 8. Sarah, b. Aug. 7, 1740, m. 
Jonas Weed, of Stamford, Connecticut. 

Tames — John — -John. 

3. James Reynolds, son of John and his 
wife Judah, was born in Greenwich, in 1674, 
and on May 10, 1697, together with several 
others of "ye young men belonging to the 
towne," received an allotment of a homelot 
at Horseneck (three acres at Horseneck and 
ten between the Two Brothers' Brooks). 

Up to 1703 all town meetings had been held 
at Greenwich Old Towne. but in that vear it 
was determined to hold half of them at Horse- 
neck, which was rapidly outgrowing in im- 
portance the older settlement, and James was 



one of those who signed the petition to the 
General Assembly. In 1705 the town was 
divided mto two societies, and he was ao- 
pointed selectman (Dec. 31, 1705) to the Sec- 
ond Society on "ye West sd. of Myanos 
River. •' 

. In the Common Place Book at Greenwich 
is the entry: "Nov. i, 1706. Recorded unto 
James Renals his ear mark which is a cross 
upon ye top ye necr ear and two half pennies 
under yc side of ye same ear." 

James was elected lieutenant of the train 
band. May 14, 1719, and captain May 9 1728 
He was the deputy from Greenwich to the 
General Assembly, 1721-24, and 1727-38 and 
justice of the peace of Fairfield county, 1735- 
1741. Beginning with 1723 he was for many 
years the moderator of the Second Society. 
The last record of him in the books of the 
Society is dated December 7, 1750. 

That James Reynolds was a very large land 
holder is made apparent from the many deeds 
recorded in Greenwich. As early as April 21, 
1706, he obtained by grant of the town eight 
acres at Clap-board-tree-ridge, a hill lying 
about a mile and a half back of Greenwich. 
This was increased by purchase from his 
brother John, December 2. 1712, and other 
grants November, 1707 and 1712, until he 
owned a large tract. 

On March 14, 1710, he sold to Edward 
Avery "a piece of ground in Horseneck, my 
homelot of 14 acres with present dwelling, 
house barn and orchard bounded on the east 
by a highway, southerly and westerly by ye 
highway and northerly by ye land of Ebenezer 
Mead and common land." 

There was recorded at White Plains. De- 
cember 13, 1745, the deed from James Rey- 
nolds and three co-partners of a very large 
tract of land in Westchester county, held "iiy 
virtue of patent granted in 1701 and called the 
East Patent." 

On May 10, 17.36, he deeded his "well be- 
loved and dutiful son Gideon Reynolds" a 
very large tract of land on Clap-board-tree- 
ridge, and augmented it with another granted 
February 21st. 1743. ^n April 29, 1738, he 
deeded part of his "homelot in Greenwich to 
his loving and dutiful son Justus." On Sep- 
tember 24, 1748, he gave his son Jeremiah 
fifty acres. On February 17, 1748-40. he 
gave his son, James Jr., his house and or- 
chard on Clap-board-tree-ridge. This house. 



4o6 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



a large gambrel structure surrounded by enor- 
mous box trees, was still standing in 1897, and 
was owned by the descendants of Gideon Rey- 
nolds. On March 4, 1752, he deeded his lands 
on the Indian Fields to his sons James Jr. and 
Gideon, both of Greenwich. On March 24, 
1752, he gave his lands at North Castle to 
his son James Jr. 

From the distribution of his property it is 
apparent that he intended moving from Green- 
wich to New York state, where he was prob- 
ably interested in the Nine Partners Patent. 
He figures in the Greenwich tax lists as late 
as 1761, and in deeds describes himself as of 
Greenwich in 1759-61-62. 

Nevertheless, his granddaughter Anna Pal- 
mer, daughter of Nathaniel Reynolds, deeded, 
October i, 1760, land on Clap-board-tree- 
ridge, "in said Greenwich, which was given to 
her by her honored grandfather James Rey- 
nolds formerly of said Greenwich but now of 
Dutchess in the Province of New York." 
(Greenwich Deeds, vol. VHI.) 

James, in a deed dated August, 1761, de- 
scribes himself as of Peekskill, in the county 
of Westchester. James died February 14, 
1767, at Amenia, Dutchess county, N. Y., 
and was buried in the Amenia City (Smith- 
field) graveyard, where his stone still exists. 
Family tradition states that he was visiting: 
his son James, who is also buried there. A 
letter written in 1848 states that "he was 
laree and made a fine appearance.'' 

From a deed signed December 22, 1731, bv 
Captain James Reynolds and his wife Sarah, 
it appears that she was the daughter of Mary 
Hobby, who married, November 18. 1686 
(Stamford Records, p. T18), -Stephen Holmes 
(b. Jan. 14, 1664-65. at Stamford, d. May 15. 
1710, Greenwich). The deed (Greenwich, 
vol. A, p. 131) covers "part of lot or ri.ght 
of land that was given by John Hobbv of 
Greenwich, deceased, unto his daughter Marv 
and her children, and T. Sarah Renvalls. am 
one of the children of ye said Mary Holmes." 
The said land was granted to her by her hon- 
ored father John Hobby "Dec. 22, Anno Dom., 
1731." The latter was on the voters' list of 
Greenwich as early as 1658, and the inventory 
nf his estate. April 24. 1707. mentions "dau. 
Mary Holmes, wife of Stephen Holmes." 
John Hobby was the son of Tohn Hobbv, one 
of the seven original proprietors of Green- 
wich (1664). 



Stephen Holmes, b. Jan. 14. 1664-5, iri 
Stamford (Stamford Records, p. 76), d. May 
15, 1710, in Greenwich (Stamford Records, p. 
143), was the son of John Holmes, b. 1635, 
d. July 6. 1703 (Stamford Records, p. 113), 
and Rachel Waterbury, who removed to Bed- 
ford. Westchester county, N. Y., in 1680. 
They were married at Stamford, Dec. 3, 1659 
(Stamford Records, p. 76). Rachel Water- 
bury was the daughter of John W'aterbury, 
who died at Stamford 3-15-1658 (Stamford 
Records, p. 20). John Holmes receipted on 
behalf of his wife "Rachel out of ye estate 
of her deceased father John Waterbury 10- 
12m- 1 668" (Stamford Records, p. 68). 

The Common Place Book at Greenwich 
gives the births of four of James' children: 
"Sarah Renalds ye daughter of James Renals 
was born ( ?) 25, 1698. James Renalds son 
of James Renals b. July 6, 1700. Nathaniel 
Renals son of James, b. Feb. 20, 1702-3. Mary 
Renals. dau of James b. Feb. 9, 1704-5. That 
he was the father of Gideon, Justus and Jere- 
miah, appears from the deeds of gifts already 
quoted. 

James had the following children, though 
whether they were all by Sarah Holmes is not 
known: i. Sarah, b. 1698, subsequent history 
unknown. 

2. James — James — John — John. 

2 James, b. July 6. 1700. d. June 2. 1773, 
buried at Amenia City (Smithfield). Dutchess 
county. N. Y., m. at Greenwich, May 24. 
1 7."^ I. Phebe Fowler, and had the following 
children, all born in Greenwich: i. Mary, 
b. June 30, 1732, 2. Phebe. b. June 27. 1734. 
3. Sarah, b. Sept. 5, 1736. 4. Rebecca, b. Oct. 
27. 17,38, 5. Jemima, b. Feb. q, 1741, 6. Hep- 
zibah. b. i^ept. 18. 1744. 7. James, b. Jan. 5, 
1746. was in the war of revolution in the 
Connecticut forces. 8. Justus, b. Apr. 2, T748, 
was in war of revolution in Connecticut forces, 
d. and buried at .'\menia. N. Y., 9. William, 
b. Tan. 18, 1751. m. Rhoda, d. Nov. 24. 1813. 
and was buried at .Amenia City. N. Y.. and 
had: i. Justus, d. 1703 at .\menia. N. Y., and 
probably others. 10. Sophia, b. Sept. 25, 1754. 
IT. Dorcas, b. Sept. 9. 1756. 

The descendants of Nathaniel, the third 
child of James, son of John, the son of John 
the emis^rant, will be given hereinafter. 

4. Mary. b. Feb. 9. 1744-5, entry of her birth 
the only record. 

5. Gideon — James — John — John. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



407 



Gideon, the fifth child of James, the son of 
John, the son of John the emigrant, was born 
in 1706, was a member of the Connecticut 

legislature, and married Bethia . He d. 

in 1769, leaving a will dated Oct. 23, 1765, 
proved at Stamford, Mch. 7, 1769. His 
widow survived him. He had: i. Gideon, 
b. about 1732, m. Hannah Rundle, he d. in 
1772, leaving a will dated Feb. 18, 1772, 
proved May 5, 1772, at Stamford. His widow 
survived him; they had: i. Hannah, b. 1758, 
m. at Greenwich, Feb. 8, 1776, Shubal Run- 
dle. 2. Tamar, b. 1760, m. at Greenwich, Nov. 
14, 1787, Thomas Peck. 3. Gideon, b. in 1763, 
d. unm. 1792, leaving a will proved Feb. 7, 
1792, at Stamford, devising his estate to his 
brothers. 4. Oliver, b. about 1765. 5. Abra- 
ham, b. about 1769. 

Horton, the second son of Gideon, the son 
of James, b. about 1734 was a sergeant in 
the Revolutionary army, wounded in the bat- 
tle of White Plains. Admitted to the Second 
Society of Greenwich, June 8, 1774, died leav- 
ing will executed Aug. 23, 1796, proved at 
Stamford, May 2, 1797. He m. Lydia, dau. 
of Caleb Knapp and Clemence Mills, who sur- 
vived him and had: i. Horton, d. before 
1815, his widow Abigail survived him and 
afterward m. Shadrach Mead, who was ad- 
ministrator of his estate. At the time of his 
death his children were infants, i. e. : i. James 
H. 2. Abigail J. 3. Emeline. 4. John J. 

Horton and Lydia Knapp also had: 2. 
Charity, m. Benoni Piatt. 3. Mary, m. Caleb 
Purdy. ' 4. Lydia, m. Elisha Belcher. 5. Be- 
thia, m. Feb. 19, 1789, Nathaniel Sackett. 6. 

Rachel, m. Sanford. 7. Anna. m. Feb. 

25, 1790, David Hobby. 8. Ruth, m. Ebenezer 
Knapp. 

Gideon, fifth child of James, the son of 
John, the son of John the emigrant, had a 
third child. Sylvanus. b. about 1736, m. in the 
Second Society of Greenwich, May 7. 1776, 
Marv Mead, in his will dated Aug. 27. 1819, 
proved at White Plains. Nov. i. 1820, de- 
scribes himself as of Bedford, Westchester 
county, N. Y. He had: i. Mary, m. James 
Piatt.' 2. Gideon. 3. Sylvanus. 4. Tyler. 5. 
Jesse. 6. Elizabeth. 7. Theodosia. 8. Be- 
thia. who m. Caleb Reynolds. 

Gideon, son of James, had a fourth child. 
William, b. about "1738, m. Polly Knapp; he 
was of Poundridge, Westchester county, 1784. 
and of South Salem, where he died in 1809. 



His will executed Feb. 4, 1809, was proved at 
White Plains, N. Y., Feb. 14, 1809. He had: 

1. William. 2. Clemence, who m. Thomas 
Hitchcock, Feb. 26, 1784, and had: i. John, 

2, Sarah, 3. Polly, 4. Thirza, 5. William, and 

also 3. Sarah, who m. Ames, 4. Mary, 

who m. Hobby, and 5. Gideon, who 

was b. about 1778, m. Dec. 27, 1804, to Betsy 
Reynolds, dau. of Nathaniel, .son of Nathaniel, 
son of Nathaniel, son of Jamc:,, son of John, 
son of John the emigrant, and (second) Apr. 
15, 183 1, Theodosia Smith, and (third) widow 
Hannah Smith. He was of Cross River, then 
of Lewisboro, Westchester county, but was of 
Greenwich, Connecticut, when he made his 
will May 8, 1847. He had the following chil- 
dren : I. William K., b. June 2, 1805, m. 
Nancy Pleusted, 2. Jane, b. Sept. 3, 1807, m. 

Brooks, 3. Gideon, b. Jan. 13, 1817, m. 

2. Eliza Rich. 4. Mary E., b. Feb. 13, 1815, 
m. Alsop Lockwood, 5. Sarah Ann, b. Sept. 
23, 1S15, m. Joseph Todd, 6. Elizabeth, b. 
Dec. 31, 1820, m. Silas Todd. 7. Silas H., b. 
Jan. I, 1823, m. Julie Wood, 8. Nathaniel, 9. 
Caroline, who m. PLirvey Avery, 10. De Witt 
Clinton, b. June 2, 1828, m. Johannah Silkman, 
and had: "i. De Witt Clinton, b. Oct. 5, 1859, 
2. William Silkman, b. May 18, 1861, 3. Cecil 
Keeler, b. Oct. 17, 1862. 4. Lisette Belle, b. 
July 2. 1864, 5. Delilah Hanson, b. July 24, 
"1866, 6. Ilda Gertie, b. March 23. "1869. 7. 
Catherine Cornelia, b. Feb. 18, 1870. 8. Emily 
Johanna, b. June 22, 1872, 9. Denton DeWitt, 
b. Feb. 16, 1875, 10. Gideon Wright, b. Apr. 

11, 1877, II. Clarence Irving, b. Apr. 29, 1879 

12. Edith Amelia, b. Jan. 16, 1882. 13. Ethel 
Amrenia, b. Tan. 16, 1882, 14. Lelia Leah, b. 
Dec. 19. 1884. 

Gideon had by his second wife, Theodosia 
Smith, an eleventh child, Emeline. b. Jan. 31, 
1S32, who m. (first) John Wills, and (second) 
John Jennings. 

Gideon, fifth child of James, the son of 
John, the son of John the emigrant, had a fifth 
child, Bethia, b. about 1740, m. Odcll Close, 
prior to 1765, and 6. Gilbert, b. about 1742, 
7 Mary, b. about 1744. 8. Abijah, b. about 
1748 9 Ruth, b. about 1749- 10 Ambrose, b. 
about 1750, a soldier in the Revolutionary 
war he m. Ruth Knapp, and his descendants 
are residing in Greenwich. He had: i. Sarah, 

,„ Heusted, 2. Ambrose, b. m 1791, m. 

Amy Reynolds, and had : i. Ambrose, who d. 



4o8 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



unm., 2. Oliver, who d. unm., 3. Sylvanus, who 
had a son Sylvanus. 

Ambrose and his wife Ruth Knapp also 
had: 3. Joshua, b. 1793, d. Sept. 29, 1866; 
he m. Rachel Reynolds, she d. Dec. 25, 1843, 
and had: i. Wm. Todd, b. June 11, 1824, m. 
Anna Knapp, and had : i. Jeanette S., b. Sept. 
28. 1867, 2. Mary H., b. July 24, 1859, m. 
Elbert Mills, 3. Charles A., b. Aug. 3, 1862, 
m. Francis Holly, 4. Joshua, b. Oct. 7, 1863, 
5. Gideon, b. March 26, 1865, 6. Everit. b. 
Mch. 8, 1868, m. Anna R. Best, and had, i. 
Sarah, ii. Frances, 7. Harriet L., b. June 25, 
1869, 8. Frank V. R., b. Jan. 10, 1871. 

Joshua and his wife Rachel had also : 2. 
Elthea, 3. Rachel Ann, 4. Abraham, 5. Augus- 
tus Norman, b. June 21, 1833, m. Martia A. 
Mills, and had:, i. Elbert N., b. Jan. 24, 1863, 
m. Cora E. Graves, and had: i. Raymond A., 
b. Nov. 25, 1888, 2. Leonard G., b. May 24, 
1891. Augustus Norman also had: 2. Lillie 
T., b. Ian. 17, 1869, 3. Norman T., b. Dec. 
21, 1873. 4. Bethia, b. Oct. 26, 1875. 

Joshua and his wife Rachel Reynolds also 
had children: 6. Edgar, b. Dec. 10, 1835, d. 
unm., 7. Mary Louise, b. July 27, 1840, and d. 
young. 

Ambrose, tenth child of Gideon, the son of 
James, the son of John, the son of John the 
emigrant, had by his wife, Ruth Knapp, a 
fourth child, Gideon, who m. Betsy Fountain 
and had: i. James, d. unm., 2. Benjamin, 
also: 5. Mary, d. unm., 6. Bethia. d. unm., 7. 
Tared, b. in 1798, m. Julia Rundle, and had: 
I. Julia, 2. Sydney, m. Esther Purdy, and had: 
I. Frank, 2. Frederick W., 3. Olive, and also 
3. Edward, who m. Mary E. Hastings and 
had: i. .Samuel. 2. Herbert, 3. David. 4. 
Elizabeth, 5. Mary. 

Ambrose, son of Gideon, had also an eighth 
child, Benjamin, who m. Lucinda Mead and 
had: i. Julia, 2. Mary, 3. Isaac, and a ninth 
child, Eunice, who died unm. 

Gideon, fifth son of James, son of John, 
son of John the emigrant, had an eleventh 
child, Jonathan, b. about 17.S2. of whom we 
have no records. 

6. Justus — James — John — John. 

James had a sixth child. Justus, b. 1708, d. 
1747, m. .'Vpr. 23, 1737. Elizabeth, dau. of 
Richard Sackett, and had at Greenwich: i. 
Sackett. b. Mch. 3, 1738, m. Nov. 21, T760, 
Mary, dau. of Benjamin Jones, and had: i. 
Justus, b. July 26, 1 761. 2. Mary, b. Feb. i. 



1763, 3. Elizabeth, b. Apr. 11, 1765, 4. Han- 
nah, b. July 26, 1767, 5. Benjamin, b. Apr. 
10, 1770. 

Justus and Elizabeth Sackett also had : 2. 
Elizabeth, b. May 4, 1740, 3. Sarah, b. July 
26, 1742, 4. Anna, b. May 24, 1745, 5. Mary, 
b. Apr. 4. 1748. 

7. Jeremiah — James — John — John. 

James also had a seventh child, Jeremiah, 
b. about 171 1, m. a dau. of Peter Brown and 
d. in 1769, he had: i. David, b. about 1741, 
and possibly others. 

Nathaniel — James — John — John. 

3. Nathaniel was born at Greenwich, Feb. 
20, 1702-3, where his birth is given in the Com- 
mon Place Book. While the Greenwich Rec- 
ords of this period make constant mention of 
a Nathaniel Reynolds, it is not always pos- 
sible to determine which refer to him and 
which to Nathaniel, b. 1715, son of Ebenezer. 

He, together with Joshua, Peter and James 
Jr.. petitioned the General Assembly in 1753 
to be "set off from the Parish of Stanwich in 
the South West of which they lived and to be 
joined to the Parish of Horseneck." He was 
elected constable for Greenwich, Dec. 27, 

1728. The records of the Second Church at 
Greenwich contain the record of his marriage. 
"On ye first day of January 1728-0 Nathaniel 
Reynolds was married to his wife Ruth whose 
name was Purdy." The Greenwich Common 
Place Book gives the births of two of his chil- 
dren : "Nathaniel Renalds' cJiildren : Dec. 8, 

1729. Nathaniel; Jan. 8, 1731, Frances Ren- 
yalls." 

At a court of probate held in Stamford 
June 7, 1748, letters of administration were 
granted on the estate of Nathaniel Reynolds, 
late of Greenwich, deceased, and Ruth his 
widow was appointed administratrix. Dis- 
tribution was made April 7, 1752: after pay- 
ing debts amounting to 580 pounds there re- 
mained for the children 413 pounds and a large 
amount of real estate. His children are stated 
to be Nathaniel, Francis, Solomon, Stephen, 
Ruth. Anna and Hannah. 

In Vol. 7, p. 67. of the Greenwich Deeds, 
is recorded the following: "Know all men 
that T. James Reynolds. Senior, of Greenwich, 
in consideration of the love I have for my 
grandsons, namely. Nathaniel Reynolds, Fran- 
cis Revnolds. Stephen Reynolds, and .Solomon 
Reynolds, all natural sons to Nathaniel Rey- 
nolds, of Greenwich, and also bv the love and 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



409 



good will I bear to their natural mother, Ruth 
Reynolds, widow and relect of the deceased 
Nathaniel," etc., Feb. 2, 1749-50. 

Ruth Purdy belonged to the well known 
family of Rye, N. Y. Francis Purdy in a 
deed of 1718 was described as "of Green- 
wich," as was John Purdy in 1727. As Ruth 
was married in Greenwich and had a son 
Francis, the probability is that she was a 
daughter of Francis Purdy. Both John and 
Francis were sons of Joseph Purdy, who ap- 
peared at Rye in 1677. He was the son of 
Francis, who was an early inhabitant of Fair- 
field, Conn., and died in 1658. The Purdy 
genealogy in the "History of Rye" is incom- 
plete, and that of Bolton is obviously inaccu- 
rate. To determine the line of descent will 
necessitate a study of the original town rec- 
ords. 

Ruth, after the death of Nathaniel, married 
Jonathan Fiske, of Greenwich. In the dis- 
tribution of his estate recorded at Stamford, 
July 2T, 1762, mention is made of the use 
by his widow of one third part of said de- 
scribed lands, being conveyed to said widow 
by her father-in-law, Mr. James Reynolds, in 
part, and partly came by her husband, Nathan- 
iel Reynolds, deceased. 

Nathaniel had the following descendants : 
I. Nathaniel, b. Deo. 8. 1729, removed to Cross 
River, Westchester co.. N. Y. Letters of ad- 
ministration which were granted to his son 
Nathaniel, Dec. 23, 1805, describe him as a 
resident of Salem, Westchester county, N. Y. 
He had: i. Nathaniel, b. in Cross River, Feb. 
22. 1754, m. Oct. 15. 1778, Hannah Todd fthe 
widow Cooley). who was born May 26, 1750. 
d. Apr. II. 1846. He was a second lieutenant 
of the 3rd Regiment of Westchester county 
militia, commanded by Col. Samuel Drake, 
and was taken prisoner June 24, 1779, re- 
leased Oct. 24, 1781. 

In his will, drawn December 20th. 1830, 
probated Jan. 22, 1844, at \\nTite Plains, he 
describes himself as being of South Salem. 
N. Y. He died Sept. 21, 1843, and had: i. 
Deborah, b. July 17, 1779, d. May 24, 1844. m. 
1798, Aaron Morehouse, 2. Nathaniel, b. Aug. 
7, 1782, m. Lizzie Avery, d. Mch. 1874, 3. 
Lydia, b. Aug. 28, 1784, m. Rev. Joshua H. 
Hobbv. she d. Feb. 3, 1864, 4. Betsy, b. Sept. 
5, 1786, d. June 12, 1838, m. Dec. 27, 1804. 
Gideon Reynolds, son of William, son of 
Gideon, son of James, son of John, son of 



John the emigrant; 5. Abraham, b. Oct. 11, 
1788, d. in New Orleans, imm., Aug. 25, 1818, 

6. Sarah, b. Sept. 15, 1790, d. Oct. 8, 1876, 

7. Hannah, b. Sept. 13, 1792, d. Nov. 9, 1856, 
m. Henry Avery, 8. Enoch, b. Sept. 16, 1794, 
d. May 5, 1876, m. Lydia Cross, 9. Alvah, b. 
Sept. 23, 1796, d. May 6, 1881, m. Phebe A. 
Field, 10. George, b. Dec. 12, 1798, d. unm. 
Dec. 30, 1884, II. Mariah, b. Mch. 22, 1801. 
d. Jan. 3rd, 1846, m. Enoch Reynolds, son of 
James, son of Nathaniel, son of Ebenezer, son 
of Jonathan, son of the emigrant John. They 
lived at Bedford, N. Y., 12. Benjamin, b. 
Aug. 19, 1803, m. Mary Vivian. 

Nathaniel and his wife Ruth Purdy also 
had: 2. Francis, b. July 8, 1731. Nothing 
is known of his descendants. There was a 
Francis Reynolds who lived at Crum Elbow, 
Dutchess county, N. Y., at this time, and it is 
probable that they were identical. 3. Ruth, 

b. about 1733, m. Merritt, and' in 1760 

she was living on the property at Clap-board- 
tree-ridge given her by her grandfather James. 
4. Solomon, b. about 1735, nothing is known 
of his descendants. There was a Solomon 
who lived at Poundridge. N. Y.. another at 
Crum Elbow, N. Y.. and one at Woodbury, 
Conn., 5. Anna, b. about 1737, m. Samuel Pal- 
mer. In a deed recorded at Greenwich in vol. 
\'III, dated Feb. 25, 1760, ".'>amuel Palmer 
and Anna Palmer his wife of Greenwich sells 
to David Knapp two acres in said Greenwich 
which was given to the said Anna by her hon- 
ored grandfather James Reynolds, formerly 
of said Greenwich, but now of Dutchess in the 
province of New York a lot on Clap-board- 
tree-ridge, bounded east by our sister Mer- 
ritts, west by our sister Hannah Fiske." Their 
descendants lived in Westchester county. 6. 
Stephen, b. Dec. 31, 1740 (for his descendants 
see hereinafter), 7. Hannah, m. July 21, 1762, 
Jonathan Fiske, the son of Jonathan Fiske, 
who married her widowed mother Ruth 
Purdv. Their descendants reside in Saratoga 
county and at Troy, N. Y. 
Stephen — Nathaniel — James — John — John. 

In a deed recorded at Greenwich, vol. ix. p. 
52, Feb. 2. 1762, Stephen described himself as 
of "Woodbury, county Litchfield." and sells 
to Jonathan Fiske his share of his father Na- 
thaniel's estate and of his .grandfather's, James 
Reynolds, of Dutchess countv. N. Y. The 
fact that he removed to Woodbury, Connecti- 
cut, as soon as he had reached his majority. 



4IO 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



coupled with the fact that there was a Solo- 
mon there residing, makes the identification of 
the' latter with Solomon, son of Nathaniel, 
more than probable. The Woodbury family 
of Reynolds are attributed without apparent 
authority to John of Wethersfield. (Note. 
All of the data from the time that Stephen left 
Woodbury are derived from family records.) 
Stephen removed to Amenia City, Dutchess 
county, prior to 1763, where his uncle James 
lived, and where his grandfather James died, 
and erected in 1764 a residence on the old Al- 
bany post road and about a half mile to the 
north of the Amenia City (Smithfield) 
Church. This contained three rooms of the 
entire width of the house, with kitchens and 
dependences behind. It was of frame, and a 
story and a half high. It was torn down in 
1877. 

He is probably identical with the Stephen 
Reynolds who enlisted in the Continental 
Army, Capt. Daniel Shepard's company (see 
"Nevv York in the Revolution," pp. 259-454) 
during the Revolution, in the New York 
forces, since there is no record of any other 
Stephen of an age which would have made it 
possible for him to take part in this war. He 
died in Amenia, August 17. 181 5. and is buried 
in the "City" (Smithfield) graveyard. His 
will is recorded in Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 

He married, Amenia, N. Y., February 1st, 
1763, Rachel Denton. She was born April 12, 
1742 (o. s.), and died in Albany, N. Y., No- 
vember 10, 1815, while on her way to visit 
her son Stephen, at Minaville, N. Y.. and was 
buried in one of the church burial grounds in 
Albany, and in 1856 her remains were trans- 
ferred to the Reynolds plot in the Albany 
Rural Cemetery. Her father was Benjamin 
Denton, of Foster's Meadows, Wallingford, 
Connecticut, also of Farmington, Connecticut, 
and Amenia, New York ; married at Farm- 
ington, December i, 1724, Rachel Wheeler, of 
Hartford, Connecticut. He was the son of 
Richard Denton (died in 1699"), the son of 
Nathaniel Denton, of Jamaica. L. I., the son 
of Richard Denton, of Flalifax, England 
(born in 1586), a clergyman, a graduate of 
Cambridge University in T623. who came to 
America in 1634 and settled in Watertown, 
Connecticut. He led those colonists who 
founded the settlement at Wethersfield and 
subsequently removed to Stamford with the 
first settlers. Cotton Mather eulogizes him 



in his Magnala. He removed to Long Island, 
returned to England and died there. 

Stephen and his wife Rachel Denton had 
the following children: i. Stephen, b. Sept. 
I, 1765 (o. s.), see hereinafter. 2. Rachel, 
b. Sept. I, 1767, d. unm., June 2, 1785, 3. 
Chloe, b. Dec. 5, 1768, d. unm., June 18, 1789, 
4. Israel, b. Oct. 31, 1772, studied medicine 
with his brother Stephen, at Minaville, N. Y., 
established the first mail service in Pine Plains, 
Dutchess county, N. Y., and died there Alch. 
28, 1823, he m. Deborah Dorr, June ist, 1798, 
dau. of George Dorr Jr., of Lyme, Conn., b. 
Oct. 26, 1770, d. June, 1850, at Pine Plains. 
They had: i. Walter, b. at Pine Plains, N. Y., 
Feb. 5, 1801, d. at Pine Plains, Jan. 3, 1844, 
m. May 5, 1839, Julia Husted. He was gradu- 
ated at Yale, 1822, studied law in Albany and 
at a law school in Litchfield, Conn. ; he had : 
I. Cornelius Husted, b. Sept. i, 1841, d. Nov. 
7, 1876, 2. Ellen Husted, b. Oct. i. 1843. d. 
July 20, 1865. Walter and his wife Julia Hus- 
ted also had: 2. Julia, b. Apr. 23, 1803, d. 
Sept. 22, 1870, m. Hiram Willson, 3. Eliza b. 
Mch. 22, 1805, d. at Pine Plains. Oct. 2, 1892, 
m. Feb. 18, 1824, Hiram Willson, b. Aug. 12, 
1799, at Smithfield, d. Tune 22, 1873, at Pine 
Plains, and had: i. El'len Willson. b. Oct. 8. 
1825, d. Sept. 26, 1843, 2. Israel Reynolds 
Willson, b. Nov. 2, 1827, m. Sept. 16. 1852, 
Elizabeth Conklin. 3. JuHa Willson, b. Feb. 11, 
1830, d. May 22, 1858, m. Aug. 28, 1851, Isaac 
Smith Carpenter, 4. Edward Paysen \\'illson, 
b. Dec. 26. 1832, d. at Leavenworth, Kansas, 
Aug. 30, 1910, m. Oct. 13, 1863, Helen Fair- 
child, m. (second) Olive Sinks, Sept. 21, i86g, 
5. Sarah Rebecca Willson, b. May 2. 1836. 
m. Sept. 5. i860, Isaac Smith Carpenter, and 
is now living (1911) at Smithfield, Amenia 
City, Dutchess county, N. Y., 6. Elizabeth 
Deborah Willson, b. July 20, 1838, m. Dec. 7, 
1 87 1, Theodore Strong. 

Stephen and his wife Rachel Denton also 
had: 5. Phebe, b. May 12, 1778, at Smith- 
field. Amenia City, d. Mch. 28, 1842, m. Abra- 
ham Bockie Pugsley, of Dutchess county, N. 
Y. He was born in 1776, at Smithfield, d. 
Dec. 9. 1851, they had: i. Jane Augusta 
Pu.gsley. m. James Ridgeway, and had: i. 
Frederick A. R. Ridgeway, m. Mary F. Davis 
and had seven children, living in 191 1 at 
White Creek, N. Y.. 2. Eliza Pugsley. m. 
Roswell Graves, of Brooklyn. N. Y., and had : 
I. Marv. 2. Lizzie. 3. Belle. 3. Cornelius A. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



411 



Pugsley, b. 1806, d. Jan. 7, 1865, at Danby, 
N. Y., m. Louisa Clark, of Danby, N. Y., 
and had: i. Abraham Bockie Pugsley, b. 

1854, m. • Blakesley, lives near Ithaca, 

N. Y., 2. Cornelia Pugsley, m. Oscar Jennings, 
of Danby, N. Y., and had three children, 3. 
Mary Pugsley, m. William R. Humphrey, of 
Ithaca, N. Y. 

Stephen and his wife Rachel Denton also 
had: 6. Elizabeth, b. Sept. 14, 1785, d. at 
Pine Plains, Apr. 10, 1844, unm., 7. Rachel, 
b. Oct. 14, 1785, d. at Pine Plains, Mch. 24, 
1861, 8. Samantha, b. May 27, 1768, d. at 
Amenia City, Sept. 27, 1822, unm. 

Stephen — Stephen — Nathaniel — James — 
John — John. 

I. Stephen Reynolds, M.D., son of Stephen 
Reynolds and Rachel Denton, was born in 
Amenia, Dutchess county, N. Y., September 
I, 1765 (o. s.), July 31, 1765 (n. s.). His 
class poem written in his freshman year, which 
is still in existence, is evidence that he went 
to college, but to which one is unknown. He 
died in Amsterdam, N. Y., July 8th, 1833, 
while visiting his nephew, Deodatus Wright, 
and was buried there. 

He studied medicine with James Potter, 
M. D., at New Fairfield, Connecticut, 1784; 
removed to Minaville, town of Florida, Mont- 
gomery county, N. Y., in 1785, and practiced 
there until May 1832, when he removed to 
Schenectady, N. Y., having purchased No. 25 
No. Church street, the next building north 
of the Dutch Church. He was a celebrated 
Latin scholar and something of a poet. He 
was the founder and president of the Wash- 
ington Benevolent Society, and going to Phila- 
delphia he commissioned Sir Gilbert Stewart 
to paint a replica of his portrait of Washing- 
ton, which he presented to the Society. When 
the Society was disbanded the portrait was 
returned to him, and it is now in the posses- 
sion of his great-.granddaughter. Mrs. Frank 
P. Wilder, of Saratoga (Josephine Voorhees). 
He was the president of the Mont,gomery 
Aledical Society, which issued certificates en- 
titling its members to practice medicine, and 
was one of the first in this portion of the coun- 
try to hold clinics. 

Portraits of Stephen and his wife Lydia 
Rartlett. painted by Ames, about 1812, are in 
possession of their granddaughter, the widow 
of Rev. William C. Hopkins, of Toledo. Ohio. 

He married, at Warrensburgh, Florida, 



Montgomery county, N. Y., October 29, 1787, 
Lydia Bartlett, who was born at Lebanon, 
Connecticut, August 27, 1770, and died at 
Amsterdam, N. Y., August 27, 1843. Her 
father was Nathaniel Bartlett, born at Goshen, 
Conn., November 23, 1727; removed to Flor- 
ida, N. Y., in 1785, then to Charlton, Sara- 
toga county, N. Y., died there, and was the 
son of Capt, Josiah Bartlett (born Marshfield, 
May 24, 1701, removed to Lebanon, Conn., 
died March 16, 1782). who married at Marsh- 
field, Jan. 3, 1723, Mercy Chandler, born in 
1705 : died Feb. 17, 1781 ; she was the daugh- 
ter of Edmund Chandler, of Duxbury, b. 1680, 
d. 172 1, and Elizabeth Alden, b. 1680, d. 1732. 
Edmund Chandler was the son of Joseph 
Chandler, died 1666. and Hannah, and grand- 
son of Edmund Chandler. Elizabeth Alden 
was daughter of Jonathan Alden, and grand- 
daughter of John Alden, b. 1599, Mayflower, 
1620, d. Sept. 12, 1686. m. Priscilla MuUins, 
b. 1602, Mayflower, 1620. 

Josiah was the son of Ichabod Bartlett, born 
1664, married. Dec. 28, 1699, Elizabeth Water- 
man (1679- 1 708), died Plymouth, 171 5. 
Elizabeth \\'aterman was the daughter of Jo- 
seph Waterman, b. 1643, d. Jan. i, 17 12, m. 
1672, Sarah Snow (b. 1650, d. Dec. 11, 1741), 
and granddaughter of Robert Waterman, m. 
Dec. II, 1638, Elizabeth Bourne, daughter of 
Thomas Bourne, b. 1581, d. May 4, 1634. 

Ichabod was the son of Benjamin Bartlett, 
born 1638, married Sarah Brewster. 1656, died 
1691. She was daughter of Love Brewster, b. 
1607, d. 1650. Mayflower. 1620, m. Mch. 15, 
1634, Sarah Collier. He was the son of Elder 
William Brewster, b. 1560, Mayflower, 1620, 
d. Apr. 16. 1644. 

Benjamin was the son of Robert Bartlett. 
born in England, in 1603. came to Plymouth in 
ship "Ann" in 1623, and died in 1672. who 
married Mercy Warren, dau.ghter of Richard 
^^'arren, who came in the Mayflower, and 
whose wife was Elizabeth Jouatt, b. 1588. d. 
Oct. 2. 1673. 

Lydia Bartlett's mother was Mercy Otis. 
born in Colchester, Conn.. July 3, 1734; mar- 
ried. Dec. 14, 1752, Nathaniel Bartlett. and 
was the dau.ghter of Nathaniel Otis (born in 
Scituate, Jan. .30, 1690. died in 1772"). who 
married Hannah Thacher (born Oct. 9. 1690, 
died Colchester, 1776). daughter of Col. John 
Thacher (born Marshfield, Mass.. Mch. 17. 
1639. at Marblehead. Rep. 1668-1680, d. May 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



8, i/io, and Lydia Gorham, his wife, b. Nov. 
II, 1661, at Barnstable, Mass.), who was a 
daughter of John Gorham, b. at Bernesfield, 
Northampton, England, Jan. 28, 1621, settled 
at Marshfield, Mass., later of Barnstable, cap- 
tured in King Philip's war, died Feb. 5, 1776, 
and of Desire Rowland, his wife, m. 1643, d. 
Oct. 13, 1683, who was the daughter of John 
Rowland, b. 1592, Mayflower, 1620, d. Feb. 
23, 1673. and Elizabeth Tilley, b. 1607, May- 
flower, 1620, d. Dec. 21, 1687. 

John Gorham was the son of Ralph Gor- 
man, who settled in Duxbury, 1637. 

Col. John Thacher was son of Rev. An- 
thony Thacher, b. 1587, at Salisbury, England, 
removed to Holland, removed to Boston. June 
3, 1635, removed to Yarmouth, 1643, and died 
there Aug. 22, 1667. 

He married, 1635, in England, Elizabeth 
Jones. Children of Stephen and Lydia Bart- 
lett: 1. Marcus Tullius, b. in Minaville, N. 
Y., Dec. 29, 1788, died in Albany, N. Y., July 
II, 1864, married first, Cynthia Herrick, mar- 
ried second, Albany, May 6, 1823, Elizabeth 
Ann Dexter (see hereinafter). 2. Betsy, b. 
Dec. 9, 1790; d. in Amsterdam, N. Y., Feb. 
8, 1858, and buried there, married, Amster- 
dam, Apr. 24, 181 T, Dr. Samuel Voorhees 
(Van Voorhees) of that city, b. Nov. i, 1787, 
graduate of Union, 181 1. He studied medi- 
cine with Stephen Reynolds, died Amsterdam, 
1870, and had: i. Marcus Tullius, b. May 19, 
1812. d. in Puebla, Mexico, Dec. 13, 1844, and 
buried there. 2. James Leslie Voorhees, b. 
July 22, 1815, Union College, 1835, d. unm. at 
Amsterdam, N. Y.. 1891. 3. Stephen Reynolds 
Voorhees, b. in Amsterdam, July 13, 1818, 
died there Nov. 15, 1901. 4. George Max- 
well Voorhees, b. in Amsterdam, March 16, 
1826. died there, Sept. 14, 1909; m. in North- 
ampton, N. Y., Oct. 5, 1852, Hannah Alex- 
ander Slocum, b. in Pawling, N. Y., June 5, 
1832, died Apr. 3, 1871, three children. No 
descendants. (See Voorhees family.) 

Stephen and his wife Lydia Bartlett also 
had: 3. Marcia Phebe, b. Apr. 7, 1794, died 
in Aurora, III, Sept. ii, 1856. m. Aug. i, 
1825, Alexander Cruikshank Gibson, b. in 
Hebron, N. Y., Mch. 6, 1794, mayor of Schen- 
ectady, N. Y., for many years died in Aurora, 
111.. .'Vug. 14. 1874, and had : i. David Gibson, 
b. May 27, 1826. d. Aurora, 111., June 4, 1887, 
m. at Fairfax, Iowa. Dec. 27, 1877, Laura B. 
Hedges (b. at Elmira, N. Y., Oct. 4, 1834), 



and had one child. 2. Charles James Gibson, 
b. Oct. 2, 1827, Union College, 1846, d. in 
.-Vurora, 111., Apr. 14, 1852. 3. Franklin 
Gibson, b. Mch. 7, 1830, d. Brooklyn, N. Y., 
Feb. 20, 1892; m. Mariaville, N. Y., Mch. 26, 
1857, Ann Marilla Marsh, no children. 4. 
Julia, b. Aug. 19, 1832, m. Aurora, 111., Jan. 
2, 1877, ^^y- William C. Hopkins, and had: 
I. Frank Gibson Hopkins, b. Feb. 25, 1879, at 
Champaign, 111. 

Marcus Tullius — Stephen — Stephen — 
Nathaniel — James — John — John. 

I. Marcus Tullius, son of Dr. Stephen Rey- 
nolds and Lydia Bartlett, was born in Mina- 
ville, Florida township, Montgomery county, 
N. Y., December 29, 1788; died at his resi- 
dence, No. 25 No. Pearl street. Albany. N. Y., 
July II, 1864, and was buried in the Albany 
Rural Cemetery. 

When he was ten years of age he was sent 
to the high school at Canajoharie, N. Y., 
w'here he remained three years, and on leaving 
there he entered a collegiate school at Utica, 
where he was fitted for college. In 1805 he 
entered Union College, and was graduated, 
ranking second in the class of 1808. He was 
an excellent classical student, and also en- 
joyed the study of philosophy. He began the 
study of law in the oflSce of Matthias B. Hil- 
dreth, of Johnstown, Fulton county. New 
York, who was many years the attorney gen- 
eral of New York state. He was admitted to 
the bar February 14, 181 1, and early evinced 
those talents which enabled him to advance 
rapidly. He practiced at Johnstown for seven- 
teen years, where he was compelled to con- 
tend with the talented lawyer, David Cady. In 
May, 1828, he removed to Albany, N. Y., 
where he passed the rem.ainder of his life. 

"From the year 1837 down to the adoption 
of the Code of Procedure, Marcus T. Rey- 
nolds, Samuel Stevens and Nicholas Hill were 
regarded impartially as the three most prom- 
inent lawyers in New York state. It was 
said that a reference to the reports of cases 
argued in the appellate courts of the state 
from 1817 to 185-3, when he retired, will show 
that Marcus T. Reynolds was coimsel in more 
cases adjudicated in the supreme court and the 
court for the correction of errors than almost 
any other lawyer of this state. During a pe- 
riod of twenty-six years he was second to 
none as a barri.ster, and the story of his career 
during that time is the history of the su- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



413 



preme court, court of correction of errors and 
the court of appeals. 

"He had the faculty of passing from grave 
to gay, from lively to severe, with surprising 
facility. He carried his cases, by being thor- 
oughly imbued with them himself, and then, 
by a clear and well defined statement to the 
court and jury, imparting the impression that 
he had no doubt of the right of his case. Be- 
fore a jury he had a sort of magnetic power, 
by which he photographed his own ideas and 
reasons upon the minds of the jury." (See 
Proctor's "'Bench and Bar," and "Proceed- 
ings of the Albany Bar on the Death of Mar- 
cus T. Reynolds," Albany Evening Journal, 
July 15, 1864.) 

He was confirmed by the senate as justice 
of supreme court, July 7, 1849, ^^^ '^'•''^^ s^'so 
elected congressman. Within a year or two 
of the operation of the first passenger railway 
train, in 1831, he became concerned in the 
organization of steam roads, and when on 
May 5, T836, several small lines consolidated 
as the Albany & West Stockbridge railroad, 
the last line to the west of what later became 
the Boston & Albany road, he was elected 
president of the new company. He was also 
chosen president of the Utica & Schenectady 
railroad, later merged into the New York 
Central lines, and was president of the Albany 
& Northern railroad. ~ He was a director of 
the Albany Insurance Company from 1835 ^^ 
1863 : a director of the New York State Bank 
from Tune. 1840, to Julv. 1861 : a founder of 
the Albany Hospital, organized in 184Q; a 
founder and trustee of the Albany Orphan 
Asylum, organized May 19, 1830; an organizer 
and fourth largest contributor to the Albany 
Rural Cemetery, and one of the largest con- 
tributors to the founding of the Dudley Ob- 
servatory in 1852 : elected a vestryman of St. 
Peter's Episcopal Church in 1842, and ad- 
vanced to warden in 1843, serving through 
i860, and chairman of its most important 
committees, e. g., March 25. 1845. to sell the 
church land on Maiden Lane, Pine and Lodge 
streets ; 1845, to procure a new rectory ; 1855, 
to secure funds for the new church edifice 
which was consecrated October 4, i860. 

He resided a long time at No. 7 Park Place, 
Albany, which site was taken about 1870 for 
the new capitol. His last residence was at 
the southeast corner of Maiden Lane and 



Pearl street, where he practiced law and lived 
with his family. 

Many years before his death he was thrown 
from his horse, the fall producing an injury 
to one of his knee-pans, of such serious na- 
ture that amputation became necessary. He 
was immediately carried into a store, where 
a skilled surgeon determined that an opera- 
tion must inevitably follow, stating further 
that perhaps it had better be done on the 
following day. "I wish you to proceed in- 
stantly, for I cannot have the matter upon 
my mind," said Mr. Reynolds. The surgeon 
obeyed. This was before the day of either 
chloroform or ether, but the patient submitted 
without a groan. From this time on he gen- 
erally conducted his cases sitting. 

Marcus T. Reynolds married (first) Cyji- 
thia Herrick, born at Amenia, Dutchess 
county, N. Y., December 26, 1794, died at 
Amsterdam, N. Y., November 25. 1820. and 
was buried there. She was the daughter of 
Benjamin Herrick, died at Amenia March 11, 
1810. aged 54, who was the son of Benjamin 
Herrick, died at Amenia, January 10, 1779. 
aged 46, and Sarah Denton, died at Amenia, 
December 8, 1778, aged 47, who was the sis- 
ter of Rachel Denton, the wife of Stephen 
Reynolds, where her ancestry is given. All 
of the above are buried at the City grave- 
yard (now Smithfield), Dutchess county, N. 
Y., where the inscriptions were copied in 1897. 

The mother of Cynthia Herrick was Cyn- 
thia Brush, who died at Amenia City, Nov. 19, 
1815. ao;ed .so. Cynthia Brush was the daugh- 
ter of Richard Brush, of Amenia, who made 
his will August 27, 1795. leaving "all real 
estate to Richard Brush Herrick, the present 
youngest son of Benjamin Herrick." The 
same document mentions his wife ILtnnah, 
and is copied in a Greenwich, Connecticut, 
deed. Here also is entered his birth record, 
"Richard Brush had a son Dec. 17. 1727, 
named him Richard." The Herrick homestead 
at Amenia adjoined on the north that of 
Stephen Reynolds. 

Children: i. Lydia Maria, died in infancy. 
2. Lydia Louisa.' b. in Amsterdam, N. Y.. 
Sept. II, 1817; d. in Albany, N. Y., Jan. 26. 
1876: married. Albanv. at St. Peter's Church, 
bv Rev. Horatio Potter, April 29, 1841. Dr, 
Thomas Hun, son of Abraham Hun and Maria 
Gansevoort, who was born in .\lbany. Sept. 
14, 1808. was graduated at Union 1821, died 



414 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



in Albany, June 23, 1896, by whom five chil- 
dren: I. Edward Reynolds Hun, born Al- 
bany, Apr. 17, 1842 ; was graduated at Har- 
vard, 1863, married in Troy, N. Y., April 29, 
1874, Caroline DeForest Gale, died in Stam- 
ford, Conn., March 14, 1880. 2. Marcus Tul- 
lius Hun, b. in Albany, May 22, 1845, was 
graduated at Union, 1865, married, Albany, 
Dec. 21, 1875, Mary Keith Vanderpoel (see 
Van Derpoel Family). 3. Leonard Ganse- 
voort Hun, b. in Albany, May 10, 1848, was 
graduated West Point, 1869, d. unm. in 
Somerville, Mass., March 11, 1891. 4. John 
Hun, b. at Albany, June to, 1852, d. Aug. 16, 
1852. 5. Henry Hun, b. in Albany, March 21, 
1854, was graduated at Yale, 1874; m. in Al- 
bany, Apr. 28, 1892, Lydia Marcia Hand (see 
Hun Family). Marcus T. had also by his 
wife Cynthia Herrick : 3. Cynthia, b. in Am- 
sterdam, N. Y., in 1819, d. there Mch. 25, 
1837, and buried there. 

Marcus T. Reynolds married (second) at 
St. Peter's Church, Albany, N. Y., May 6, 
1823, Elizabeth Ann Dexter. She was born in 
Albany. March 24. 1797, and died at her 
home. No. 7 Park Place, Albany (where the 
capitol stood in 1910), on August 30, 1840. 
Her father was Samuel Dexter, born in 
Northampton, Mass.. Nov. 14. 1756. removed 
to Albany between 1790-5, where he was a 
druggist ; died there at No. 56 State street, 
Aug. 27, 1825, being the son of Ebenezer 
Dexter, born October 17, T729, died May 4, 
1769, who married, in 1754, Lydia Woods, 
born Oct. 17, 17.36, died Dec. 24, 1774. 

Her mother was Elizabeth Province, born 
in Northampton, Mass., Julv 4. 1763. died at 
her residence opposite the Middle Dutch Re- 
formed Church, on Beaver street. Albany, 
Octol)er 18. 1846, being the dauehter of John 
Province, born in Glasgow. Scotland, came to 
.•\merica. May 10. 1740, settling in Boston. 
Mass., died July 6, 1792. who married. May 
O. 1748. Sarah Prince, born in 1730. died 
March it. 1810. and was buried in the Prince 
tomb in the Granarv Burial Ground at Boston 
Csee Prince Gcncaloe\' for ancestors). Sam- 
uel Dexter and Elizabeth Province were mar- 
ried May 20. 1790 

By his wife Elirabeth Ann Dexter. Marcus 
T. had: 4. Mary Dexter, born in .Amsterdam, 
N. Y., m. Aug. 14, 1824: d. at 98 Columbia 
street. Albany. Jan. 29. 1807. buried in .-M- 
banv Rural Ccmctcrv ; married bv Rev. Hora- 



tio Potter, at St. Peter's Church, Albany, 
Apr. 29, 1847, Dr. Frederick Cholet Adams, 
son of John Adams, and his wife Laura 
Farmer, who was born at Catskill, N. Y., May 
25, 1823; W'illiams College, 1843. died in 
Albany, Sept. 22. 1862. by whom two chil- 
dren: I. Admiral James Dexter Adams, U. 
S. N., born in Catskill, N. Y., May 4. 1848, 
married. Vallejo, Cal., May 6, 1873. Margaret 
Jane Phelpsi,: dau. of Admiral Thomas S. 
Phelps, has three children. 2. A\'illiam Rey- 
nolds Adams, born in Albany, Mch. 7. 1853, 
d. in Albany, Jan. 30, 1855. buried there. 5. 
Dexter, born in Albany, N. Y., Dec. 12. 1828, 
d. in Albany, 'Aug. 19, 1906; married in Roch- 
ester. N. Y., Apr. 19, 1865. Catherine Maley 
Cuyler, born in Cuylerville. Livingston county, 
N. Y., Dec. 2. 1845. daughter of Col. William 
Tremper Cuyler and Nancy Bancker Stew- 
art (see hereinafter). 6. Laura, born in Al- 
bany, N. Y.. Nov. 22. 1830; married at her 
father's residence. No. 25 No. Pearl street. Al- 
bany, N. Y., by Rev. Horatio Potter. Feb. 
I, 1854. Bayard Van Rensselaer, son of Gen. 
Stephen Van Rensselaer and Harriet Eliza- 
beth Bayard, and who was born in .Albany. 
Sept. 8. 1833. died in Pan. France, Jan. 12, 
1859. by whom two children: i. William 
Bayard Van Rensselaer, b. at 98 Columbia 
street. Albany. N. Y.. Oct. 4. 1856. died in 
Albany. Sept. 25. T909; was graduated at Har- 
vard College. 1880: married in Cambridge, 
Mass.. Nov. 3, 18S0. Louisa Greenough Lane, 
born Nov. 21, i860, dau. of Prof. Geo. Martin 
Lane, of Harvard University : 2. Dr. Howard 
Van Rensselaer, born at 98 Columbia street, 
Albany. N. Y.. June 26. 1858, Yale, 1881. 

Dexter — Marcus Tullius — Stephen — Ste- 
phen — Nathaniel — James — John — John. 

5. Dexter Reynolds, son of Marcus T. Rey- 
nolds and Elizabeth .Vnn Dexter, was born 
in .Mlianv. N. Y.. December 22. 1828. and 
died at 08 Columbia street, Albany. .August 19, 
1006. He received his early education at the 
College Hill Academy in Poughkeepsie. N. 
Y., and containued his preliminary studies al 
the .Albany .Academy, which he entered in tlie 
fall of 1842. remaininsr two vcars. when he 
v.\n- prepared to enter LTnion College in 1844. 
Here he joined the Sigma Phi fraternity, and 
was a classmate of President Chester .A. -Ar- 
thur, who was an intimate friend in lafer 
years. He graduated July 26. 1848. ranlcmg 
second in his class of 120. and was honored 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



415 



with the Latin salutatory. He attended the 
Lawrence Scientific School at Cambridge, 
Mass., the year of its founding, 1848-9, and 
was a graduate of the Harvard Law School, 
class of 1850. He was admitted to the bar 
at Albany, December 2, 185 1, and in 1853 
wrote the volume published by Gould, Banks 
& Co.. Albany, 1853, "A Treatise on the Law 
of Life Assurance." He formed a partner- 
ship with Orlando Meads. Afterwards he 
was in partnership with John Olcott, son of 
Thomas \\'orth Olcott, the banker. Later on 
he was associated with the law firm of M. T. 
&: L. G. Hun, nephews, at No. 25 No. Pearl 
street, ^^'ith his friends. Erastus Corning and 
T. Howard King, he made a number of visits to 
^\'estern states on hunting trips, and it was 
then he purchased large tracts of land in 
Iowa, equal in extent to nearly half the area 
of that state. His final sale in closing the in- 
vestment was 210,000 acres. In the Civil War 
he was paymaster of the Third Regiment, and 
went to Richmond, Virginia, under Gen. Fred- 
erick Townsend, commanding. 

His patented inventions numbered twenty 
or more, and each of these was among the 
pioneers of very important lines. He first 
gave considerable study to the manufacture of 
paper from wood pulp at a time such processes 
were not practical or paying. In 1858 he pub- 
lished a treatise on the subject. His investi- 
gation was most thorough, and gave an im- 
petus to the trade at a time of discouragement. 

Among the earliest of his inventions was a 
typesetter, which he manufactured in Roch- 
ester, previous to 1873, and followed this with 
an automatic distributor, which was the first 
attempt to distribute movable type by machine. 
In this connection he invented the notching 
of type. It was placed in a publishing house 
in Albany" about 1876. and was discounte- 
nanced by the printers, who saw their means 
of support about to disappear through a sav- 
ing to the empln-er. The theorv of this ma- 
chine was utilized by a manufacturer of such 
machines, and a tedious lawsuit for infringe- 
ment resulted, which was finally compromised 
A direct steel and wrought iron process oc- 
cupied his attention for some twenty years, 
which led to an experimental furnace erected 
in the early spring of 1903, which was the 
first to nodulize fine ores in a revolving cyl- 
indrical furnace, which ores had hitherto been 



of value only when briquetted. This process, 
the furnaces now enlarged to over a hundred 
feet, is in general use throughout the coun- 
try for nodulizing flue dust and magnetically 
separated ores. 

Dexter Reynolds married, at Rochester, N. 
Y., April 19, 1865, Catherine Malcy Cuyler 
(see Cuyler Family), Rev. R. Bethel Clax- 
ton, of St. Luke's Episcopal Churcii, officiat- 
ing. They resided at 20 Elk street, Albany, 
N. Y. She was born in Cuylerville, Living- 
stun county, N. Y., December 2, 1845 ; was 
educated at a boarding school in Ulica, N. Y., 
died while visiting in Rochester, October 23, 
1875, and was buried in the Reynolds lot in 
the Albany Rural Cemetery. Her father was 
Col. William Tremper Cuyler, who was born 
in Albany, December 22, 1802, died in Cuy- 
lerville, N. Y., December 21, 1864, and was 
the son of John Cornelius Cuyler (born in 
Schenectady, N. Y., Dec. 5, 1766, died there 
October 25, 1828), and Hannah Maley (b. 
Oct. 12, 1769). Her mother was Nancy 
Bancker Stewart, who was born in Leicester, 
N. Y., Feb., 1810, died Feb. 3, 1848, and 
was daughter of John Stewart and Nancy 
Bancker Clute (born in Schenectady, N. Y., 
Dec. 25, 1776, died in Moscow, N. Y., Apr. 
28, 1864). Dexter Reynolds and Catherine 
Maley Cuyler had children — Cuyler and Mar- 
cus Tullius. 

Cuyler Reynolds, son of Dexter Reynolds 
and Catherine Maley Cuyler, was born at 98 
Columbia street, Albany, N. Y., August 14 
1866. 

At the Albany Academy and a board- 
ing school in Catskill, N. Y., he received his 
education, which developed particularly his 
faculties as a writer, establishing in 1885 the 
school paper, of which he was made its editor- 
in-chief. He engaged in newspaper work and 
followed it some fifteen years, at the same 
time contributing to more than a score of 
the better magazines. Turning his attention 
then to the writing of books, novels and ref- 
erence works, he produced ten or more, the 
most valuable of which were his "Classified 
Quotations," Putnam, 1905, and "Albany 
Chronicles," 1907, the latter a volume so com- 
prehensive and copiously illustrated that it is 
likely to endure and be cited as one of the best 
authorities of state history. Later he be- 
came editor-in-chief of the "Hudson-Mohawk 



4i6 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Genealogical and Family Memoirs," in four 
octavo volumes. 

By a scientific study and enumeration of 
the letters of the alphabet as they occurred 
in books, magazines and newspapers, he ar- 
ranged a table of the recurrence of letters, 
which results he set forth in a monograph 
entitled "The Recurrence of Letters," read be- 
fore the Albany Institute in 1894, then pub- 
lished in Paper and Press in 1895, and while 
it served as a key for the solution of ciphers 
or secret writing, its more practical use was 
in its application to the keyboards of type- 
setting machines, and in this form is univer- 
sally used. 

Much interested in historical research, es- 
pecially as it concerned his home city, he was 
made director of the Albany Institute and 
Historical and Art Society at its annual meet- 
ing in 1899, and continued as such for ten 
years. He made for this society several of its 
most noteworthy collections, numbering a 
dozen or more, at the same time filling the 
office of librarian. As librarian, he gathered 
nearly one thousand books written by Alban- 
ians, which list composed a biographical cat- 
alogue of 114 pages in 1902. The opening 
of this institution's new building. May 12, 
1908, gave him opportunity to originate the 
novel system of indexing and the method of 
keeping the various record books. 

In March, 1907, he received the appoint- 
ment of director of the New York State His- 
tory Exhibit for the Jamestown Exposition ; 
collected and installed it in systematic order, 
the features of which he set forth in an elab- 
orately illustrated Catalogue of Exhibit, with 
the Exposition's Gold Medal as the result. 
Afterwards he wrote the State's report, a 
handsome volume, copiously illustrated, and 
of about five hundred pages, published in 
1910. 

He was elected to honorary membership 
in the American Scenic and Historic Preser- 
vation Society in 1908, and in the New York 
State Historical Association in 1909. He is 
also a member of the National Geographic 
Society, American Historical Association and 
of the American Copyright League. He has 
resided all his life in Albany. 

He married, at the Cathedral of .Ml Saints, 
Albany, N. Y., Dean Wilford L. Robbins offi- 
ciating, September 24, 1891, Janet Gray 



Gould. She was born in Albany, July 22, 
1871, and was educated at the Albany Female 
Academy. Her father was Captain Charles 
Gould, born in .Albany, October 28, 1848, died 
in Albany, July 4, 1896, who was the son of 
William Gould (b. in Caldwell, N. J., Nov. 
z6, 1814, d. in Albany, June 27, 1886), and 
Sarah Margaret Hartness (b. in Albany, Sept. 
24, 1821, d. there. December 12, 1884), and 
married, in Albany, September 12, 1842. Her 
mother was Janet Gray, born in Albany, Sep- 
tember 20, 1850; married, Albany, October 
4, 1870, died at Montclair, N. J., April 6, 
1910, who was the daughter of Daniel Alex- 
ander Gray (b. in New York City, in 1817, 
d. in Albany, Nov. 19, 1880), and Catherine 
Meyers (born in Hanover, Ger., Aug. 2, 
1816. died Albany, Apr. i, 1880). They had: 
Kenneth Gray, b. in Albany, N. Y., Sept. 17, 

1892, educated at the Albany Academy and 
St. Paul's School, Concord, N. H. 

Dexter Reynolds had also by his wife Cath- 
erine Maley Cuyler: Marcus Tullius, born 
at Great Harrington, Mass., August 20. 1869; 
prepared for college at St. Paul's School, 
Concord, New Hampshire, 1882-86; entered 
Williams College, 1886, Sigma Phi fraternity, 
and was graduated July 2, 1890. He studied 
architecture in the School of Mines, Colum- 
bia University, and was graduated, 1893, with 
the degree of Ph.B. He is author of "Hous- 
ing of the Poor in American Cities," the prize 
essay of the American Economic Society for 

1893, and received therefor the degree of 
M.A., Williams College, 189,^. He studied 
architecture in Paris, Rome, Athens, etc., and 
returning to America in October, 1895, be- 
gan practicing architecture in Albany, N. Y., 
and has there continued. His specialty is the 
designing of banks, of which he has been the 
architect of sixteen. 

He has collected and compiled the earlier 
and collateral data presented in the above 
genealogical tables, supplementing the work 
begun by his father. Dexter Reynolds, who 
began with the descendants of James, the son 
of John, the son of John the emigrant. 



C h a u n c e y Mitchell Depew, 
DEPEW statesman, counsellor, orator, 

and man of large affairs, is de- 
scended from a famous Huguenot family, and 
his New England ancestry includes the im- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



4T7 



portant Mitchell, Sherman, Palmer, Winship, 
Wellington, Minott, Cliauncey and Johnstone 
families, various of whom are hereinafter 
mentioned. 

The name Du Puy or De Puy is one of 
the most ancient known in French history, 
and was prominent in Nomiandy as early as 
the eleventh century. Raphael Du Puy was 
an officer of rank in 1030, under Conrad II., 
of the Holy Roman Empire, and his son 
Hug;lies distinguished himself in the Crusades. 
The history of the family in France is marked 
down the centuries by many noted names in 
both church and state. The surname Du Puy 
has masqueraded in many forms in its pass- 
age from France to Holland, and thence to 
America. It is found recorded as Dupuis, 
Depui, Depuy, Depee, Depuy, De Pue, Depu, 
etc. Francois, grandson of the original Fran- 
cois, who was baptized August 20, 1700, in 
the old Dutch church of Sleepy Hollow, at 
Tarrytown, is generally recorded as Frans 
De Pew ; later the name took its present form 
of Depew. 

(I) Francois Dupuis fled from France on 
account of religious persecution and took ref- 
uge in Holland, whence he came to America, 
being the first of the family to locate in New 
Amsterdam. The earliest record of him shows 
him as one of the first twenty inhabitants of 
Boswyck (modern Bushwick), now a compo- 
nent part of Brooklyn. He signed a petition, 
dated March 14, 1661, asking for privileges 
usually desired by a newly incorporated vil- 
lage. In 1663 his name is enrolled as a mem- 
ber of a company of militia with Ryck Lykeker 
as captain, this company being probably or- 
ganized for the purpose of protection against 
the Indians. It is uncertain how long he 
lived at Bushwick, as William is his only 
child known to have been born there, although 
there may have been others. He may have 
resided in New York for a time, although 
this is uncertain. During the years 1671-77 
the baptism of three of his children is re- 
corded in the New York Reformed Church. 
In 1677 't is claimed that he and his wife 
became members of the church at Flatbush, 
where their next two children were baptized 
in 1679 'I'l'i 1 68 1 respectively. He had a grant 
of about eighty acres of land on the south 
side of the Fresh Kill on Staten Island, bear- 
ing date December 21, 1680, and April 4, 



1685, received another grant on the island at 
Smoking Point. In 1686 Francois Dupuis 
had his son Nicholas baptized in New York, 
and the following year is mentioned as a resi- 
dent of Rockland (now a part of Orange 
county), where on September 26 he signed 
the oath of allegiance with other inhabitants 
of the recently established settlements of Hav- 
erstraw and Orangetown. Three of his chil- 
dren married and settled in Rockland county, 
but he had crossed the river before the cen- 
sus of Orange in 1702, and located at Peeks- 
kill, Westchester county (where others of his 
children had made their liomes), and settled 
on a tract of land originally purchased from 
the Indians in 1685, under a license from Gov- 
ernor Dongan. In this connection it is inter- 
esting to note that part of this land was held 
in fee in the family until the last of his share, 
after having been in the family two hundred 
and eleven years, was in 1896 given by Chaun- 
cey Mitchell Depew to the village of Peeks- 
kill for a public park. 

Mary, youngest child of Francois Dupuis, 
was baptized in New York, where her mother 
is mentioned as Annie Elsten, who must have 
been his second wife. On April i, 1702, he 
and his daughter Maria are named as spon- 
sors or godparents at the baptism of his 
granddaughter, Grietje Quorry, in the Sleepy 
Hollow church, and a few years later both he 
and this daughter are recorded as members 
of the church, having residence on the patent 
of Captain De Kay and Ryck Abrahamsen 
Lent, a grandson of the latter having previ- 
ously married Maria. It is supposed he paid 
close attention to the cultivation of his land 
and his private afl^airs, as his name appears 
so seldom in public records, but through care- 
ful research among the records of the Re- 
formed churches at New York, Tappan, Tar- 
rytown and Cortlandt, enough scraps of in- 
formation have been found to piece together 
the record of his descendants which is given 
below. On August 26, 1661, the baims of 
his first marriage were published in the rec- 
ords of the Reformed Dutch Church of New 
Amsterdam, as follows: "Francois Dupuis, 
young man of Calais, France, and Geertje 
Willems, of Amsterdam." They were mar- 
ried just one month later, in Breuckelcn, their 
marriage being the fifth of record in the Dutch 
church there, as follows: "26 September, 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



1661, Francois Dupuis and Geertje Willems, 
with certificate from Manhattans." It is be- 
lieved by eminent authority that Geertje Wil- 
lems was a daughter of W'illem Jacobse \'an 
Boerum, of l-latbush, who came with his fam- 
ily in 1649 from Amsterdam, Holland, given 
in the register of the banns as the birthplace 
of Geertje. Children of Francois Dupuis: 
William, of whom further; Jannetje (Jane), 
married Kellem Quorry, or MaKorry ; Grietje 
(Margaret), baptized in New York, October 
I, 1671, married Jan Ward, of Haverstraw ; 
Jean (John), baptized in New York, May 20, 
1674, married Jannetje Wiltse, widow of 
Myndert Hendreickse (Hogencamp) ; a child 
(not named), whose baptismal entry was 
made at New York, February 14, 1677, and 
who may have been Maria, who was sponsor 
with her father in 1702, about which time 
she married Abraham Hendrickse Lent, of 
Tarrytown; Sara, baptized at Flatbush, Feb- 
ruary 23, 1679, married Herman Hendrickse 
Blauvelt; Geertje (Gertrude), baptized at 
Flatbush, September 18, 1681, of whom fur- 
ther record is not to be found; Nicholaes, 
baptized in New York, October 17, 1686, 
whose wife's name was Barbara; Mary, bap- 
tized in New York City, March 3, 1689, the 
record of the parents being "Francois Puy 
and Annie Elsten," no further record being 
given of cither mother or child. 

(H) Williain Depcw, probably eldest child 
of Francois and Geertje (Willems) Dupuis, 
was born at I'ushwick, and was among the 
pioneers of the locality made famous as the 
birthplace of Senator Chauncey M. Depew. 
It wo\ild seem that he had made camp on the 
point of land called by the Indians Meanagh. 
or Mernach, and afterwards named Ver- 
planck's Point, when the settlement had 
hardly begun, he then being unmarried. He 
was at Mernach as early as 168S, and prob- 
ably strayed over from Haverstraw, where his 
father had located a year or two previous, 
and where his brother John continued to live 
for several years afterwards. He there made 
a home for his future bride, a maiden born 
on the island of Barbadoes, and doubtless of 
English parentage, shown on the records as 
Lysbeth Weyt, which in English would be 
Elizabeth White. She was living a little fur- 
ther down the river at a place bearing the 
Indian name of Knightwanck, near the mouth 



of the Croton river, which stream also bore 
the name of the locality. Record of the banns 
was posted on the register of the Dutch church 
of New York, the nearest one to their home, 
which church issued a certificate permitting 
\\"illiam to marry at the home of the bride. 
The record is as follows: "loth August, 1688, 
William Dupuy, j. m. Van Boswyck, en Lys- 
beth Weyt, j. m. van de Barbadoes, d'Eerste 
wonende op Mernach, en twede tot Kichte- 
wang." This marriage was jjrobably executed 
in primitive style at Kichtewang during the 
following month, perhaps the first marriage 
in the Manor of Cortlandt, and spoken of as 
the forerunner of an event that made Peeks- 
kill renowned as the home of a great and 
popular orator in a later generation of the 
family. William Dupois had children as fol- 
lows : Sara, married Willem Dill, Theil or 
Teil; Abigael, married Pieter Consje; 
Thomas, married Cornelia Lendel ; Anna, bap- 
tized at Tarrytown, August 2, 1698; Francois, 
of whom further; Pieter. The father's name 
was usually spelled Dupuy. 

(HI) Francois (2), son of William and 
Lysbeth (Weyt) Depew, was born near Tar- 
rytown, New York, in August, 1700, and was 
baptized August 20, 1700. Not very much 
is known of him beyond the fact that he was 
engaged in the regular jjioneer and agricul- 
tural work of the neighborhood around Cort- 
landt manor. He married, at Tarrytown, 
New York, June 3, 1727, Maritje Van Thes- 
sel. This marriage is recorded in the Tarry- 
town church in the style of the period : "Frans 
De Pew j. m., en Maritje Van Thessel."' The 
record also states that they were both born 
on Cortlandt Manor, he being a resident 
there, and she a resident of Tarrytown. 
Children: Hendrikus, of whom further; An- 
neke, baptized at Tarrytown, August 21, 1730; 
William, born 1732, the muster roll of West- 
chester county militia saying of him in 1758, 
'"born in Cortlandt, aged 26," there being no 
further record concerning him ; Elizaljeth. 
baptized at Tarrytown, April 23, 1734. mar- 
ried, October 29, 1758, John Lent; Abraham, 
baptized at Tarrytown, April 13, 1736, died 
young; Sarah, baptized at Tarrytown, April 
19, 1738; Abraham, April 30, 1743. 

(I\') Hendrikus or Henry, son of Francois 
(2) and Maritje (Van Thessel) Depew, was 
baptized at Tarrytown, New York, April 27, 




C%CLUAA4^mybW^ 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



419 



1728. \'ery little is known concerning the 
events of the life of Hendrikus. The only 
child that the records credit to him is Abra- 
ham, mentioned below. The mother's name is 
not mentioned. The sponsors at Abraham's 
baptism, which took place in the Dutch church 
at Tarrytown, were "Frans Pue and wife," 
without doubt the parents of Hendrikus. It 
is fortunate for this lineage, perhaps, that 
Abraham received so marked a distinction as 
to have his baptism recorded. The other 
children of Hendrikus, and it seems that they 
had others, were not so favored. Colonel 
Teetor says of Abraham that he was in the 
Revolutionary war, and that he was the great- 
grandfather of Chauncey Mitchell Depew. 
Our own researches have tended to confirm 
this theory. 

(V) Abraham, son of Hendrikus or Henry 
Depew, was born at Cortlandt Manor. New 
York, and was baptized in the Dutch church 
at Tarrytown, New York, April 5, 1752. His 
youth was undoubtedly spent on the family 
homestead, and he in all probability received 
the general education of the period. There 
are a good many records in Tarrytown and 
Cortlandt concerning various Abrahams De- 
pew, but it is usually difficult to ascertain to 
which particular Abraham any two records 
refer. One authority says : "The church bap- 
tismal records of Tarrytown and Cortlandt 
furnish very good grounds for confusion 
among the various Abrahams Depew. While 
there is an apparent lack of records in some 
directions, there seems to be a perplexing 
superfluity of fathers Abraham, whose sons 
and daughters, to straighten and place where 
they belong, would take a man with more wis- 
dom than Solomon." Concerning Abraham 
Depew, the son of Hendrikus Depew, another 
authority gives us definite particulars. Abra- 
ham Depew enlisted January 2. I777- ^o"" ''^^ 
revolutionary war, in Captain Jacob Wright's 
company, in the regiment commanded by 
Colonel Phillip Van Cortlandt. He was pro- 
moted corporal, June i, 1777, and was dis- 
charged January 3, 1780, on account of the 
expiration of term of service. He married 
Catherine, daughter of Captain James Kron- 
kite, who was commissioned captain, October 
19. I775> and served in the Third Regiment, 
Manor of Cortlandt, commanded by Colonel 
Pierre Van Cortlandt. Children : Esther, bap- 



tized September 18, 1797; James Kronkite, 
born August 25, 1791, baptized in 1793; Anne, 
born September 12, 1794; Elizabeth, February 
6, 1796; Henry, May 18, 1798; Isaac, of whoni 
further. 

(\ I) Isaac, son of Abraham and Catherine 
(Kronkite) Depew, was born at Peekskill, 
New York, about 1811. He spent most of his 
life caring for the estate which his paternal 
ancestor purchased from the Indians more 
than a hundred years before. He was a re- 
spected citizen of Peekskill, and took a con- 
siderable interest in the affairs of the town. 
He married Martha, daughter of Chauncey 
Root Mitchell, a distinguished lawyer. Her 
mother was a daughter of Judge Robert John- 
stone, for many years senator and judge, who 
owned Lake Mahopac and a large estate about 
it. Mrs. Depew vi'as a granddaughter of 
Rev. Josiah Sherman, brother of Roger Sher- 
man, a signer of the Declaration of Inde- 
pendence. Rev. Josiah Sherman was a cap- 
tain in the Seventh Connecticut Regiment, 
Continental Line, and three of his brothers 
were also in the patriot army ; they were 
descended from Captain John Sherman, an 
English army officer, who was born in Ded- 
ham, county Essex, in 161 5. Another of Mrs. 
Depew's ancestors was Rev. Charles Chaun- 
cey, first president of Harvard College. 

(VII) Hon. Chauncey Mitchell Depew, son 
of Isaac and Martha (Mitchell) Depew, was 
born in Peekskill, Westchester county. New 
York, April 23, 1834. He was fitted for col- 
lege at Peekskill Academy, and in 1852 en- 
tered Yale College in what was in after years 
known as the "Famous Class of '56." Of 
the nine members of the supreme court of 
the United States, the highest tribunal in the 
nation and the aspiration of every lawyer, 
were two members of this class, Henry Bill- 
ings Brown and David Josiah Brewer. Mr. 
Depew was graduated from Yale in 1856; he 
received his A. M. degree in due course, and 
in 1887 was given the honorary degree o^ 
LL.D. The following year he was elected a 
member of the Yale Corporation, which posi- 
tion be held for twelve years. 

Immediately after leaving college he threw 
himself heart and soul into the canvass in sup- 
port of Fremont and Dayton, the first presi- 
dential and vice-presidential candidates of the 
newly formed Republican party, and made 



420 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



speeches throughout the country in support 
of the proposition that it was the right and 
duty of congress to prohibit slavery and 
polygamy in the territories. In 1858 he was 
elected a delegate to the Republican state con- 
vention, and has since been a delegate in that 
body to every succeeding convention, except 
two, up to and including 1912. He was one 
of the four delegatcs-at-large from the state 
of New York to the Republican National con- 
vention of 1888-92-96-1900-04, and a delegate 
to six other national conventions. In 1861 
he was elected to the legislature from the 
Third Westchester District, was re-elected in 
1862, and became chairman of the committee 
on ways and means, and leader of the house; 
for most of the time he also acted as speaker 
pro tern. In 1863 he headed the Republican 
state ticket as candidate for secretary of state, 
and was elected. In 1866 President Johnson 
appointed Mr. Depew United States minister 
to Japan. His confirmation by the senate im- 
mediately followed, but after holding the place 
in advisement for a considerable time, he de- 
clined the position for family reasons. In 
1872 he was candidate for lieutenant-governor 
on the Liberal Republican ticket, but failed 
of election. In 1874 he was elected by the 
legislature, regent of the University of the 
State of New York, and held the position for 
thirty- four years. He was elected by the 
Alumni of Yale University a member of the 
corporation and held the office for twelve 
years. He was also one of the commissioners 
to build the capitol at Albany. In 1881 Mr. 
Dcpevv was a candidate for senator, following 
the resignations of Senators Roscoe Conkling 
and Thomas C. Piatt. After the fifty-sixth 
ballot, in which he received the largest num- 
ber of votes of his party, he withdrew to se- 
cure the election of two senators. In 1882 
he was offered the senatorship, but declined 
for business reasons. In 1888 he received 
the unanimous support of the state of New 
York for the presidential nomination, and re- 
ceived ninety-nine votes in the Republican 
national convention. General Benjamin Har- 
rison was nominated, and after his election 
he offered Mr. Depew every position in his 
cabinet, excepting that of secretary of state, 
which he had ])romised to Mr. Blaine, or, if 
he preferred, any mission abroad which he 
might select, and all of which he declined. 



In 1894, on the resignation of Mr. Blaine as 
secretary of state. President Harrison ten- 
dered that position to Mr. Depew and this 
was also declined. In 1899 Mr. Depew was 
elected United States senator for six years, 
and was re-elected in 1905. He has as a can- 
didate for United States senator received the 
ballots of the members of his party in the 
state legislature more often than any other 
citizen of the United States, namely sixty 
ballots, one each day for sixty days in 1881, 
and sixty-four during forty-five days in 191 1. 
Mr. Depew has a world-wide reputation as 
a public speaker and has been the orator on 
many occasions of national importance. He 
was the orator selected to deliver the oration 
at the Centennial Anniversary of the inaugura- 
tion of the first President of the United States; 
of the organization of the legislature of the 
state of New York ; of the capture of Major 
Andre ; at the dedication of the Bartholdi 
Statue of Liberty in New York harbor; at 
the opening of the World's Fair in Chicago 
in honor of the four hundredth anniversary 
of the discovery of America by Columbus; 
and the opening of the great fairs at Omaha, 
Nebraska, and Charleston, South Carolina. 
He made the nominating speeches for Harri- 
son in the national convention in 1892, and 
for Roosevelt in 1904. His last notable poli- 
tical speech was in advocacy of the re-election 
of President Taft, in 1912. His numerous 
addresses have been collected and jniblished 
in a work of eight volumes. Justin McCarthy, 
in his Reminiscences, in regard to after dinner 
speakers, and giving the first rank to Charles 
Dickens, says : "I do not quite know whom 
I should put second to him ; sometimes I feel 
inclined to give James Russell Lowell that 
place, and sometimes my mind impels me to 
give it to Mr. Lowell's countryman, Mr. 
Chaunccy Depew." 

While Mr. Depew's highest reputation 
throughout the country is as a stateman and 
orator, his life has been crowded with pro- 
fessional and business activities. He was ad- 
mitted to the bar in 1858. In 1866 he became 
attorney for the New York & Harlem Rail- 
road Company, and in 1869, when that road 
was consolidated with the New York Central 
& Hudson River railroad, with Commodore 
Vandcrbilt at its head, Mr. Depew was chosen 
attorney for the new corporation and elected 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



421 



a member of the board of directors. As the 
V'anderbilt railroad system expanded, Mr. 
Depew's interests and duties increased in a 
corresponding degree, and in 1875 he was ap- 
pointed general counsel of the entire system, 
and elected a director of the roads of which 
it was composed. On the resignation of Mr. 
Vanderbilt from the presidency, Mr. Depew 
was made second vice-president, and in 1885 
he was advanced to the presidency of the 
New York Central & Hudson River railroad. 
He held this office for thirteen years, during 
which period he was president also of six 
other railroad companies in the allied system, 
and was director in twenty-eight additional 
lines. On his resignation from the presidency 
in 1898 he was elected chairman of the board 
of directors of the New York Central & Hud- 
son River railroad, the Lake Shore & Michi- 
gan Southern railroad, and the New York, 
Chicago & St. Louis railroad, which position 
he now holds. 

Mr. Depew was president of the St Nich- 
olas Society for two years, and of the Empire 
State Society of the Sons of the American 
Revolution for a number of years ; and of the 
Yale Alumni Association of New York for 
ten years ; for seven years president of the 
Union League Club, a longer term than ever 
held by any other, and on declining further 
election he was made an honorary life mem- 
ber ; is a member of the New York Chamber 
of Commerce ; the Society of the Cincinnati ; 
a Master Mason of Kane Lodge of Peekskill. 
and holds the thirty-third degree in the An- 
cient and Accepted Scottish Rite, in the Val- 
ley of New York; the Huguenot Society; the 
Metropolitan Club, the Century Club, the 
Holland Society; the New England Society; 
the Colonial Wars Society ; the American Bar 
Association ; the New York Bar Association ; 
the Westchester County Bar Association ; the 
Republican Club ; the Lotos Club ; the Players' 
Club ; the Transportation Club ; the Lafayette 
Post ; the University Club ; the Phi Beta 
Kappa Club and the Psi Upsilon Club. In 
W^ishington, D. C, he is a member of the 
Metropolitan Club ; the Chevy-Chase Club ; 
the Alibi Club; the Country Club and the 
University Club; is also a director in many 
financial, fiduciary and other corporations. 
Now in his eightieth year, he is as vigorous 
and active in business affairs, as a political 



and after-dinner speaker, and in the manifold 
duties of social life, as in any period of his 
career. 

He married, in 1871, Elise, daughter of 
William Hegeman, of New York. She died 
in 1892. Of this marriage was born a son, 
Chaunccy M. Depew, Jr. Mr. Depew mar- 
ried (second) in 1901, May Palmer. 



The ancestry of the Ruston 

RUSTON family leads to England. John 
Ruston, son of W'illiam and 
Amey (Bonfield) Ruston, was born at Chat- 
teris, Cambridge, England, March 18, 1808, 
and died at No. 114 East Twenty-second 
Street, New York City, January 25. 1886. 

Although not a college graduate, he was 
a man of unusual mental culture and ability. 
He was a great reader, and acquired a large 
fund of general information. Prior to De- 
cember 8, 1841, the time of his coming to 
this country, he was engaged in business in 
London, as a merchant, and for many years 
following his arrival here he was engaged in 
business in New York City. He was, how- 
ever, during the greater part of his life en- 
gaged in religious and philanthropic work. 
For nearly forty years he was connected with 
the New York City Mission and Tract So- 
ciety as a worker and officer, and while not 
an ordained clergyman, yet for some years 
he was the chaplain of the Womans' Hospital, 
the Presbyterian Home, and other philan- 
thropic institutions in the metropolis, besides 
officiating at Evangelical meetings and fre- 
quently serving as a supply for churches with- 
out a pastor. 

He was fond of writing poetry, for which 
endeavor he possessed much talent, and wrote 
a large number of pieces, mostly of a religious 
character, many of which compositions were 
printed, and some of them having been set 
to music were sung upon anniversary occa- 
sions of the church and Sunday school. He 
was a Presbyterian by faith, and for about 
thirty years, prior to his death, was a member 
of the Madison Square Presbyterian Church 
of New York City. 

|ohn Ruston married twice, having six 
children by the first wife and two by the sec- 
ond. He married (first) in 1836. while living 
in England, Martha Edwards. She was born 
at Axminster, Devonshire, England, May I, 



422 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



1807, died in Brooklyn, New York, January 
8, 1849, and was the daughter of John and 
Ann Susanna (Scarlett) Edwards. He mar- 
ried (second) in 1850, at the Washington 
Square Reformed Dutch Church, New York 
City, Mary Otis Herring, who died at No. 
114 East Twenty-second Street, New York 
City. Children: i. Amey, born in London, 
England, July 2, 1837, died in Geneva, New 
York, March 3. 1890; unmarried. 2. Charles, 
see forward. 3. George, born in London 
England, December 18, 1840; residing in Free- 
port, Illinois, in 19 13. 4. John Edwards, born 
in New York City, May 25, 1846; residing 
in Freeport, Illinois, in 1913; married there.. 
Sarah Houck, who died October 30, igoo 
5. Mary Ann, died in infancy. 6. Eliza Hen- 
rietta, died in infancy. 7. Silas Herring, born 
in New York City, June i, 1851, died there, 
August 21, 1893; unmarried. 8. William 
Otis, born in New York City, December 6, 
1852; residing in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1913; 
married, October 16, 1876, Mary Wood 
Crater. 

(II) Charles, son of John and Martha (Ed- 
wards) Ruston, was born at No. 51 Bread 
Street, Cheapside, London, England, May 30, 
1839, and was residing in Bronxville, New 
York, in 1913. He came to this country, 
October 18, 1842. The house in which he 
was horn was formerly the home of John 
Milton, the poet, and upon the site of which 
is now erected a building of the Young Men's 
Christian Association. 

He received his primary education in both 
private and public schools, principally at the 
school of the Collegiate Reformed Dutch 
Church of New York City. This was fol- 
lowed by a course of study in a law office, 
meanwhile attending the lectures given by the 
New York University. He was admitted to 
practice law in New York City, May 30, i860, 
and has continued to follow his profession in 
the metropolis from that time on. He began 
in a painstaking and thorough manner, and 
hence has succeeded in being chosen as the 
counsel for many prominent firms and corpor- 
ations. 

He was a director of and the counsel 
for the German American Real Estate Title 
Guarantee Company of the City of New York, 
and has been a trustee of and the counsel for 
the Greater New York Savings Bank of 



Brooklyn Borough, from its organization in 
1897 to the present time. 

Mr. Ruston has not only been a member 
of the Republican party, but an ardent ad- 
vocate of its principles, rendering as such 
much service in conjunction with various poli- 
tical organizations in both New York and 
Brooklyn. He is of the Presbyterian denom- 
ination of faith, and for a number of years 
was a deacon in and the clerk of the Con- 
sistory of the Dutch Reformed Church of 
Harlem, New York City, following which, for 
upwards of twenty-five years, he was a mem- 
ber of the Tompkins Avenue Congregational 
Church of Brooklyn, during much of which 
period he was a deacon thereof, an ofificer in 
the Sunday school, and the clerk of the church. 
At the present time he is a member of Trinity 
Presbyterian Church of Montclair, New Jer- 
sey. 

Never having lived distant from the metro- 
polis, he has resided first in New York, re- 
moved to Brooklyn, where he remained until 
1907, and spent the four succeeding years in 
Montclair, before removing to Bronxville, 
Westchester county, in 191 1. 

Charles Ruston married in the Calvary 
Protestant Episcopal Church of New York 
City, September 10, 1862, Elizabeth Miner 
Purdy. She was born in New York City, 
December 4, 1840, died in Brooklyn, New 
York, March 3, 1892, daughter of Richard 
Eiscnhart and Sarah (Lounsbery) Purdy. 
Children: i. Elizabeth Purdy, born at No. 223 
East Fifty-second Street, New York City, 
June 30, 1863; married in Brooklyn, Septem- 
ber 24, 1889, David McConaughy; by whom 
Marjoric, born at Madras, India, February 
4, 1891 ; Elizabeth, born at Kodai Canal, 
India, May 29, 1892. 2. Charles, see forward. 

3. Ida, born in Harlem, New York City, April 

4, 1867; married, in Brooklyn, October 24, 
1895, Arthur Maltby Pelletreau. 4. John Ed- 
ward, sec forward. 

(Ill) Charles (2), son of Charles (i) and 
Elizabeth Miner (Purdy) Ruston, was born 
at No. 58 West Forty-eighth Street, New 
York City, December 4, 1864, and was resid- 
ing in Lawrence Park, Bronxville, West- 
chester county. New York, in 1913. He was 
educated in private schools in New York 
City and a public school in Brooklyn. He 
started in business in i88o, with the woolen 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



423 



commission firm of Wendell Hutchinson & 
Company, of New York, and changed in 1883 
to the wholesale men's furnishings firm of J. 
S. Lowrey & Company. He withdrew in 1892, 
with one of the partners of the firm, James 
R. Keiser, forming then the large men's 
cravat manufacturing firm of James R. 
Keiser, which was incorporated in 1909, at 
which time he became and is still its vice- 
president, as well as general manager. He 
had always been a member of the Republican 
party, but changed to the Progressive in 1912, 
and is an attendant of the Unitarian church. 
He is a member of the Aldine Club, of the 
New York Republican Club, the Scarsdale 
Golf and Country Club, and the Lawrence 
Park Country Club. 

Charles Ruston married, in the Church of 
Zion and St. Timothy, on West Fifty-seventh 
Street, New York City, November 12, 1901, 
Laura Perry Monteath, born in Albany, New 
York, September 20, 1871, daughter of Ed- 
ward Woolverton and Laura Anna (Perry) 
Monteath (see Monteath IV). Children: i. 
Monteath, born at No. 200 West Seventieth 
Street, New York City, May 24, 1903. 2. 
Perry Lounsbery, born at No. 235 West One 
Hundred and Third Street, New York City, 
January 11, 1906. 

(HI) John Edward, son of Charles (i) 
and Elizabeth Miner (Purdy) Ruston, was 
born in New York City, June 14, 1872, and 
resides at No. 336 New York Avenue, Brook- 
lyn. He received his education at the Brook- 
lyn public schools and by private tuition, 
graduating from the New York University in 
1894, and from the Law School of that insti- 
tution in 1895, and received the degrees of 
B. L. and LL.B. therefrom. He was a stu- 
dent in the law office of Bristow, Peet & 
Opdyck, and was admitted to practice in 1896. 
He was clerk in the law office of Henry C. 
DeWitt and of Russell & Winslow. From 
1906 to 1908 he was a partner of the law firm 
of Rabe & Keller, and began from the latter 
date his independent practice, opening an of- 
fice at No. 220 Broadway. He has been suc- 
cessful as the attorney for various corpora- 
tions as well as private individuals, ^^'hen 
at college he had been the historian and orator 
of his class, and not only took a prominent 
part in athletics, but was treasurer of the 
Athletic Association. He was chosen to join 



the Psi Upsilon fraternity, the Theta Nu 
Epsilon, the Beta Delta Beta and also the 
Phi Delta Phi law fraternity. He is a mem- 
ber of the Elks, Kings County Tennis Club, 
the Eighteenth Assembly District Republican 
Club, the Empire State Society of the Sons 
of the American Revolution, and several other 
organizations of similar nature. He is the 
vice-president of the Union League Club of 
Brooklyn. Mr. Ruston has been more or less 
an active member of the Republican party, 
figuring especially in Brooklyn political life. 
He is a member of the Tompkins Avenue Con- 
gregational Church of Brooklyn. In con- 
nection with his law practice, he has written 
several works of reference, among them may 
be mentioned "Digest of Law in Fairchild's 
Cemetery Manual," and "Decedent's Estates." 
He is a trustee of the Greater New York 
Savings Bank; president and director of the 
Memorial Cemetery, Inc.; member of Kings 
County Committee of the Republican party, 
and a director in other corporations. 

John Edward Ruston married, at Brook- 
lyn, New York, June 3, 1902, May Frances 
Henderson. She was born in Brooklyn, July 
24, 1879, daughter of Frank S. and Augusta 
(Taylor) Henderson. 

(The Monteath Line"). 

(I) The progenitor of this family in Amer- 
ica was Peter Monteath. He belonged to a 
Scottish family of honorable Scottish records 
and he exhibited in his character a great many 
of the better traits of the best class of his 
countrymen. He was born in Dunblane, Scot- 
land, in 1745, and died at his home in Albany, 
New York, November 6, 1797. He married, 
while in Scotland, Christian Bishop, who was 
born in that country in 1743, died in Albany 
April 22, 1806. 

(II) Captain George Monteath, son of Peter 
and Christian (Bishop) Monteath, was born 
in Dunblane. Scotland, February 2, 1778, died 
in Albany, March 10, 1856. He gained a wide 
reputation throughout the state by his busi- 
ness, for he conducted a transportation line 
on the Hudson river, for both passengers and 
freight, in which he employed a large number 
of sailing vessels, and for years the major 
portion of all the transportation going from 
New York to the west at the time of its open- 
ing up, passed by way of his lines. Finally 
steam power supplanted the slower form of 



424 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



progress, and he was among the first to adopt 
it. He was shrewd, according tu the manner 
of a Scotchman, and it is not remarkable that 
he succeeded in accumulating wealth. When 
De Witt Clinton accomplished the opening of 
the Erie canal, although a small affair com- 
pared to what it was destined to become, he 
was among those who founded wdiat was called 
the Albany and Canal Line of Tow Boats. 
Captain George Monteath married Harriet 
Lansing Van Wie, born in Albany, April 7, 
1785, died there, October 8, i860, daughter 
of William and Jannetje (Lansing) Van Wie 
(see Van Wie IV). Children: 1. Christian, 
married Thomas Dunn. 2. Peter, see forward. 
3. Jane, married James A. Wilson. 4. Cath- 
erine, married Amos Howe, of New York 
City. 5. George. 6. William, married Rhoda 
Nickerson Mayo. 7. John. 8. Margaret, mar- 
ried George R. Shortiss ; by whom George and 
Marguerite, the latter marrying Frank Fiske. 
Jr., of Buffalo. 

(HI) Peter (2), son of Captain George and 
Harriet Lansing (Van Wie) Monteath, 
was born in Albany, New York, October 30, 
1811, and died there, January 13, 1879. He 
took up the business of his father, remaining 
in Albany throughout his life, and left an 
honored name. With James A. Wilson, in 
1833, he founded the wholesale grocery house 
of Wilson & Monteath, which developed to 
so great an extent that Joseph D. Badgley 
was admitted in order to increase capital. Mr. 
Wilson retired in 1850, and the firm was then 
known as Monteath & Badgley, and in 1864 
Mr. Monteath admitted his son, George, the 
firm style then becoming Monteath, Badgley 
& Company. It was a great misfortune to 
the father that his son died in 1865, because 
he was attached to him more so than most 
parents are, and about the same time Mr. 
Badgley withdrew and went to New York, 
hence he associated himself with his other 
son. Edward W. Monteath, so it was that the 
firm continued until 1873 as Monteath & Son, 
when Egbert M. Tracy was admitted. In 
1876 the second son died, and the firm existed 
after that as Monteath & Company, until the 
death of Mr. Monteath in 1879. He had been 
a most capable head of one of the most im- 
portant fimis in that part of the state, and 
held a name respected by everyone with whom 
he had dealings either in business or of a 



personal nature, in fact, a quarter of a century 
later, mention of the name was wont to bring 
to the mind of the younger generation a man 
of business success and integrity. While ever 
willing to assist in civic movements, he cared 
not for political preferment or office of any 
description, aside from those directly in his 
path, such as being a director of the Com- 
mercial Bank and of the Commerce Insurance 
Company ; trustee of the Albany Gallery of 
Fine Arts ; elder of the Second Dutch Re- 
formed Church, and when he died was the 
oldest member of St. Andrew's Society of 
Albany. Peter Monteath married, in Albany, 
September 28, 1836, Sarah Anne Woolvcrton, 
born in Charleston, New York, October 31, 
1815, died at Albany, October 28, 1883, 
daughter of Edward and Asenath (Wilcox) 
Woolverton (see Woolverton V). Children: 
I. Sara J., residing in Albany in 19 13. 2. 
George, died February 22, 1865. 3. Harriette. 
4. Edward Woolvcrton, see forward. 5. 
Jessie, married William H. Stevens; by whom 
Harriette and Jessie Monteath Stevens. 

(IV) Edward Woolverton, son of Peter 
(2) and Sarah Anne (Woolverton) Monteath, 
was born in Albany, New York, and died 
there, March 20. 1876, aged thirty-two years. 
He was educated in Albany, and when he came 
of age, in 1865, his father admitted him as 
a partner into the firm of Monteath, Badgley 
& Company, wholesale grocers in that city, 
taking tlie place of his elder brother, who had 
recently died, and expecting to relieve his 
father, then in his fifty-fifth year, when he 
had grown up in the business, but he died ten 
years later, leaving no one in the family to 
inherit the active work of the business. He 
was buried in the Albany Rural Cemetery. 

Edward W. Monteath married, Alloany, 
New York, .April 29, 1869. Laura Anna 
Perry. She was born at .\lbany. New York, 
.'\pril 12, 1847, daughter of Hiram and Susan 
Pi. ( Rattoone) Perry. Children: 1, Pierre, 
born in .Albany. April 4, 1870. 2. Laura 
Perry, born in Albany, September 20, 1871 ; 
married, New York City, November 12. 1901, 
Charles Ruston, Jr. (see Ruston III). 3. 
Edward, died in infancy. 4. Jessie, born in 
Albany, July 27, 1875, died in New York, 
March 30. 1904; married, at Statcn Island, 
New York, January 30, 1896, Robert Cutting 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



42s 



Lawrence, son of Joseph D. and Marguerite 
{La Forge) Lawrence. 

(The Van Wie Line). 

(I) Hendrick Van Wie was settled in 
Beverwyck (Albany, New York) from 1654 
to 1 69 1, when he died there. He was one of 
the volunteers to accompany the expedition 
against Fort La Prairie, Canada, in the French 
and Indian war; was wounded while attack- 
ing the fort, and died as a result. 

(II) Gerrit, son of Hendrick \"an Wie, was 
baptized May 12, 1689; buried March 25, 
1746. He married Annetje Casparse, daugh- 
ter of Caspar Leendertje Conyn, of Calverack, 
New York ; by whom Alida, Anna, Hendrick, 
see forward. 

(HI) Hendrick (2), son of Gerrit and An- 
netje Casparse (Conyn) Van Wie, was born 
in 1703. He married, October 2, 1732, 
Catherine Waldron, baptized October 24, 171 1. 
Children : Annetje, Pieter, Gerrit, William, 
see forward; Casparus, Tryntje, Hendrick, 
Cornelis, Alida, Cornelia. 

(IV) William, son of Hendrick (2) and 
Catherine (Waldron) Van Wie, was baptized 
October 19, 1740, died July 29, 1816. He 
married. May zo, 1767, Jannetje Lansing, who 
died July 19, 1821, aged seventy-five years 
(see Lansing IV). Children: Hendrick Ger- 
rit, Pieter, Isaac, Isaac, Catherine, Harriet 
Lansing, born April 7, 1785, died in .A.lbany, 
October 8, 1860, married Captain George Mon- 
teath. 

(The Lansing Lineal. 

(I) Gerrit Frederickse Lansing, the 
progenitor of this family in America, came 
to this country, settling in- New Amsterdam, 
from the town of Hasselt, province of 
Overyssel, Holland. Coming with him to this 
country, before 1650, were three sons and 
three daughters, and all of them went to 
Rensselaerswyck (Albany), where they pur- 
chased land. He had a son of the same name, 
Gerrit. 

(II) Gerrit (2), son of Gerrit (i) Lansing, 
was born probably in Hasselt, and married 
Elsje, daughter of Wouter Van Wyhorst, by 
whom he had nine children. 

(HI) Isaac, son of Gerrit (2) Lansing, was 
born May 14, 1677; married, June 27, 1703, 
Jannetje Beeckman. 

(IV) Gerrit Isaacse. son of Isaac Lansing. 



was baptized December 12, 1705; was buried 
October 2, 1748; married Ariantje Beeckman, 
March, 1740 (see Beeckman V), by whom 
Jannetje, baptized January i, 1747, who mar- 
ried William Van Wie, whose daughter, Har- 
riet Lansing Van Wie, married Captain 
George Monteath. 

(The Beeckman Line). 

(I) Hendrick Beeckman (or Beekman) of 
the Duchy of Bremen, (Germany, was the 
founder of the family in .'\nierica. 

(II) Martin Hendrickse, son of Hendrick 
Beeckman, married Susanna Janse, and died 
previous to January 21, 1677. 

(III) Johannes Martinse, son of Martin 
Hendrickse and Susanna (Janse) Beeckman, 
was a smith at Beverwyck (Albany, New 
York). He was buried September 30, 1732; 
made a will, December 16, 1728, in which he 
mentioned his wife, Eva, but had married 
(first) Machtelt Jacobse Schermerhorn. 

(IV) Johannes, son of Johannes Martinse 
and Machtelt Jacobse (Schermerhorn) Beeck- 
man, was baptized at Beverwyck, January 27, 
1684. He owned a house and lot near the 
south corner of Pearl and Steuben Streets, 
in Albany, in 1726; was buried October 26, 
1756. He married, January 15, 1714, Hester, 
daughter of Harmanus Wendell ; married 
(second) Sara Cuyler. 

(V) Ariantje, daughter of Johannes and 
Hester (Wendell) Beeckman, married Gerrit 
I. Lansing (see Lansing IV), and their 
daughter, Jannetje Lansing, married William 
Van Wie, by whom Harriet Lansing Van 
Wie, who married Captain George Monteath. 

(The Woolvcrton Line). 

(I) The progenitor of the Woolverton fam- 
ily in America was Charles Woolverton, who 
was born in England, and on arrival settled 
in New Jersey, where he purchased a tract 
of land of considerable size, March 2, 1714. 
This was in Hunterdon county. Charles 
Woolverton married and had the following 
children: Charles, Roger, Daniel, Isaac, Den- 
nis, see forward; Dinah, Joel, Thomas. 

(II) Dennis, son of Charles Woolverton, 
was born in New Jersey. January 26, 1709, 
died August 9, 1774. He conducted his own 
farm in Hunterdon county. He married Eliza 
Pettit, born in 1713, died in 1785: by whom 
Charles, see forward ; Mary, married General 



426 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Bray, who was a Revolutionary officer in the 
party with Washington crossing the Delaware 
river, and fought at the battle of Trenton. 

(III) Charles (2), son of Dennis and Eliza 
(Pcttit) Woolverton, was drowned in the 

Delaware river. By his wife, 

Jewell, he had a son Nathaniel, see forward. 

(IV) Nathaniel, son of Charles (2) and 

(Jewell) Woolverton, was born 

in Hunterdon county, New Jersey, in 1763, 
died in Montgomery county, New York, 1835. 
He removed from New Jersey and bought a 
farm in Montgomery county, New York. He 
married Permelia Hudnut, born 1770, died 
1853, and they were buried in the Dutch Re- 
formed burial ground at Glen, Schenectady 
county. Children : Edward, see forward ; 
Anne. l)orn 1789; Charles, 1791, died 1825, 
married Margaret Blair; Sarah, 1793, died 
1845, married Ephraim Wilcox; John Dennis, 
1795, died 1830, married Adeline MacNamce ; 
Charlotte, 1797, died 1865, married Peter 
Wyckoff; Mary, 1799, died 1867, married 
Pcicg Osborne; Hiram, 1800, died 1850; 
Kcronhappuck, 1802, married Lyman Haugh- 
ton ; Gains, 1804, married Wyant Visscher ; 
Lucretia, 1806, unmarried ; Rhoda, 1808, died 
1809; Ozius, 181 1 ; Nathaniel H., 1814, died 
1867, married Jane Overbaugh. 

( V) Edward, son of Nathaniel and Permelia 
(Hudnut) Woolverton, was born in 1787, died 
in 1875. He married Asenath Wilcox, born 
March 17, 1790. Children: Lavinia, born in 

1812, died in 1889, unmarried; George Alonzo, 

1813, died in 1896, married Caroline Shuler; 
Sarah Anne, married, Albany, September 28, 
1836, Peter Monteath (see Monteath III); 
Henry Mortimer, 1817, died in 1874. married 
Louisa Johnson; Chastine, 1821, died in 1883, 
married James Collin ; Harriet, 1824. died in 
1908, married Jenkins W. Scovill ; Elizabeth, 
1826, married James Duane Ruggles. 

(The Wilcox Line). 

(I) William Wilcockson was the progenitor 
of the family in this country. He was born 
in England in 1601, and came to America in 
1635, settling in Concord, Massachusetts, 
where he died in 1652, having married Marga- 
ret . The above is the original 

spelling of the name, which has experienced 
several changes since the family emigrated. 

(II) Sergeant Samuel Wilcox, son of Wil- 
liam Wilcockson, was horn in 1640, died 



March 12, 1713. He was a member of the 
general court, 16S8-1712, and resided in Sims- 
bury, Connecticut. 

(III) Samuel (2), son of Sergeant Samuel 
(t) Wilcox, was born April 15, 1666, died 
September 13, 1713. He married Mindwell, 
daughter of John Griffin. 

(IV) Ephraim. son of Samuel (2) and 
Mindwell (Griffin) Wilcox, was born in 1707, 
died in 1773. He married Hannah Hill, of 
Simsbury, Connecticut, in 1726. 

(V) Captain Sylvanus Wilcox, son of 
E]3hraim and Hannah (Hill) Wilcox, was 
born in 1733, died July 5, 1824. He served 
in the revolution on the committee of safety, 
and under Colonel John Ashley in the en- 
gagements at Scluiylerville against General 
Burgovne. He married Chastine, daughter 
of Peter and Chastine (Parker) Curtis, of 
.Simsbury. 

(VI) Corporal Sylvanus (2) Wilcox,' son 
of Captain Sylvanus (i) and Chastine (Cur- 
tis) Wilcox, was born May 26, 1762. died 
July 10, 1846. He served in the New York 
regiment of militia under Colonel Marinus 
Willett during the revolution, and according 
to tradition was one of the men set to guard 
Major John Andre. He married, April 28, 
1785, Sarah Johnson. 

(VII) Asenath, daughter of Corporal 
Sylvanus (2) and Sarah (Johnson) Wilcox, 
was born March 17, 1790. She married Ed- 
ward Woolverton. son of Nathaniel and 
Permelia (Hudnut) Woolverton (see Wool- 
verton V), by whom Sarah /\nne Woolverton, 
born in Charleston, Montgomery county, New 
York, October 31, 1815, died in Albany, Oc- 
tober 28, 1883; married, Albany, September 
28, 1836, Peter Monteath. 



The familv name of 
VAN VECHTEN Van Ve'chten was 

originally applied to a 
family which dwelt in the sixteenth century 
near the Vecht river, in Holland, and those 
who departed from there to reside in other 
localities were accordingly designated "van 
Vechlen." It was there that they were living 
in the year 1600. The name in this country 
was originally, or quite as commonly spelled 
\'an \'cghtcn. for so it is to be found signed 
to many imjMrtant documents until after rev- 
olutionary days, as well as in family records, 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



427 



wills, deeds and Bibles. As this family 
migrated early to Beverwyck (Albany), one's 
attention is called to the spelling (Van Vegh- 
ten) found in the minutes of the Committee 
of Safety. 

The Van Vechten arms : Shield — sable, a 
fesse battled counter embattled and cotised 
argent. Crest — issuing out of a ducal coronet 
a pair of eagle's wings erect; dexter wing 
sable ; sinister, argent. The arms thus de- 
scribed were borne by Teunis Dircksen Van 
Vechten, of Vechten, Province of Utrecht, 
Holland, prior to 1638. The fesse crossing 
the shield signifies a military belt of honor 
conferred by the monarch for some special 
deed of valor, and the battlements show it 
to have been given in the defense of an attack 
upon a fortress of great strength. 

(I) Teunis Dircksen Van \"echten was the 
progenitor of the family in America, arriving 
at New Amsterdam in 1638. He was the son 
of Dirckse Van Vechten, who in turn was the 
son of Dirck (or Richard) Van Vechten, that 
is, Richard who dwelt beside the Vecht river. 
He came to America in the sailing vessel 
known as "Arms of Normandy," bringing 
along his wife, a child, and two servants to 
work for him. 

He acquired land along the Hudson river 
at the southern end of what was called Green- 
bush, now Rensselaer. Columbia county, New 
York, almost opposite the City of Albany. 
This was in 1648, and he cleared the tract for 
farming purposes. His piece of property was 
situated north of that occupied by Teunis 
Cornelissen Van Vechten, who had succeeded 
to the farm of Michaelse Jansen, in 1646. The 
soil was found wonderfully arable, and he ac- 
cumulated some means, so that to judge by 
his associates and the marriages of his children 
into good families, he held a good position 
among the inhabitants. Children: i. Dirck 
Teunise ; married Jannetje Michaelse Vrelant. 
J. Cornells Teunise; married (first) Sara Salo- 
niense Goewey, in 1668; married (second) 
Annatje Leendertse ; married (third) Maria 
Lucase, July 3, 1689, widow of Jacob Claase. 
3. Gerrit Teunise ; married (first) Antje Janse ; 
married (second") Greetje Volckert, daughter 
of Volckert Jans Douw. 4. Pieterje ; married, 
in 1663, Myndert Frederickse Van Yveren. 

(H) Dirck Teunise Van Vechten, eldest 
child of Teunis Dircksen Van Vechten, was 



born on his father's estate at Grecnbush New 
York, and died at Catskill, Greene county 
New York, November 25, 1702. His will was 
signed April 4, 1687, and was probated March 
30, 1703. 

His children spelled his surname "Van 
Veghten," and his Christian name "Thunisse," 
in many public documents. He resided at 
Grecnbush during his youth, but on October 

20, 1681, he purchased from Stcphanus Van 
Cortlandt a tract of valuable land in Catskill 
(then Albany county), which was confirmed 
by a. patent under the hand and seal of His 
Excellency, Governor Thomas Dongan 
Province of New York, bearing date March 

21, 1686. He dwelt upon this land, but after 
his death it was made over to his sons, Samuel 
and Johannes, by the other brothers, Michael 
and Abraiiam, by deed dated March 30. 1715, 
and then by deed of August 9. 1721. Johannes 
made over his share to Samuel. When Sam- 
uel Van Vechten made his will, at Catskill, 
September 3, 1739 (he died without issue 
March 30, 1741), he declared that he possessed 
all the premises described in these deeds, and 
he devised them to his nephew, Teunis Van 
Vechten, the second son of his deceased 
brother, Teunis, the latter having died in 1707. 

Dirck Teunise Van Vechten married fan- 
netje Vrelant. She was the daughter of 
Michael Jansen and Fytje Hartman, of Com- 
munipaw. New Jer.sey. Children: i. Jannetje, 
i)orn September 25, 1660. 2. Wyntje, born 
January 17, 1662; married Philip Leendertse 
Conyn. of Coxsackie, New York. 3. Michael, 
born November 28, 1663; married (first), No- 
vember 21, 1686, Marytje Parker; married 
(second), April 2, 1691, Jannetje Du Mont. 
4. Neeltje, born March 24. 1665. 5. Johannes, 
born June 24, 1666; died without issue. June 
'• I73S- 6. Teunis, born May 24, 1668. died in 
1707; married, November 28, 1694, Cathjyntje 
(Caatje or Catherine) Van Petten. See 
forward. 7. Antje, born May 4, 1670. 8. 
Futje, born December 6. 1671 ; married. May 
23. 1607. Willem (or William) Janse Cas- 
pcrse ITalenbeck, of Coxsackie, New York. 
9. Samuel, born April 12, 1673, died March 
30, 1741, unmarried. 10. Saatje (or Sarah), 
born April 14, 1679, resided in Raritan, New 
Jersey, died, unmarried, before October 16, 

1730. 

(HI) Teunis Van A'echten. son of Dirck 



428 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Teunise and Jannetje Michaelse (Vrelant) 
Van Vechten, was born at Albany, New York, 
May 24, 1668, and died in 1707. He resided 
for a time at Loonenburgh, later known as 
Troy, New York. 

He married, at Schenectady, New York, No- 
vember 28, 1694, Cathlyntje (or Catherine) 
Van Petten, who was born in Albany, and 
was the daughter of Claas (or Nicholas) 
Frederickse Van Petten (born May 30, 1641, 
died October 3, 1728), who took up residence 
in Schenectady in 1664, and married Aeffie 
De Vos, who died January 23, 1728, aged 
seventy-eight years. Children: i. Dirck, born 
September 12, 1695, died in 1782; married, 
December 26, 1722, at Kingston, New York, 
Helena Seulant or Suybrant. 2. Eva, bap- 
tized at Albany, May 12, 1700; married 
Johannes Suylant. 3. Jannetje, baptized at 
Schenectady, Alay 24, 1702. 4. Maria, bap- 
tized at Albany, June 4, 1704. 5. Teunis, born 
April I, 1707, died April 3, 1785. See 
forward. 

(IV) Teunis Van Vechten, son of Teunis 
and Cathlyntje (Van Petten) Van Vechten, 
was born April i, 1707, and died at Catskill, 
New York, April 3, 1785. 

He had been brought up by his uncle. Sam- 
uel Van Vechten, at Catskill, who had prac- 
tically adopted him when his father died the 
same year as his birth, and for that reason 
provided well for him in his will, as follows : 
"It is my will and I do order that at my de- 
cease the second son of my brother, Teunis 
Van Veghten (deceased), namely, my nephew, 
Teunis \'an Veghten, who hath been under 
my care from his childhood and now abiding 
with me, shall hold, use, occupy, possess and 
enjoy all my lands at Catskills, wherein I am 
now in tlie possession and enjoyment of, with 
all the houses, out-house, grist-mill, barns, 
barracks, orchard garden, with all and singular 
the appurtenances to the premises belonging 
or appertaining and all other my real estate 
wheresoever and of what nature or kind so- 
ever, for and to the whole and sole use, bene- 
fit and improvement of him, the said Teunis 
Van \'eghten, for and during his natural life 
time, and no longer without impeachment for 
waste. 

"It is my will and I do bequeath and order 
that at the decease of him, the said Teunis Van 
Veghten, the before mentioned estate shall 



come into the full possession and enjoyment 
of the right heir or heirs of him, the said 
Teunis Van Veghten, lawfully begotten of his 
own body, and thence to descend from the 
said lawful heir of him, the said Teunis Van 
Veghten, to his heir lawfully begotten of the 
preceding heir, successively, to the end of the 
world. * * * 

"I give and bequeath to my said nephew, 
Teunis Van Veghten, his executors, admin- 
istrators and assigns forever, all my house- 
hold goods, furniture, utensils and implements, 
namely : Beads, beading lining, woolen, iron, 
brass, puter, wooden-ware, waggons, slays, 
plaughs, harrows, plate, cash, money, and 
moneys worth in hand or owing to me, together 
with all my personal chattels as negro slaves, 
male and female, horses, cows, sheep, swine, 
poultry, with all and every other part of my 
moveable and personal estate wheresoever, 
and whatsoever none excepted." 

Teunis Van Vechten married, at Kingston, 
New York, January 9, 1742, Judike Ten 
Broeck, daughter of Jacob Ten Broeck, of 
that place. Children: i. Samuel, born Sep- 
tember 28, 1742, died February 12, 1813: mar- 
ried, in 178 1, Sara Van Orden. 2. Jacob, 
born September 18, 1747, died April 30, 1806; 
married, January 21, 1787, Elsie Staats. 3. 
Teunis Teunissen, born April 24, 1749, died 
December 7, 1817; married Elizabeth De 
Wandelaer. 4. Elizabeth, born October 6, 
1757, died February 17, 1813; married, June 
2, (or 9th), 1782, Hezekiah Van Orden. 5. 
Abraham, born December 5. 1762. See for- 
ward. 

(V) Abraham \'an X'echten, son of Teunis 
and Judike (Ten Broeck) Van Vechten, was 
born at Catskill, New York, December 5, 1762, 
and died at Albanv, New York, January 6, 

He became a distinguished lawyer and 
statesman. Few men of his locality have been 
called to so extensive a sphere of usefulness 
and filled it so long and well. He received 
his elementary education at a public school 
in Esopus, New York, where many other 
distinguished men had been trained in the 
classics. He then pursued his professional 
studies under the direction of the late Chan- 
cellor John Lansing, and first practiced law 
in Montgomery county ; but saw superior op- 
portunities in Albany, where his family had 



SOUTHERN NEW Y(3RK 



429 



had its start, so moved there and opened an 
office. There were a number of brilliant 
barristers there at this period, but tiieir 
brilliancy could not cast shadow upon the ef- 
forts of Mr. Van Vechten, for he soon ranked 
among his illustrious seniors as an equal and 
a strong competitor for highest honors. Un- 
tiring in his efforts, the powers of his highly- 
gifted mind were continuously developed and 
expanded. His intellect was formed to grapple 
with the most abstruse and difficult of judicial 
investigations, and he early inured himself to 
the most intense application of mental in- 
dustry. 

Munsell's famous "Albany .A-unals" say of 
him: "In acuteness and the ready comprehen- 
sion of any subject presented for his investi- 
gation, he had few equals, and nature seemed 
to have furnished him with powers eminently 
adapted to the illustration of legal principles. 
He made no display of legal lore, his learning 
seemed to be incorporated with his thoughts. 
What he had once read was well digested and 
remained ever ready for application. A large 
portion of his life was spent in the discussion 
of legal questions in our highest tribunals of 
law and equity ; there he was always listened 
to with profound attention by our most 
eminent judges. His arguments were cal- 
culated to elucidate and instruct, and greatly 
to aid the tribunals to which they were ad- 
dressed, in forming correct conclusions. His 
style was remarkable for purity, perspicuity 
and strength. His train of thought was un- 
impassioned, yet earnest and forcible. His 
talents were too conspicuous to allow him to 
confine his efforts to the bar. He was re- 
peatedly chosen to represent his fellow citizens 
in both branches of the Legislature. The 
Senate Chamber was the theatre of some of 
his highest intellectual efforts. As a member 
of the court for the correction of errors, he 
has left behind him enduring monuments of 
his legal wisdom." 

For a number of years he filled the office 
of attorney-general with distinguished ability. 
At an early period of his life, a seat on the 
bench of the Supreme Court was offered to 
him by Governor John Jay ; a similar offer 
was made to him at a later period. He de- 
clined these proffered honors, preferring the 
labors of the bar as more congenial to his 
habits and feelings. The causes in the books 



of reports, in which he took part as counsel, 
numerous as they are, give but a faint idea of 
the amount of professional labor performed 
by him. For more than half a century his 
brilliant mind was constantly shedding its 
light over the jurisprudence of the state. The 
bar had long delighted to accord to him the 
highest honors it could bestow. To the 
younger members of the profession he had 
greatly endeared himself by his kindness and 
courteous manners, and by all he was vener- 
ated as an illustrious model of professional 
excellence. 

In Mr. Van Vechtcn's daily consulations 
with his clients, he was emphatically a peace- 
maker. It was his constant habit' to advise 
the settlement of disputes whenever it was 
practicable. He allowed no .sordid motives 
to influence his advice nor to bias his mind 
in giving his opinions. His character as a 
citizen in the private walks of life afforded a 
model of excellence. Ilis disinterestedness 
vvas a prominent feature, and was the founda- 
tion of that unbounded confidence which was 
reposed in him. In his domestic circle he was 
remarkable for kindness and for the attention 
bestowed upon the feelings and wants of those 
dependent upon him. 

He was recorder of the City of Albany, 
from 1797 to 1808; State Senator, from 1798 
to 1805. and from 1816 to 1820; Member of 
Assembly, from 1805 to 1816; Attorney-Gen- 
eral for the year 1810; reappointed in 1813, 
when he served two years, and was a prom- 
inent and influential member of the Constitu- 
tional Convention of 1821. 

.'\braham Van Vechten married, at Albany. 
A^ay 20, 1784, Catharina Schuyler. She was 
born at Albany. March 23, 1766, died there, 
September 10, 1820, and was the daughter of 
Philip Pieterse Schuyler (born at Albany, 
April 22, 1736, died there. June 3, 1808) who 
married (Albany, April 21, 1765). .^nnatje 
Wendell (born at Albany, baptized December 
7, 1743, died there, December 5, 1802). 
Children: i. Judith, born March 9, 1785, died 
July 27, 1799. 2. Philip, born July 14. 1786, 
died, unmarried, February 3, 1814 3. Teunis 
.Abraham, born December 17, 1787, died April 
3, 181 1. 4. Anna, born July 30, 1789, died 
April 15, 1876. 5. Elizabeth, born May 3, 
1791. died, unmarried, February 15, 1878. 6. 
Gertrude, horn March 14. 1793, died February 



430 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



25, 1794. 7. Samuel Abraham, born Novem- 
ber 28, 1794, died December 14, 1824. 8. 
Harmanus, born July 29, 1796, died March 
29, 1802. 9. Gertrude, born July i, 1798, died 
December 26, 1842, married (first) Samuel 
Van Orden; married (second) Abraham 
Van Vechten. 10. Judith, born May 25, 1800, 
died June 6, 1800. 11. Jacob Ten Broeck, born 
May 10, 1801, died June 20, 1841 ; mar- 
ried Caroline C. Roorbach. See forward. 12. 
Judith, born May 22, 1803, died June 27, 
1825. 13. Maria 11., born August 28, 1805, 
died March 16, 1806. 14. Harriet M., born 
March 24, 1807; married W, Lehmann. 15. 

Anna, born ; married Walter Van Vegh- 

ten. 

(VI) Jacob Ten Broeck Van Vechten, son 
of Hon. Abraham and Catherine (Schuyler) 
V'an Vechten, was born at Albany, New York, 
May 10, 1801, and died there on June 20, 1841. 

He married Caroline C. Roorbach, daughter 
of Captain Arthur Roorbach, and she died 
December 6, 1852. Children: i. Abraham, 
born at Albany, New York, December 12, 
1819. died at Cranston's Hotel, West Point, 
New York, May 8, 1894; graduate of Union 
College, 1838; admitted to the bar, 1841 ; city 
attorney of Albany, 1843; adjutant-general, 
1852; president of the Albany Railway Com- 
pany, and of the Albany City Iron Company ; 
married, September 22, 1842, Eliza M. Ham- 
ilton,- who was born at Ft. Snelling, July 9, 
1824, and was the daughter of Major Thomas 
Hamilton, U. S. A.; by whom: a. Hamilton, 
born October 3, 1844. b. Cornelia, born 
March 30, 1847, died January 26, 1880; mar- 
ried, April 29, 1869, George B. Raymond, and 
had Lenita Haydcn Raymond, born August 
19, 1870; Estelle Raymond, born August 22, 
1872; Lois Mather Raymond, born March 
14, 1874. c. Annie Cuyler, born April 

18, 1852; married at Albany, Dr. George 
Morewood Lefferts, of New York City. d. 
Abraham, born October 8, 1854. e. Estelle 
de Peyster, born May 13, 1856; married, at 
Albany, Marion Randolph, who was born at 
Washington, D. C, and died at Albany, April 

19, 1899, and had one child. Innis Randolph, 
born at Albany, April 2, 1894. f. Schuyler. 
born at Albany, January 8, 1859, died there. 
July 10, 1908; married, November z8. 1882. 
Cornelia, daughter of Stephen R. Lesher, and 
had Emelia, born April 19, 1884; Adele 



Schuyler, born November 20, 1885 ; Abraham, 
born May 16, 1887; Schuyler, born February 
20, 1890; Lawrence Ten Broeck, born April 
4, 1891 ; Elsie Lesher, born September 26, 
1893. 2. Junius Roorbach, born at Albany, 
January 7, 1822. See forward. 3. Catherine 
Schuyler, born at Albany, April 21, 1824; 
married, Charles Hoffman, of New York City. 

4. Philip, born at Albany, November 9, 1828, 
died at Shanghai, China, September i, 1862. 

5, Cornelia C, born at Albany, May 24, 
1832. 6. Harriet, born at Albany, October 
I, 1836, died June 22, 185 1. 

(VII) Junius Roorbach \'an Vechten, son 
of Jacob Ten Broeck and Caroline C. (Roor- 
bach) Van Vechten, was born at Albany, New 
York, January 7, 1822, and died at Brooklyn, 
December 21, 1884. 

He married, at New York City, in 1846, 
Helen C. Roorbach, who was born May 7, 
1828, and died at Brooklyn, June 21, 1864, 
daughter of Orville R. Roorbach. Children: 

1. Junius Ten Broeck, born at sea, April 4, 
1848; died, unmarried, at Brooklyn, October 

2, 1908. 2. Orville Roorbach, born at Brook- 
lyn, July 30, 1850. 3. Helen C, born at 
Brooklyn, May 5, 1852; married E. F. Ely. 
4. Francis Helme, born at Brooklyn, July 26, 
1856. 5. Arthur, born at Brooklyn, Septem- 
ber 26, 1859; see forward. 6. Elizabeth 
C, born at Brooklyn, December 25. i860; 
died there, in 1867. 

(VIII) Arthur Van- V'echtcn, son of Junius 
Roorbach and Helen C. (Roorbach) Van 
Vechten, was born at Brooklyn, New York, 
September 26, 1859, and resides at Elizabeth, 
New Jersey. Attended the preparatory school 
of Stratford. Connecticut, the Stratford Acad- 
emy, a school which has sent out some of the 
brightest men in the country. Entered busi- 
ness in New York, with H. A. Ragen. mill 
supply line, and continued seven years. Went 
into business for himself in 1884, located at 
165 Greenwich Street, and is now at 27 Sul- 
livan Street. Member of St. John's Episcopal 
Church, Elizabeth, for twenty years. Republi- 
can all his life. 

He married, at Stratford. Connecticut. Feb- 
ruary 13. 1884, Harriette Stevens Clarkson, 
who was born in New York City, August 16, 
i860, and is the daughter of Robert Living- 
ston Clarkson and Annie A. Sands. Chil- 
dren: I. Robert Clarkson, born at Brooklyn. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



431 



November lo, 1884; educated at Pingry 
School, Elizabeth, New Jersey, and in busi- 
ness with father ; single. 2. Arthur Living- 
ston; see forward. 3. Eugene Montgomery, 
born at Roselle, New Jersey, May 7, 1889; 
educated at Pingry School, Elizabeth, New 
Jersey, and in business with father. 4. Har- 
riette Clarkson, born at Elizabeth, New Jer- 
sey, November i, 1893. 5. Schuyler Living- 
ston, born at Elizabeth, New Jersey, July 21, 
1896; a graduate this year from Pingry 
School. These children trace back to the 
original Livingston family on both sides, and 
to the Stevens family. 

(IX) Arthur Livingston Van Vechten, son 
of Arthur and Harriette Stevens (Clarkson) 
Van Vechten, was born at Brooklyn. New 
York, February 4, 1887. He was educated at 
the Pingry School, Elizabeth, and is now in 
business with his father. 

He married, at Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, 
October 12, 1912. Rev. George Colvert Carter 
officiating. Miss Henrietta Troth Townsend. 
who was born at Bryn Mawr, October 21, 
1887. She was the daughter of Henry Troth 
Townsend, born at Philadelphia, Pennsylva- 
nia, October i, 1849; died at Bryn Mawr, 
Pennsylvania, September i, 1906, and his 
wife, Maria Potts, who was born at Martie 
Forge, Pennsylvania, November 6, 1850. 



(H) Johannes Blauvelt, 
BLAUVELT third son of Gerrit Hen- 
dricksen Blauvelt (q. v.), 
was baptized April q, 1659, in the First Dutch 
Church of New York, and spent his early life 
on Manhattan Island, He was among the 
purchasers of land at Tappan and was one 
of the first settlers in that district, where most 
of the children of his second marriage were 
baptized. He was a member of the Tappan 
church at its organization, October 24. 1694, 
was a deacon in 1693 and 1701, and was one 
of the five who gave ninety-seven acres of 
land to that church. He was still living in 
1729. The New York church records show 
that Johannes was married, October 24, 1683, 
to Jannekin Jochems, a young woman from 
Middlewout. Their children, baptized in New 
York, were: Maritze, February 23, 16S5; 
Gerrit. November 21, 1686; Jochem, March 
18, 1688; Isaac, mentioned below. The death 
of the mother of these children is not re- 



corded, and neither is the second marriage 
of Johannes Blauvelt. His second wife, 
Catrina Cornelisse, must have been the daugh- 
ter of one Cornelius, but a diligent search of 
the records of New York, Tappan and Hack- 
cnsack fails to disclose the baptism of any 
Catrina, daughter of a Cornelius. She may 
have been born on the other side of tlie ocean. 
Among the first baptisms at Tappan was that 
of their son Cornelius, October 25, 1694. The 
next child, Abram, was baptized December 
13, 1696, at Hackensack, and there recorded. 
Other children were: Margrietje, born Feb- 
ruary 5, 1699; Johannes, October 15, 1701; 
Jacobus, baptized April 11, 1703 (aged three 
months); Lena, born January 17, 1705; Ra- 
chel, October 16, 1706; Katryna, October 9, 
1708; Elizabeth, July 27, 1710; David, March 
10, 1712; Sarah, May 6, 1714. 

(Ill) Isaac, third and youngest son of Jo- 
hannes and Jannekin (Jochems) Blauvelt, was 
baptized November 16, i6()o, in New York, 
and resided in the neighborhood of Tappan, 
where his first children were baptized. He 
married, at Tappan, October 14, 1714, Eliza- 
beth Meyers, born June i, 1695, at Tappan, 
daughter of Johannes and Annetje (Jedense) 
Meyers. Children : Johannes, mentioned be- 
low ; .Annatie, Augu.st 27, 1716; Abraham, 
December 3, 1719; Jannetje, April 16, 1722, 
baptized at Tappan ; Catharyne, born October 
17, 1725, baptized at Hacken.sack ; Cornelius, 
mentioned below; Abram, born April 15, 
1729: Daniel, May 3, 1732; Mariclie, Sep- 
tember 9, 1734; Elizabedt, June 8, 1737; Isaac, 
March 5, 1740, all baptized at Tappan. 

(IV)\Tohannes (2), eldest child of Isaac 
and Elizabeth (Meyers) Blauvelt, was born 
December 8. 1715, at Tappan. and resided 
there. He married, about 1738. Grietje Smidt, 
probably a daughter of Gerrit and Brcchie 
(Haring) Smidt, born July 21, 1719. bap- 
tized August 2. following, at Hackensack. 
Thev had children: Joseph, mentioned below; 
Cathriena, born May 14. 1743; Elizabeth, 
March 26. 1745; Maria, November 10, 1747; 
Anatje, July 22, 1752; Margrietje, August 27, 
1754: Johannes, May 13, 1758; Vrouwtye, 
luiv 13, 1762. 

(V) Joseph, eldest child of Johannes (2) 
and Grietje (Smidt) Blauvelt, was born Sep- 
tember 17, 1740. baptized at Tappan, and died 
March 15. 1789, in the town of Ramapo. New 



432 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



York. He married Hannah Demorest, born 
August 4, 1749, baptized on the 13th of the 
same month, in Schraalenburg, daughter of 
Nicholas and Elsie (Demorest) Demorest. 
Children : John, mentioned below ; Nicholas, 
born June 4, 1772; Cornelius, mentioned be- 
low: Daniel. December 16, 1782. 

(VI) John, eldest child of Joseph and Han- 
nah (Demorest) Blauvelt. was born May 8, 
1770. He resided in the town of Ramapo. 
He married Catrina Talama and had several 
children baptized at Clarkstown, including 
Maria, born February 24, 1792; Jacob, June 
10, 1794; John, May 23, 1796; Margrietje, 
December 8, 1798. Following this they re- 
moved to the town of Ramapo, but none of 
their children are recorded at the brick church 
in that town. The family records show that 
they had also daughters, Maria and Caroline, 
and son, .Alexander. 

(VH) Alexander, son of John and Catrina 
(Talama) Blauvelt, was born in January, 
1807, at Spring Valley, baptized October 4, 
of the same year, at Kakiat church. By oc- 
cupation he was a merchant tailor, residing 
at Nyack, where he died February 9, 1894, 
at the age of eighty-seven years. He was 
long an active member of the Dutch Reformed 
church at Nyack, in which he served as dea- 
con and elder, and politically was a Democrat. 
He married, January 12, 1833, Catherine Van 
Antwerp, who died .September 23, 1889. Chil- 
dren : Lawrence Salisbury, Wilmar Ostram, 
William Ellis, married Frances Outwater at 
Tappan ; Edwin. 

(\Tn) Edwin, youngest son of Alexander 
and Catherine (Van Antwerp") Blauvelt, was 
born August 12, 1841, in Nyack. New York. 
He received his education in the public schools 
of his native place. At the age of twenty-one 
years he engaged in the livery business at 
Nyack, and has continued successfully in that 
line to the present time. He is a member of 
the Dutch Reformed church, and adheres to 
the Democratic party in political action. He 
married. Novemljer 15, 1864, at Grand View, 
Rockland county. New York, Sarah Eleanor 
Blauvelt, born June 14, 1846, at Tappan, 
daughter of John Nicholas and Elizabeth 
(Haring) Blauvelt (see below). Children: 
I. Sarah Elizabeth, born March 15, 1866; 
married (first) June 18, 1884. Andrew 
Conklin; children: Gordon and Walter; Gor- 



don married Emma Peterson and has three 
sons : George Walter. Edwin Merrill and 
Howard; she married (second) December 17, 
1898, David J. Peterson; resides in Pomoa, 
New York. 2. Minnie A., born May 12, 1868; 
married, June 27, 1888, Cornelius B. Smith ; 
daughter, Gladys May : resides at Sparkill, 
New York. 3. Caroline, born August 24, 
1874; married, November 10, 1898, James F. 
Cummings ; two sons : James B. and George 
Talbot : resides in Brooklyn, New York. 4. 
Laura May, born November 19, 1876. 5. Ed- 
win Alexander, April 23, 1879. 6. Catherine 
Ann, August 11, 1883. 7. Van Antwerp, De- 
cember 29, 1886. 

(VI) Cornelius, third son of Joseph and 
Hannah (Demorest) Blauvelt, was born June 
12, 1775, in Ramapo, baptized thirteen days 
later at Clarkstown, and died June 12, 1858, 
probably in Ramapo. He married, at the 
Kakiat church, November 4, 1796, Bridget 
Talman. Children : Joseph C, mentioned be- 
low ; John, born August 21, 1801 ; Cornelius, 
August 20, 1808: Abraham C. J., December 
18, 181 1 ; Tunis: Nicholas C. 

(VH) Joseph Cornelius, eldest child of Cor- 
nelius and Bridget (Talman) Blauvelt, was 
born November 8, 1798, in Ramapo, died 
June 5. 1883, in that town. He married. May 
12, 1821, Rebecca Remsen, born June 20, 
1803, in Ramapo, died there, April 21, 1885. 
Children: Mary, born March 5, 1822, married 
John De Baun, and died July 6, 1845 : Isaac 
Remsen and Margaret, twins, April 2, 1825; 
Aaron Du Bois, June 21, 1832; John Calvin, 
October 29, 1835; Cornelius Edward, January 
4, 1838. 

(VIII) Margaret, second daughter of Jo- 
seph Cornelius and Rebecca (Remsen) Blau- 
velt, twin of Isaac Remsen, became the wife 
of Sylvester Westervelt, of Ramapo (see 
Westervelt VII). 

(IV) Cornelius, second son of Isaac and 
Elizabeth ( Meyers) Blauvelt, was born March 
I, 1727, and baptized April 13, of the same 
year, at Tappan. He probably lived in what 
is now the town of Harrington, Bergen 
county. New Jersey, but very little concern- 
ing him is of record. He married, August 9, 
1752, at Tappan, Margarie, born at Newtown, 
Long Island, daughter of John and Geertie 
(\\'iltsee) Ryker, of Newtown, and later of 
Closter, New Jersey. John Ryken or Ryker 



SOUTHERX NEW YORK 



433 



was an early settler at Closter, where he was 
a large farmer, and it is probable that Cor- 
nelius Blauvelt lived near him. Only one bap- 
tism in his family can be found in the rec- 
ords of New York, Hackensack, Schraalen- 
burg or Tappan. Happily this baptism suf- 
fices to continue this line of descent. 

(V) Isaac Cornelise, son of Cornelius and 
Margarie (Ryker) Blauvelt, was born August 
9, 1755, and baptized August 17, at Tappan. 
He died before November iS, 1802, when his 
widow married Johanis Van Houten. He 
married Lena Cornelisse, who was probably 
the daughter of Cornelius Cooper and Dirckje 
Smidt, born 1730. Their children, baptized 
at Tappan, were : Cornelius. December 7, 
1777: Nicholas, mentioned below; Margrietje, 
March 9, 1789; Catrina, November 23, 1791. 

(VI) Nicholas, second son of Isaac Cor- 
nelise and Lena (Cornelisse) Blauvelt, was 
born June 13, 1782, and baptized at Tappan, 
July 7, following. He resided at Blauveltville, 
north of Tappan, where his father had lived 
before him for some time, and later settled 
at Spring Valley, in Rockland county. He 
was a farmer, a member of the Dutch Re- 
formed church, and politically a Democrat. 
He married Hester Graham and they had 
children : Cornelius, Isaac, John Nicholas, 
mentioned below ; Daniel, Catherine. Eleanor. 
Sarah. 

(VII) John Nicholas, third son of Nicholas 
and Hester (Graham) Blauvelt, married Eliz- 
abeth Haring, and they were the parents of 
Sarah Eleanor Blauvelt, wife of Edwin Blau- 
velt (see Blauvelt VIII). 



This name has been traced to a 
DODGE remote period in England, and 

has been very widely distributed 
over the United States, beginning with the 
earliest settlement of the New England col- 
onies. It has been distinguished in law and 
letters, in divinity, in war, in politics and in 
every leading activity of the human family, 
and is still identified with the progress of 
events in New England and other states. It 
has turned out from Harvard nineteen grad- 
uates, from Yale a dozen, from Dartmouth 
ten, from Columbia College eight. Union Col- 
lege six, Andover Theological Seminary five. 
Bowdoin College five, University of Wiscon- 
sin five, Brown University three, Colby Uni- 



versity three, Williams College two and Mid- 
dlebury College one. The records of the 
Colleges of Heraldry in England show that 
a coat-of-arms was granted to Peter Dodge, 
of Stockworth, county of Chester, in 1306, 
and later a patent to John Dodge, of Rotham, 
in the county of Kent, in 1546. It is declared 
that he was descended from Peter Dodge, of 
Stockworth. The name is found frequently 
in various sections of England, and in the 
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries there were 
Dodges of honorable character and connection 
in the counties of Cheshire, Kent, Norfolk 
and Downs. On the nth of May, 1629, 
there sailed from the harbor of Yarmouth, 
England, the "Talbot," a vessel of three hun- 
dred tons, and the "Lion's Whelp," a neat 
and nimble ship of one hundred and twenty 
tons, and they arrived at Salem. Massachu- 
setts, on the 29th of the June following. This 
marks the arrival of the first of the tame of 
Dodge in America. 

(I) John Dodge and his wife, Marjorie, 
resided in Somersetshire, England, where the 
following children were born to them, namely: 
William, Richard, Michael, Mary. An ex- 
amination of the parish registry of East 
Coker, Somersetshire. England, discloses the 
records of the births of these children. It is 
also learned that Richard Dodge was in 1633 
a duly admitted tenant by entry hold of land 
in Helyar Manor in East Coker, that this 
manor came into the possession of its then 
owner about 1616, and that Richard came 
there from St. Badcaux, Devonshire, about 
four miles from Plymouth, in that year. 

(II) Richard, son of John and Marjorie 
Dodge, ancestor of a very large progeny scat- 
tered throughout the United States, appeared 
at Salem, Massachusetts, as early as 1638, 
and "desired accommodations." It is shown 
by the records of East Coker, in England, 
that he resided and came from there. As 
immigrants were admitted to the colonies only 
by applying to the town and obtaining leave, 
it is probable that Richard and his family 
came in if>38, and it is also probable that he 
left Englancl without royal permission. After 
living for a while on the land of his brother 
William, he settled on "Dodge Row" in North 
Beverly, not far from Wenham Lake. The 
house which Richard Dodge built was near 
the present north line of Beverly. He evi- 



434 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



dently gave his attention chiefly to farming. 
He was a loyal church member and one of 
the most liberal contributors to the support 
of the gospel. He and his wife were mem- 
bers of the VVenhani church before 1648, un- 
der the pastorate of John Fiske. He was also 
interested in the progress of education, and 
his name appears first in a list of twenty-one 
subscribers to Harvard College in 1653, while 
the next largest sum was one-fourth as much 
as his. The cemetery of "Dodge Row" is on 
land which he dedicated for that purpose, and 
this grant was subsequently conferred by his 
grandson. He died June 15, 1671, leaving an 
estate valued at one thousand seven hundred 
and sixty-four pounds and two shillings, a 
very considerable property for that time. He 
gave to each of his three sons a good farm 
valued at over one hundred pounds. He 
made liberal provision for annual payments 
by the sons to the support of their mother. 
His wife's name was Edith and she survived 
him seven years, dying June 27, 1678, at the 
age of seventy-five years. The inventory of 
her estate indicates that she was possessed of 
considerable properly. Their children were: 
John, Mary, Sarah, Richard, Samuel, Edward, 
Joseph. 

(HI) Richard (2), second son of Richard 
( I ) and Edith Dodge, was born in Beverly, 
Massachusetts, in 1643, died in Wenham, 
April 13, 1705. He was a farmer and lived 
in the south part of Wenham. He also owned 
a large farm in Ipswich, which he gave to 
his eldest son Richard, and had land near 
Chebacco Lake in Ipswich. He owned a cider 
mill and press, and from the careful provision 
for its use, which he made in deeds to his 
sons, it would seem that they all lived in the 
same vicinity. About two years before his 
death he divided his property among his chil- 
dren, giving his "negro man" Mingo to the 
eldest son. On the 31st of May, 1705, Rich- 
ard, Daniel, William and Mary joined in a 
deed of four and one-half acres of marsh 
land in "Chebacco," Ipswich, to John and 
Martha Davidson to carry out what they al- 
leged to be the purpose of their father. He 
marrietl, February 23, 1667, Mary Eaton, born 
1 64 1, died November 28, 17 16, aged seventy- 
five years. He and his wife were buried at 
North Beverly, where their gravestones still 



remain. Their children were : Richard, Mary, 
Martha, Daniel, William. 

(IV) Daniel, second son of Richard (2) 
and Mary (Eaton) Dodge, was born April 26, 
1677, in Wenham, Massachusetts, where he 
died April 30. 1740. He graduated from 
Harvard College in 1700, being the first col- 
lege graduate of the name in New England, 
and seems to have given some time to teaching. 
Records show that he was engaged to teach 
at Beverly in 1703 and again in 1706, and it 
is presumed that he taught there continuously 
between these dates. In 171 5 he was engaged 
as schoolmaster of Reading for a period of 
three years at thirty pounds per year. He 
received from his father deeds of a large 
amount of land, dated December i, 1703, in- 
cluding the father's dwelling house, another 
dwelling house in the same yard, a cider mill, 
the homestead lot in Wenham, amounting al- 
together to fifty acres, and more than seventy- 
seven acres included in four parcels, and an 
island. The gift also included the father's 
common rights in Wenham and Manchester, 
one-third of his marsh in Chebacco, a negro 
boy, one hundred and ten trees, and other 
items. The real estate records show that 
Daniel bought and sold much real estate, and 
he left a long will, providing for the disposal 
of much pro]>erty. He was a deacon of the 
Wenham Church. He married, June 20. 1706, 
Joanna Hurnham, born March 18, 1689, in 
Ipswich, daughter of James and Mary Burn- 
ham. She married (second) June 3, 1741, 
Samuel Kimball, who died January 27, 1745, 
and she married (third) September 17, 1747, 
Captain Henry Ilcrrick. She died after Octo- 
ber 7. 17(')7. on which date she made her will. 
Children of Daniel Dodge: Joanna, born July 
17, 1707: Daniel, September 15, 1710; James, 
baptized November i, 1713: Joshua, born De- 
cember 26, 1716; Mary, August 25, 1719; 
David, mentioned below. 

(V) Da\id. youngest child of Daniel and 
Joanna (Burnham) Dodge, was born March 
7, 1723, in Wenham, Massachusetts. He re- 
sided for some years in Ipswich hamlet. About 
1750 he sold considerable real estate in and 
about W'enham, and settled soon after at 
Lebanon, Connecticut. Through his generous 
nature and lack of attention to business de- 
tails, he suffered great losses in property. He 
received a commission as a soldier in the old 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



435 



French war, and was drowned about 1756 
while going over Otsego Falls in New York, 
in a bateau, en route to Canada. The whole 
party perished by the capsizal of the boat. 
Letters of administration upon his estate were 
granted November 11, 1756, and it was re- 
ported as insolvent December 15, following. 
The inventory was made January 17, 1757. 
He married, December 5, 1741, Anna Low, 
born December 22, 1719, died April 3, 1782, 
at Amherst, New Hampshire. A guardian 
was appointed for her two children, and she 
went to Pomfret, Connecticut, where she kept 
a school fifteen years, boarding in the family 
of General Putnam. Her last years were spent 
with her son in Amherst. Children : David, 
mentioned below; Samuel, born August 18. 

1744- 

(VI) David (2), senior son of David (i) 
and Anna (Low) Dodge, was born October 
10, 1742, in Wenham, Massachusetts, and 
reared in Connecticut. He learned the wheel- 
wright's trade, and for some time resided in 
Brooklyn, Connecticut, later settling on a farm 
in the adjoining town of Hampton, where he 
lived, respected and much esteemed, and died 
August 24, 1807. He married Mary (Stuart) 
Earl, a widow, born June 29, 1735, and sur- 
vived her husband nearly nine years, dying 
April 4, 1816. on the farm in Hampton. 
Children: Mary, born May 10, 1770; David 
Low, mentioned below. 

(VH) David Low, only son of David (2) 
and Mary (Stuart-Earl) Dodge, was born 
June 14, 1774, in Brooklyn, Connecticut, died 
April 23, 1852, in New York City. In early 
life he was a teacher at Norwich, Connecticut, 
and in 1802 engaged in the dry goods busi- 
ness in Hartford, same state. In 1807 he re- 
moved to New York, and some years later 
lived for a time in Norwich, returning again 
to New York in 1825. He became an eminent 
merchant in the metropolis, noted for his 
contributions to religious and benevolent 
work. He was one of the founders of the 
New York Peace Society and its first presi- 
dent, and a founder of the New York Bible 
and New York Tract Societies. He was the 
publisher of several works on religious sub- 
jects, and in 1832 served as United States ap- 
praiser at New York. He married. June 7, 
1798, Sarah, daughter of Rev. Aaron Cleve- 
land, born June 11, 1780. Her brother was 



the grandfather of the late President Cleve- 
land. Children : Julia Stuart, born March 28, 
1799, in Norwich; Sarah Cleveland, March 
10, 1801 ; David Stuart, July 14, 1803, in 
Hartford; William Earl, mentioned below; 
Mary Abiah, September i, 1808; Elizabeth 
Clementina, December 18, 1810; Susan Pratt, 
July 3, 1813, in Norwich. 

(VIII) William Earl, junior son of David 
Low and Sarah (Cleveland) Dodge, was born 
September 4, 1805, in Hartford, Connecticut, 
died February 9, 1883, in New York City. He 
attended school in New York, Norwich and 
Mendham, New Jersey, and was distinguished 
as a boy for his unselfish and kindly nature. 
An earnest reader, he was brought up under 
strong religious influences, and in his seven- 
teenth year, in May, 1822, united with the 
Congregational church of Bozrah, Connecticut. 
He became clerk in a store connected with a 
mill at that place, of which his father was 
superintendent, and when eighteen years of 
age was accustomed to purchase the entire 
stock of the store in New York. In 1825 he 
accompanied his father to New York and be- 
came the latter's assistant in a dry goods store 
on Beekman Street. In 1827 with a man 
named Huntington, he established a wholesale 
dry goods business on Pearl Street, which was 
a success. In 1833 he joined the fimi of 
Phelps & Peck, which then became Phelps, 
Dodge & Company, importers of metals, whose 
establishment was maintained on CliflF Street, 
New York, for more than fifty years. Mr. 
Dodge became early interested in timber lands 
and the manufacture of lumber in Pennsylva- 
nia, Michigan. Georgia and other states, and 
his firm, which was extensively engaged in 
the importation and manufacture of copper, 
became largely interested in the Lake Superior 
mines of that metal. Mr. Dodge was one of 
the founders of the Lackawanna Iron & Coal 
Companv, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and for 
many years gave much of his attention to the 
management of the Oxford furnace in New 
Jersey, where car-wheels and later nails were 
manufactured. He was also interested in iron 
and steel works in Illinois and Virginia. The 
firm of Phelps. Dodge & Com()any passed 
through severe periods of financial panic with- 
out a stain upon its record. In 1855 Mr. 
Dodge became a member of the New York 
Chamber of Commerce, was made its first 



436 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



vice-president in 1863, became president in 
1867, and continued in that position until 1875. 
He served on many important committees 
during the civil war, was active in forming 
the International Relief Committee for re- 
lieving distress in England caused by the civil 
war, and was among the foremost in promot- 
ing relief for French sufferers after the war 
of 1871. He was one of the first directors 
of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of 
New York, a trustee of the Atlantic Life In- 
surance Company, a director of the New York 
Bowery Insurance Company, of the United 
States Trust Company, and the United States 
Telephone Company, which later became a 
part of the Western Union system. He was 
one of the original subscribers to secure the 
construction of the Atlantic cable. For ten 
years, following 1853, he was in charge of 
the large estate of Anson G. Phelps, which 
was managed with credit to himself and ben- 
efit to the heirs. Interested in the welfare of 
his employees, he was for many years an of- 
ficer of the Mercantile Labor Association, was 
a Hfe member of the New York Historical 
Society from 1857, and aided the Metropolitan 
Museum of Art and the American Museum 
of Natural History, to each of which he be- 
queathed five thousand dollars by will. 

The influence of Mr. Dodge was always 
cast on the side of right and progress, and 
he was active in the Citizen's Association, 
whose object was the securing of honest and 
eflficient government for the city. At a meet- 
ing at Coo])er Institute, May 3. 1870, presided 
over by Peter Cooper, Mr. Dodge was one 
of the speakers in indignant remonstrance 
against proposed laws, detrimental to the pub- 
lic schools. He became early interested in 
the development of railroads and was a di- 
rector of the New York & Erie railroad from 
1839 to 1851. He was interested in various 
properties, now a part of the Lackawanna 
railroad system, was for thirty years a di- 
rector of the Central railroad of New Jersey, 
seven years president of the Houston & Texas 
Central railroad, and interested in various 
railroad properties in the south and west. He 
was one of the first subscribers to the stock 
of the New York Elevated railroad, but on 
account of his opposition to the operation of 
Sundav trains, he withdrew from all connec- 
tion with that and with the Erie and Jersey 



Central railroads, disposing of his stock. Al- 
ways interested in the welfare of his native 
land, in early manhood he afifiliated with the 
Whig party, and supported Henry Clay for 
president in 1844. He opposed the annexa- 
tion of Texas, the extension of slavery, and 
the reduction of the tariff", and warmly aided 
the efforts to make Kansas a free state in 
1856. He was a delegate to the peace con- 
gress held at Washington in February, 1861, 
and V. hen the efforts of this organization were 
found to be futile, he gave his hearty support 
to the policy of President Lincoln. In 1864, 
without seeking the nomination, he was elected 
to represent the eighth New York district in 
the national congress, and was compelled to 
pass through a bitter contest before securing 
his seat. In 1872 he was a presidential elector, 
aiding in the choice of President Grant and 
\'ice-President Wilson. Mr. Dodge was a 
most liberal contributor to various charities, 
and at the time of his death his annual con- 
tributions totaled one hundred thousand dol- 
lars. When the Dodge Family Association 
met at Salem, Massachusetts, in July. 1879, 
he took a warm interest in the preparation of 
the family genealogy, offering to hear one- 
fifth of its cost, and became treasurer of the 
publication committee. In 1885 a beautiful 
bronze monument to his memory was erected 
at the intersection of Thirty-fourth Street, 
Broadway and Sixth Avenue, whose cost was 
borne by the voluntary subscriptions of three 
hundrcci and eighty persons. The bronze fig- 
ure rests upon a handsome granite pedestal, 
in which is a drinking fountain, commemo- 
rative of his temperance principles. 

He married, in New York, June 24. 1828, 
Melissa Phelps, born March 3. 1809, in Hart- 
ford, daughter of .Anson Greene and (Olivia 
(Eggleston) Phelps. She survived him. Chil- 
dren : William Earl, mentioned below ; Anson 
Greene, born August 25, 1834; David Stuart, 
September 26. 1836; Sarah Olivia, April 19, 
T839: Charles Cleveland, September 16, 1841 ; 
Melissa Phelps. December 21, 1844: Norman 
White, November 24, 1846; George Eggleston, 
December i, 1849; Arthur Murray. October 
29, 1852. 

(IX) William Earl (2). eldest child of 
William Earl (i) and Melissa (Phelps) 
Dodge, was born February 15, 1832, in New 
York City. He was delicate as a boy, and 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



437 



his education was chiefly suppHed by private 
instruction. On attaining manhood he be- 
came a partner in Phelps, Dodge & Company, 
of which estabHshment he became the head, 
succeeding his father. While occupied with 
large business cares, he gave much attention 
to philanthropic and social work. During the 
civil war he was an officer of the Loyal Pub- 
lication Society, and was an advisory director 
of the Women's Central Association of Re- 
lief, an outgrowth of the United States San- 
itary Commission. He was one of the com- 
missioners of the state of New York under 
the allotment law, his commission being one 
of the first signed by President Lincoln. 
Among the founders and active members of 
the Protective War Claim Association, he did 
much for the relief of discharged soldiers and 
received the thanks of the legislature of the 
state of New York by joint vote for his serv- 
ices in this connection. Mr. Dodge was among 
the founders of the Union League Club and 
the Young Men's Christian Association, and 
was several years president of the latter or- 
ganization. During his incumbency of that 
position the first building for the exclusive 
use of the association was erected. He was 
president of the Evangelical Alliance for the 
United States, and a liberal contributor to 
many religious and charitable works. Among 
the institutions which he aided largely in es- 
tablishment were the Metropolitan Museum 
of Art, the American Museum of Natural 
History, and the New York Botanical Gar- 
dens, and he served on the executive commit- 
tees of all these establishments. He was in- 
terested in many enterprises, serving as trustee 
of the New York Life Insurance Company 
and the Atlantic Mutual liisurance Company, 
and a member of the Chamber of Commerce. 
He married, April, 1854, Sarah, daughter of 
David Hoadly, of New York, who was presi- 
dent of the Panama Railroad Company. Chil- 
dren : Grace Hoadly. born May. 1856. was a 
writer and philanthropist, residing in New 
York; William Earl (3). October, 1858. a 
member of Phelps, Dodge & Company, mar- 
ried Emeline Harriman, and was the father 
of Amos Cleveland and William Earl (4) ; 
Cleveland Hoadly, mentioned below ; Mary 
Melissa, August. 1861 ; Alice Hoadly. March. 
1865, married William Church Osborn, and 
was the mother of Grace Dodge, Frederick 



Henry, Aileen Hoadly, Carl Dodge, and Wil- 
liam Henry; Maurice Jessop, died at the age 
of eight years. 

(X) Cleveland Hoadly, second son of Wil- 
liam Earl {2) and Sarah (Hoadly) Dodge, 
was born in i860, in New York City, where 
most of his life has been spent. He gradu- 
ated at Princeton College in 1879, and imme- 
tliately entered business life as a member of 
Phelps, Dodge & Company. He is a director 
of the City National Bank and of the Farm- 
ers' Loan & Trust Company, and has been 
president of the Young Men's Christian As- 
sociation of New York, being also interested 
in other social and beneficent organizations, 
lie married Grace, daughter of Henry Parish, 
of New York. Children: Elizabeth Wain- 
wright, born August, 1884; Julia Parish, Au- 
gust, 1886; Cleveland Carl and Bayard, twins, 
February, 1888. 



Jean de (Jallatin, who, at the 
GALLATIN outbreak of the French rev- 
olution, was second in com- 
mand of the regiment of Chateauvieux, in the 
service of Louis XVL, maintained that the 
Gallatins were descended from A. Attilius 
Gallatinus, consul in the years of Rome, 494 
and 498; in support of this article of faith 
he fought a duel with the Baron de Pappen- 
heim on horseback with sabres, and as a con- 
sequence ever afterwards carried a sabre cut 
across his face. A gap, however, of fifteen 
hundred years elapsed between the last con- 
sulship of the Roman Gallatin and the earliest 
trace of the modern family found in a re- 
ceipt signed by the Abbess of Bcllaconiba for 
Quindecim libras Vienncnscs bequeathed to 
her convent by "Dominus Fulcherius Galla- 
tini, miles," in 1258. Faulcher Gallatin left no 
other trace of his existence, but some sixty 
years later, in 1319, a certain Guillaume Gal- 
latini. Chevalier, with his son, Humbert Galla- 
tin, Damoiseau, figured dimly in legal docu- 
ments, and Humbert's grandson, Henri Gal- 
latin, Seigneur de Granges, married Agnes de 
Lenthenay, whose will, dated 1397. creating 
her son Jean Galatin her heir, fixes the local 
origin of the future Genevan family. After 
the elevation of Geneva to the rank of a sov- 
ereign republic in 1535. the history of the 
Gallatins is the history of the city. The fam- 
ily, if not the first in the state, was second to 



438 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



none. Five Gallatins held the position of first 
syndic, and as such were the chief magistrates 
of the Repubhc. Nor did the Gallatins restrict 
their activity to civil life. There were few 
battlefields in Europe where some of them 
had not fought, and not very many where some 
had not fallen. One of the branches of this 
extensive family was represented in the mid- 
dle of the eighteenth century by Abraham 
Gallatin, who lived on his estate at Fregny, 
and his wife, Susanna Vaudenet, whom he 
married in 1732. They had a son, Jean, born 
in 1733, who married, in 1755, Sophie Al- 
bertine' Rolaz du Rosey, of RoUe. They had 
two children — a boy, to whom they gave the 
name of Abraham Alphonse Albert Gallatin, 
and a girl about five years older. The boy, 
later known as Albert Gallatin, became one 
of the most distinguished of American public 
financiers, and the founder of the New York 
family bearing his name. 

(I) Abraham .'\lphonse Albert Gallatin, bet- 
ter known as Albert Gallatin, was born at 
Geneva, Switzerland, January 29, 1761, died 
at Astoria, Long Island, August 12, 1849. 
After graduating from the Academy of Ge- 
neva in 1779, he and a friend, Henri Serre, 
came to the United States and spent a year 
at Michias, Maine, in trade pursuits, with lit- 
tle success. Gallatin then moved to Boston, 
where he supported himself by teaching 
French, and in July, 1782, received permis- 
sion to give instruction at Harvard College. 
In the following year he explored and invested 
in lands on the west frontier, and in 1784 
established a country store in Lafayette 
county, where he was conspicuously active 
in opposition to the Federal excise law, and 
where also the basis of his report was laid 
by his report of the committee of ways and 
means in the session of 1790-91. In Febru- 
ary, 1793, he was elected to the United States 
senate and took his seat December 2, but the 
following February the senate decided, by a 
party vote of fourteen to twelve, that he did 
not possess the proper qualifications as to 
citizenship, it having been less than nine years, 
the time prescribed by the constitution, since 
he had taken the oath of citizenship and alle- 
giance to the state of Virginia. Gallatin was 
active at the time of the Whiskey Insurrec- 
tion, and although he urged submission to the 
law and the refrainment from all improper 



and illegal acts, nevertheless he went so far 
in his relations with the insurrectionists as to 
give himself, boili then and later, considerable ' 
political embarrassment. He was at the end 
of the trouble elected to the Pennsylvania 
assembly, and from 1795 to 1801 was a mem- 
ber of congress, where he allied himself with 
the Republicans who, under the leadership of 
Madison, were opposing the administration of 
the Federalists. "In his first term," says his 
biographer, Stevens, "he asserted his point 
and took his place in councils of his party. 
In the second he became its acknowledged 
chief. In the third he led its forces to final 
victory." He served on the important com- 
mittees and steadfastly opposed the adminis- 
tration, especially in the matter of the Jay 
Treaty, the increase of the army and navy, 
and the relations with France. Particularly 
did he attack the administration of finances, 
a field with which his pamphlets showed him 
to be familiar, and his services and ability in 
this direction were recognized by Jefferson, 
who in 1801 made him secretary of the treas- 
ury, a post which he held until 1813. During 
these years a marked reduction was effected 
in the national debt, the practice as to appro- 
priations was made more systematic, the sink- 
ing fund was improved, and the preparations 
were made which rendered war and an in- 
crease of the national debt possible without 
a disorganization of the public financial sys- 
tem. Gallatin also rendered important serv- 
ices in the negotiations which were concluded 
by the Treaty of Ghent. Of his services in 
this connection one of his biographers, Henry 
Adams, has said : "Far more than contem- 
poraries ever supposed or than is now ima- 
gined the Treaty of Ghent was the sjiecial 
work and peculiar triumph of Mr. Gallatin." 
Then, after declining a nomination to congress 
and an opportunity to resume charge of the 
treasury department, he became minister to 
France, filling the post from 1816 to 1823. 
Three years later he went to London as min- 
ister, remaining one year and concluding two 
important conventions. He had been nomi- 
nated for the vice-presidency by the Crawford 
Republicans in May. 1824, but withdrew in 
October to make room for Clay, and in 1843 
he declined to enter Tyler's cabinet as secre- 
tary of the treasury. 

After the conclusion of his dii)lomatic serv- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



439 



ice he removed to New York (in 1828) and 
that city remained his permanent residence 
until his death. He was president of the Na- 
tional Bank there for some years, but his 
duties were light and he had ample time for 
study and public service. He was much in- 
terested in the problems of public education 
and of finance, and took an active part in the 
movement which resulted in the founding of 
New York University, but his chief interest 
appears to have been the study of ethnology, 
especially of American ethnology. He found- 
ed the American Ethnological Society in 1842, 
which for a brief period was a very service- 
able agency for the promotion of such studies, 
and he wrote several valuable essays and mon- 
ographs on ethnological subjects. He did not 
lose his interest in finance and industry, how- 
ever, and in every way gave an example of 
scholarship and of public spirit rarely sur- 
passed by any one in this country. He pub- 
lished in 1796 "A Sketch of the Finances of 
the United States," and in 1843 memoirs on 
the "American Rights to the Northeastern 
Frontier" and many minor essays on finance, 
history and ethnology, his "Synopsis of Indian 
Tribes Within the United States, East of the 
Rocky Mountains," and in the "British and 
Russian Possessions in North America" 
(1836) and his "Notes on the Semi-Civilized 
Nations of Mexico, Yucatan, and Central 
America, with Conjectures on the Origin of 
Semi-Civilization in America" (1845) being 
especially noteworthy. His writings are of 
great value in the study of the political his- 
tory of the United States in the first part of 
the nineteenth century. 

He married (first) in 1789, Sophie Allegre, 
who died within a few months of her mar- 
riage; married (second) in 1793, Hannah, 
whose death shortly preceded his own in 1840. 
daughter of Commodore James Nicholson, of 
the United States navy. James Nicholson 
was born in Chesterfield, Maryland, in 1727, 
and came of ancestors who settled in that lo- 
cality a century before. His father had a 
grant of what was called Nicholson's Manor 
and was in the official employ of the British 
government. James Nicholson went into the 
navy at the outbreak of the revolution, com- 
manded the "Defense" in 1775, was made 
ranking captain by resolution of congress in 
1776, became commander-in-chief of the navy 



in 1777, commanded the frigate "Trumbull" 
in the battle with the "Wyatt" in 1780, and 
in 1 78 1 was taken prisoner and held until the 
close of the war. Returning to civil life, he 
settled in New York and remained a resident 
of this city until his death in 1804. Children 
of Albert Gallatin: James, born October 18, 
1796; Albert R,, mentioned below: Frances, 
born 1802, married Byan K. Stevens. 

(H) Albert R., second son of Abraham Al- 
phonse Albert and Hannah (Nicholson) Gal- 
latin, was born in New York in 1800. fie was 
liberally educated and was graduated from 
Princeton College. Although he was admitted 
to the bar in Pennsylvania, he practiced only 
a short time and then removed to New York 
and engaged in financial pursuits. At one 
time he was in business with John Jacob 
Astor and his ventures were generally profit- 
able, so that he was able to accumulate a con- 
siderable fortune. He was the companion of 
his family a great part of the time, and in 
consequence v^-as thrown into association with 
people of public note. He went abroad with 
his father several times, to France in 1816, 
to Great Britain in 1826, and upon other 
occasions. On these trips he made the ac- 
quaintance of many eminent Europeans and 
became the personal friend of the Duke of 
Wellington and of many of the leaders in the 
French Revolution. He lived until 1890, a 
connecting link between this generation and 
the deeds and the men of the infant days of 
the Republic. He married, in 1837, Mary L., 
daughter of Horatio Gates and Elizabeth Lu- 
cille (Rhinelander) Stevens. Children: Al- 
bert Horatio, born 1839; Frederic, mentioned 
below : James, born 1846. 

(Ill) Frederic, second son of Albert R. 
and Mary L. (Stevens) Gallatin, was born 
in New York in 1841. He was graduated 
from the New York University in 1861 and 
was educated as a lawyer. He is a member of 
the Union, University, Century, Badminton, 
Tuxedo. .4rmy and Navy, and New York 
Yacht clubs, and he belongs to the Sons of 
the Revolution. St. Nicholas Society, Society 
of Colonial Wars, and the Society of the War 
of 1812. His interest in scientific matters is 
indicated by his membership in the .American 
Geographical Society. He is also an enthu- 
siastic yachtsman and devotes a considerable 
time to the sport. 



440 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Frederic Gallatin married Almy Goelet, 
daughter of Thomas R. and Hannah G. (Goe- 
let) (ierry. Children: Almy Goelet, married 
George P. Cammann ; Rolaz Horace, born 
1 87 1, married Emily L. Morris; Goelet, born 
1877, married Edith E. Post; Albert, born 
1880, married Margaret H. Hackstaff; May, 
married W. W. Hoppin. 



The family name was Pott in 
POTTS ancient times; in 1278 it appears 
among parliamentary writ : "Rob- 
ertus atte Potte, of county Surrey," as serv- 
ing in military duty. At that period it was 
not infrequently written Potte. Regarding 
the arms of the Potts family, the earliest rec- 
ord in the Herald's College of Arms granted 
to one of the name bears date 1583; given to 
John Potts, an eminent barrister of Lincoln's 
Inn. It is described : Azure, two bars or, 
over all a band of the second, that is, on a 
shield of blue are two bands of gold, making 
in all five horizontal bands of equal width, 
with the blue showing at top and bottom, and 
from u]i])er left to lower right a band of same 
width of gold. Crest: On a mount vert, an 
ounce sejant ppr. collared and chained. 

(I) The line of descent of the Potts family 
here to be set forth was instituted by David 
Potts, who was born about 1670, in Montgom- 
eryshire. Wales. He was a Friend, and set- 
tled in Bristol township, Philadelphia county, 
Pennsylvania, where he died in 1730. It is 
thought he came when a youth, the first notice 
of his residence in Ainerica being 7 mo. 24, 
1692, when signing as a bondsman for Eliza- 
beth Bennett, as executor of Edmund, her late 
husband, and his signature may be seen on 
file in the register's office in Philadelphia. 
Pennsylvania As a Friend he first belonged 
to the Philadelphia Monthly Meeting. He 
purchased in 1695 a tract of one hundred and 
fifty acres of land in Bristol township, Phila- 
delphia county. Pennsylvania, near German- 
town; subsequently selliiig fifty acres, settling 
on the balance, and there resided the remain- 
der of his life. The deed for this first pur- 
chase in the Potts family reads as follows : 
"The Commiss'rs by Patent dated 2('>th q mo.. 
1685. Granted 500 acres to Rob't Longshore. 
Purchaser in Bristol Township, in the County 
of Philad'a. jovning in Germantown. Irenia 
Land, and Will'm Wilkins, of which deed 



dated ist 4 mo., 1686, he sold to Samuel Ben- 
nett 200 acres, who by Deed dated 2.4. 1695, 
sold 150 thereof to David Potts, who sold to 
Will. Harnian 50 acres now in Possession of 
Peter Clever." And further: "The said Da- 
vid Potts requests a Warr't of Resurvey on 
the said 150 acres according to the True 
bounds of the Tract and to Cutt olY 50 a's to 
said Harman or Clever. Ordered that a 
Warr't be accordingly granted for the said 
50 acres to be cutt off as by agreement made 
between them and a Patent on the Return if 
required, they paying the Overplus, if any." 
In 1716 he had a grant of one hundred acres 
of land in the Manor of Springfield, for which 
he was to pay £80. When the Friends es- 
tablished a ^Ieeting in (iermantown. he was 
transferred to it, and under date October 11, 
171 1, he bought land there, the sellers being 
trustees of the Germantown Meeting there, 
and he was entrusted with important matters 
relating thereto. He was a man of good 
standing in the community where he resided 
for so long a time, and represented Philadel- 
phia county in the provincial assembly for 
1728-29-30. His death occurred November 
16, 1730. He made his will November 13, 
1730, which was probated November 26, 1730, 
and is on file in the register's office at Phila- 
delphia, in will Book E, page 142. In it he 
wrote: "I Give & Bequeath to my son, John, 
the sum of Twenty Shillings money af'd he 
having likewise received his portion in my 
life time w'ch s'd money is to be paid to him 
in two years after my Decease." 

David Potts married Alice Croasdale, who 
was born 8 mo. 3, 1673, and whose parents 
came as passengers with William Penn in the 
ship "Welcome," Robert Grcenway, master, 
in 1682. Although the records of the Meet- 
ing are far from perfect, many matters relat- 
ing to this couple are ascertainable. She was 
the youngest daughter of Thomas and Agnes 
(Hathernwaite) Croasdale. They declared 
their intention of marriage with each other 
before the Philadelphia Monthly Meeting 10 
mo. 29, 1693 (December, 1693); passed the 
Meeting the second time on 11 mo. 26, 1693-4 
(January, i6()4), and were granted a certifi- 
cate to marry under the care of Middletown 
Monthly Meeting in Bucks county. The fol- 
lowing is a copy of the entry in the minutes 
of the latter Meeting: "David Potts and 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



441 



Alice Croasdale have requested to solemnize 
their marriage within this Meeting, because 
her relations mostly dwell here, and they be- 
longing to Philadelphia have brought a Cer- 
tificate from that Monthly Meeting that testi- 
fies they have proceeded there orderly, and 
nothing is found against them, and also re- 
quested that they may accomplish their mar- 
riage here, which they have granted them; 
so this Meeting is satisfied and grants their 
request." A subsequent record shows that 
they were married in an orderly manner on 
I mo. 22, 1693. This date, according to the 
modern system of reckoning, would corre- 
spond to March 22, 1694. The following is 
a copy of the marriage certificate as it is re- 
corded by the Monthly Meeting: "Whereas, 
David Potts and Alice Croasdale, both of 
Philadelphia, in the Province of Pennsylva- 
nia, having declared their intentions of taking 
each other in marriage, before several public 
meetings of the People of God called Quakers, 
in Philadelphia, in the Province of Pennsylva- 
nia aforesaid, in America, according to the 
good order used amongst them, whose pro- 
ceedings therein, after deliberate consideration 
thereof, were approved by the said meetings ; 
they appearing clear of all others." Children: 
I. Thomas, born 3 mo. 27, 1695; married Ra- 
chel James. 2. John, see forward. 3. Daniel, 
born 2 mo. 19, 1698. died in 1728; married 
Sarah Shoemaker. 4. Elizabeth, born 10 mo. 
30, 1699; married Peter Cleaver Jr. 5. Jona- 
than, born 9 mo. 23, 1701 ; married Sarah 
Wood. 6. Mary, born 2 mo. 3, 1703-4; mar- 
ried Jeremiah McVaugh, 1718. 7. Stephen, 
born II mo. 20, 1704-5, died in 1758; married 

Anne . 8. Rebecca, born 11 mo. 16, 

1705-6; was living in 1730. 9. Ezekiel, born 
I mo. 30, 1708, died in 1781 ; married (fir.st) 
Magdalen Miller; married (second) Barbara 
Vodges, a widow. 10. Nathan, died in 1754; 
married Esther Rhoads. 

(11) John, son of David and Alice (Croas- 
dale) Potts, was born 8 mo. 8, 1696, and died 
in September, 1766. He learned the trade of 
a millwright. When grown up he settled in 
Upper Dublin township, later on included 
within the limits of Montgomery county, 
where he purchased a tract of land from 
Isaac and John Phipps, about 1748, the deed 
for which is recorded in Philadelphia, Penn- 
sylvania, showing title back to the original 



grant by William Penn, in 1681 ; still owned 
( 1900) by his descendants. It is located about 
two miles east of Fort Washington village. 
His will, made September 28, 1766, in many 
respects is quaint and reads in part as follows : 

"Be it remembered that I, John Potts of the Town- 
ship of Upper Dublin, in the County of Philad'a and 
provmce of Pensilvania, Mill Wright, being now far 
advanced in Years, but yet of Sound and Disposing 
Mind and Memory, for which mercy and favour 
May I ever prais the great author of my being, and 
at times feeling the Simtoms of Mortality through 
the Decay of nature, but relying on the merits of 
my Redeemer, hope for a happy change from this 
life to that which is to come of Eternal Peace, and 
rest in Daily Kxpectation of such a Change. .And 
in as much as God in his Mercy has blessed me with 
some worldly estate, do think Proper to make this 
my last will and testament in the manner following, 
that is to say, first of all I will that all my Just 
Debts and funeral Expenses be well and truly paid 
and Discharged. 

"Item, I will Devise and Bequeath unto my Dear 
and Loving wife Elizabeth all my Real and Personal 
Estate whatsoever during her natural life, giving her 
full Privilege to will or dispose of as much house- 
hold goods as she shall see proper in her life time 
to either her Children or grand Children and after 
her decease. I will Devise and Bequeath unto my 
son John the Plantation & Tract of land 1 now live 
on containing one hundred and lifty acres of land, 
be it more or less with all the Buildings and appur- 
tenances thereon or any wise thereunto belonging 
unto him his heirs and .Assigns forever and the re- 
mainder of my Personal estate except what is here- 
after Excepted he paying the several legacies here- 
after mentioned that is to say, — I will and Bequeath 
unto my son Thomas my Chamber Clock and fifty 
Pound Lawful money of Pensilvania to be delivered 
and paid unto him by my Executors hereafter named 
within one year after my wife's Decease." 

John Potts married, in July, 1726, Eliza- 
beth McVaugh (or McVeagh), daughter of 
Edmond McVeagh and Alice Dickinson. She 
was born in 1699 and died i mo. 5, 1791. Their 
children were: John, died in 1808, married 
Hannah Davis; Thomas, see forward; Eliza- 
beth, died 9 mo. 24, 1758, married Isaac 
Shoemaker. 

(Ill) Thomas, son of John and Elizabeth 
(McVeagh) Potts, was born in 1729, died 
inly 29, 1776. He was a millwright, and 
resided in Moreland townshi]) for some time. 
Walter Moore and his wife, Saraii, on June 
22, 1753, conveyed to him, as millwright of 
the Manor of Moreland, one-half of a certain 
corn mill and two parcels of land there. Later 
on he removed to Sussex county. New Jersey, 
settling in Chelsea Forge, where he possessed 
much property, became high sheriff of Sussex 



442 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



county in 1772, and a member of provincial 
assembly in 1775 and 1776. Thomas Potts 
was a member of the continental congress 
which convened in Philadelphia in 1776; he 
was in all respects a patriot, but being a mem- 
ber of the Society of Friends he refused to 
sign the Ueclaration of Independence, not 
wishing to co-operate in an act that meant 
war and bloodshed for the colonies. Thomas 
Potts married, January 16, 1753, Elizabeth 
Lukens, daughter of William Lukens and 
Elizabeth (Tyson) Lukens, who, when a 
widow, married Dr. John Rockhill, a widower 
(born March 22, 1726, died April 7, 1798), 
whose descendants (by their previous mar- 
riage) intermarried. 

The Lukens family was one of the most 
notable of the early Pennsylvania families, 
and was of Holland descent. Joseph and 
John Lukens were brothers-in-law of Thomas 
Potts. The first mentioned was a life-long 
resident of the Lukens estate, at Sandy Run, 
a man of wealth, held in high esteem for 
many good qualities. The latter was appointed 
to the responsible position of surveyor-general 
of Pennsylvania, under the king. Upon the 
agitation of the momentous question which 
prepared the way for American independence, 
he espoused the cause of the patriots and so 
closely was he identified with the leaders in 
the revolutionary movement that it was in one 
of the apartments of his residence, in Phila- 
delphia, that the Declaration of Independence 
was drawn up by Thomas Jefferson. His 
granddaughter, the celebrated beauty, Sally 
McKean, becatne the wife of the Marquis 
D'Yrujo, the first minister from Spain to the 
United .States under the constitution. 

The children of Thomas Potts and Eliza- 
beth (Lukens) Potts were: i. Elizabeth, 
married Robert Barnhill, in 1778, and had : 
Elizabeth ; John ; Robert : Margaret, who mar- 
ried Cornelius V. S. Roosevelt, and had a son, 
Theodore Roosevelt, who married Martha 
Bullock, by whom, Theodore Roosevelt, Presi- 
dent of the United States. 2. Joseph, died 
unmarried, aged about sixty years. 3. Gainer, 
married John Clayton Rockhill. and had: 
Thomas C. Robeson, Lukens, John, Edward 
Augustus, William. 4. William Lukens, born 
July 17, 1771, died January 17, 1854; married 
Rachel Hughes. 5. Hugh Henry, see forward. 

(IV) Hugh Henry, son of Thomas and 



Elizabeth (Lukens) Potts, was born in 1773, 
and died in 1842. One gains an excellent 
idea regarding him from a description in a 
iCtter written to Thomas Maxwell Potts, the 
skilled and intelligent genealogist of the Potts 
family, by the late William John Potts. It 
reads : 

"This summer I have renewed my acquaintance 
with Mr. George H. Potts, of the City of New York. 
He is. as you are aware, first cousin to my father, 
and is now seventy-four years old, — a tall, distin- 
guished and elegant looking man of at least six feet 
high, not inclined to stoutness, which characterizes 
two of his sons. .Among Mr. George H. Potts' tra- 
ditions of his father, uncles and grandfather, were 
several which are confirmed in part by my aunt, 
(Hannah) Elizabeth Potts and my uncle, Charles 
Clay Potts, both aged above seventy years. Hugh 
Potts, as he was commonly called, though his full 
name was .Mexander Hugh, father of the said 
George, and brother to my grandfather, was a re- 
markably handsome man. One of the Robesons who 
had known him in his youth, possibly an old sweet- 
heart of his, said he was the handsomest man she 
ever knew. The said Mary Robeson died in Phila- 
delphia, aged about seventy years, ten or more years 
ago. Hugh Potts was six feet one inch high; 
weighed 220 pounds, and was a most pow-erful man. 
On one occasion he lifted with one hand fourteen 
56-pound weights to above the knee. He held on 
his outstretched hand one Ramsay, sheriff of Hunter- 
don county, in a standing position, he being steadied 
by a man on each side; took him eiUircly across 
the room. He also carried said Ramsay, standing 
on his (Mr. Potts') knee, the back part of it turned 
up, across the room. Mrs. Rockhill, sister of Hugh 
Potts, was also of large frame. She was six feet in 
height. Thomas Potts, high shtriflf of Sussex 
county, N. J., father of Hugh Potts, on one occa- 
sion had to arrest Edward Marshall, the hero of 
the famous Indian walk, who lived on an island 
in the Delaware, out of his jurisdiction, and was 
beside no mean adversary. My. great grand- 
father, Thomas Potts, a large and powerful man, 
took a boat and crossing over to the island where 
I^farshall lived, bound him hand and foot, and 
when he landed his prisoner on the Jersey shore, 
served his warrant on him." 

Hugh Henry Potts married Elizabeth 
Hughes, about the year 1800, at Carlisle. 
Pennsylvania. .She was the daughter of Cap- 
tain John Hughes, a distinguished officer of 
the revolution, who enlisted as a sergeant in 
the Sixth Pennsylvania Battalion, January 29, 
1776, and served in various capacities to the 
close of the war. His position of brigade 
quartermaster during the years 1778 and 1779 
brought him in close personal companionship 
with (General George Washington. Hugh 
Henry Potts also inclined to a military career 
and near the close of the war of 1812 was 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



443 



appointed to a captaincy in the United States 
army. Their children were: i. EHzabeth 
Hughes, born April 15, 1801 ; married Ed- 
ward Augustus Rockhill, by whom: William 
Potts Rockhill, and Gainor Rockhill, who 
married Edward Van Cleif. 2. Thomas, born 
February 5, 1803. 3. Sarah Ann, born May 
5, 1805. 4. John Hughes, born March 28, 
1807. 5. William L., born May 2, 1809. 6. 
George Alexander Henry, see forward. 

(V) George Alexander Henry, son of 
Hugh Henry and Elizabeth (Hughes) Potts, 
was born September 22, 181 1, died in New 
York City, on April 28, 1888. He was born 
on his father's estate on the Delaware river 
in Bucks county, Pennsylvania. Bereft of his 
mother by death in 18 13, he found a home 
in Pittstown, Hunterdon county, New Jersey, 
in the family of his father's sister, Mrs. Judge 
Rockhill. In 1829 he removed to Pottsville, 
Pennsylvania, and at once engaged in mining 
operations, and from 1834 to 1845 was the 
most extensive individual coal operator in the 
region. He erected the first engine for min- 
ing coal below the water level ever set up in 
Pennsylvania ; he also built the first boat which 
was employed to convey coal from the Schuyl- 
kill region direct to New York City. In 1853 
George A. H. Potts removed to New York 
City and became the head of the New York 
branch of the wholesale coal and iron firm 
of Lewis Audenried & Company. C^n the 
death of Mr. Audenried in 1874 this firm 
was dissolved, Mr. Potts retiring, and the 
business has since been continued by his sons, 
Frederic A. Potts and William Rockhill Potts, 
and still later by his grandson, Frederic A. 
Potts. George A. H. Potts was one of the 
original incorporators of the National Park 
Bank, and its president from September, 1879, 
to the time of his death in 1888. In person 
he was above the medium height and of strik- 
ing personal appearance. 

On September ig, 1832, he married Emily 
Dilworth Gumming, at Pottsville, Pennsylva- 
nia. She was the daughter of George M. 
Cumming. who was born March 15, 1813, and 
died in 1857. On July 2, 1863, he married 
his second wife, Helen Blendina Hard. She 
was born at Albion, New York. October 17, 
1837. and was the daughter of Judge Gideon 
Hard. George A. H. Potts resided on Madi- 
son avenue. New York Citv, and had a sum- 



mer home and farm at Somerville, New Jer- 
sey. The children of George A. H. and Emily 
Dilworth (Cumming) Potts were: i. George 
Cumming, born at Pottsville, Pennsylvania, 
August 3, 1834; married (first) Mary Dallas, 
daughter of George M. Dallas, vice-president 
of the United States in 1844; Mary Dallas 
died in 1852; there were no children. George 
C. Potts married his second wife, Laurette 
Eustis, at Philadelphia, on December 4, 1863. 
She was the daughter of Alexander Brooks 
Eustis and Aurore (Grelaud) Eustis, and was 
born at Milton, Massachusetts, January 14, 
1845, and died at Pottsville, Pennsylvania. 
November 4, 1868. George C. Potts was en- 
gaged in coal mining operation at Locust 
Dale, in Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, op- 
erating what is known as the Potts Colliery, 
in 1852, later sold out to the Philadelphia & 
Reading Railroad Company, and after the 
civil war was in the stock brokerage business 
in Philadelphia as partner in the concern of 
R. Ellis & Company. Later he was appointed 
coal sales agent for the Philadelphia & Read- 
ing railroad for the Northern New York and 
Canadian district, with headquarters at Roch- 
ester, New York, where he now resides 
(1912). There were four children: i. Maud 
Eustis, born April 3, 1865 : married at Belle- 
fonte, Pennsylvania, to Augustus G. Paine Jr., 
April 8. 1890. ii. George Eustis. born April 
15, 1866; married at Marquette, Michigan, to 
Sarah White Call, September 14. 1898. iii. 
Hugh Eustis, born October 14, 1867; married 
Grace Paine, iv. Laurette Eustis, born at 
Pottsville, Pennsylvania, October 12, 1868; 
married at Germantown, Pennsylvania, Jan- 
uary 24, 1905. to L. Frederic Pease. 2. Fred- 
eric Augustus, see forward. 3. Isabel Cum- 
ming, born at Pottsville, February 12, 1838, 
died at Flushing, Long Island, .'\pril 10, 19TO; 
married Dr. Joseph Lawrence Hicks, who was 
born at Flushing, December 10, 1834. Chil- 
dren: i. Emilv Dilworth. horn at Flushing, 
lune 18. 186^: married Edward Brevoort 
Renwick. at Flushing, August 2. 1900. ii. 
Margaret, born at Flushing, Tulv 29. 1867; 
married October 2g, 1890. to S. Edson Gage, 
who was born at Dover. New Jersey. July 13. 
1866. iii. Zelia Isabel, born at Flushing, Au- 
gust I, 1876; married at Flushing, Long Isl- 
and, to the Rev. \\'illiam Edtrar McCord. 
who was born September 19. 1858. 4- Wil- 



444 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Ham Rockhill, born August ii, 1841 ; married 
Emily Brevoort, who was the daughter of 
Henry Brevoort and Bridget Seeley and was 
born January 29, 1846. WilHam Rockhill 
Potts was connected with his brother, F. A. 
Potts, in the wholesale coal business. He 
lived at Plainfield, New Jersey, afterward 
removing to New York City, and had a sum- 
mer residence at Monmouth Beach, New Jer- 
sey. Children : i. Robert Barnhill, born Feb- 
ruary 19, 1869, at Greenville, Tennessee; mar- 
ried to Helen Jacquelin, October 22, 1902, in 
New York City. ii. Edith Brevoort, born 
July 27, 1871, at Somerville, New Jersey; 
married May 25, 1901, to Howard Walton, 
at New York City. iii. Hugh Rockhill, born 
June 16, 1876, at Monmouth Beach, New Jer- 
sey; married November 22, 1902, to Florence 
McAnerny, at New York City. iv. Emily Bre- 
voort, born March 31, 1879, at Plainfield, New 
Jersey, v. George Henry, born July 10, 188 1, 
at Monmouth Beach, New Jersey ; married to 
Selina Fanshawe, Sei)tember 30, 1904, at Mon- 
mouth Reach; died November i, 1911, at New 
York City. 5. Emily E. Potts, born at Potts- 
ville. Pennsylvania, July 14, 1843 ; married 
Joseph S. Harris, at New York City, April 27, 
1882. 6. Juliet Adele Potts, born February i, 
1846, at Pottsville, Pennsylvania; married 
William Bainbridge-HofF, at New York City, 
January 6. i86f); children: i. Arthur, born 
December 12, 1869; married Louise D. Roose- 
velt, at Skaneateles, September 14, 1897. ii. 
Louise, born June 4. 1871 ; married Bertram 
W. R. Greene at Washington, District of Co- 
lumbia, June 27, 1903. 7. Zelia, born at Potts- 
ville. Pennsylvania, June 11, 1850; married 
Joseph S. Harris, at New York City, October 
19, 1896. 

The children of George A. H. Potts and 
his second wife, Helen (Hard) Potts, were: 
Bertha, married James L. Greenleaf ; Helen, 
married G. M. Wynkoop ; Theodosia, married 
Dr. Benjamin Baker. 

(VT") Hon. Frederic Augustus Potts, son 
of George A. Henry and Emily Dilworth 
(Gumming) Potts, was born at Pott.sville, 
Pennsylvania. April 4, 1836. and died at New 
York, New York. November 9, 1888. He 
was long identified with the coal and iron 
business in New York City and controlled a 
very extensive business as a coal merchant. 
He was a member of the senate of New Jer- 



sey from Hunterdon county in 1874. and in 
1878 was the Republican candidate for the 
Fourth New Jersey district, known as the 
"Democratic Gibraltar." He proved his won- 
derful popularity by reducing the opposition's 
plurality to 1,500. which had formerly been 
6.500 votes. In 1880 he was the Republican 
nominee for governor of New Jersey, and so 
greatly was he respected that he was defeated 
by the narrow margin of 651 votes, in a state 
then strongly Democratic. He was a person 
of remarkably fine physique and presence, 
possessed a strong character and was much 
liked because of a genial disposition. In New 
York City he resided at No. 39 East Thirty- 
ninth street, and had a summer home on the 
old Potts farm, at Pittstown, Hunterdon 
county, New Jersey, and also at Monmouth 
Beach, New Jersey. 

Hon. Frederic A. Potts married, at Lenox, 
Massachusetts, October 10, 1857, -Sarah Bre- 
voort, who was born at Boonton, New Jersey, 
August 14, 1834; died at New York City, Jan- 
uary 7, 1905, and was the daughter of Henry 
Brevoort and Bridget Seeley (see Brevoort.) 
Children: i. George Henry, born at Lenox, 
Massachusetts, September 17, 1858, died at 
Paris, France. May 8, 1881 ; unmarried. 2. 
Frederic Augustus, see forward. 3. Henry 
Brevoort. born at Flushing, Long Island, Au- 
gust I, 1863. died at Naples, Italy, March 8, 
188 1 ; unmarried. 4. Alice Brevoort. born at 
Flushing. Long Island, September 18. 1865; 
married at New York City, April 16, 1884. to 
Robert Maclay Bull ; died in New York City, 
November 30, 1912. Children: i. George 
Henry, born at New York City, February 5, 
1885. ii. Dorothy Maclay. born at New York 
City. 5. William Brevoort, see forward. 6. 
Meta Brevoort, born at New York City. Feb- 
ruary 16, 1878; married at New York City, 
November 17, 1903, William Creighton Peet. 
7. Rockhill Brevoort, born at New York City, 
February 10. 1880; married at Scarsdale. New 
York. May 9, 1907, .'\nita Tone, who was 
born December 15. 1880. and was the daugh- 
ter of Bernard Tone and Catherine Warnick. 

(\TI) Frederic Augustus (2). son of Hon. 
Frederic Augustus (i) and Sarah (Brevoort) 
Potts, was born at Lenox, Massachusetts. July 
2. 1860. He was educated at Columbia Uni- 
versity, where he graduated with the class of 
1880, and also took a course in the University 




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^ 







^<^ 



^^^ 




c^vU^^/x.(:xj^ 




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SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



445 



of Berlin. Thereafter he entered the firm of 
his father, engaging in the wholesale coal busi- 
ness conducted under the title of F. A. Potts 
& Company, at No. 143 Liberty Street, New 
York City. 

In politics he is a Republican. His sum- 
mer home is located at Monmouth Beach, 
New Jersey, and his residence at Lakewood, 
New Jersey. He is a member of the follow- 
ing clubs and societies: Union, New York 
Athletic, Turf and Field, St. Anthony, and 
the St. Nicholas Society. 

Frederic A. Potts married (first) at New 
York City, June 10, 1898, Rebecca De Forest, 
who died in New York City in 1904; he mar- 
ried (second) in New York City, July 10, 
1905, Elizabeth Work Olcott, who was born 
in New York City, November 9, 1871, and 
was the daughter of Henry Olcott and Jeannie 
Work. Children: i. Frederic Augustus, born 
at Monmouth Beach, New Jersey, August 14, 
1907, died at Lakewood, New Jersey, Novem- 
ber I, 1907. 2. David Croasdale, born at 
Lakewood, New Jersey, April 2, 1909. 

(VH) William Brevoort, son of Hon. Fred- 
eric Augustus (i) and Sarah (Brevoort) 
Potts, was born at Pittstown, New Jersey, 
September 17, 1872. He received his educa- 
tion at Columbia University, graduating in 
1895. He then turned his attention to the 
financial world, becoming a broker with a seat 
on the New York Stock Exchange and ofiice 
on Broadway. He is a Republican, and mem- 
ber of the Episcopal church. He is a member 
of the following clubs: Union, Racquet and 
Tennis, Riding, St. Anthony, Columbia and 
Rumson Country. His present residence is at 
No. 125 East Fifty-fifth street, New York 
City. 

William B. Potts married in New York 
City, November 9, 1900, Elizabeth Williams 
Barnes, who was born in Brooklyn, New 
York, April 9, 1871, and was the daughter of 
Henry Burr Barnes and Hannah Elizabeth 
Dixon, the latter of whom was born in Brook- 
lyn, New York, February 16, 1849. and mar- 
ried in Brooklyn, June 16, 1869. Children of 
Mr. and Mrs. Potts: i. William Brevoort, 
born August 19, 1901. 2. Frederic Augustus, 
born May 6, 1904. 3. Henry Barnes, born 
September 21, 1905. 4. James ♦Barclay, born 
October 11, 1908. 5. Robert Maclay Bull, 
born March 24, 1910. 



This surname has various 
NICOLL forms, such as Nichol, Nichols, 
Nicholson, nearly all of them 
derived from the personal name, Nicholas, 
and having an English, French, Gaelic, Ger- 
man or Latin origin. Concerning the Eng- 
lish Nicoll or NichoUs family one writer says: 
"The origin of the ancient family of NichoU, 
written at various periods Nychol, Nicol, 
Nicoll, Nicholls and Nicholl, has been by anti- 
quaries variously and largely treated on. It is 
stated that in the time of Edward the Con- 
fessor, one Nicholas de Albini, alias Nigell 
or Nicholl, came over from Normandy and 
was the common ancestor of the Nicholl fam- 
ily." W'hether he was the common ancestor 
of the Nicoll family in England may well be 
doubted. Nicholas has always been a com- 
mon personal name, and Nichols or Nicholson, 
meaning the "son of Nicholas," is an easily 
suggested surname. Is is likely, therefore, 
that there was no more a Nichols family than 
there was a Smith family, between one Smith 
and another there being manifestly no 
necessary coimection. As for the Nichols or 
Nicholsons of Ireland and Scotland, there are 
extant pedigrees and voluminous evidences 
showing their origin to be in the main Gaelic. 
Nichols in that case was merely a render- 
ing of the Milesian MacNiochol. the warrior 
Niocholl from whom the surname is derived 
being the brother of Tcige, who is ninety-one 
on the "CofTey" pedigree, the Coffeys being 
dynasts of chief lords of that jwrtion of the 
ancient territory of Corca Luiglie, a territory 
inhabited by families of the Lugadian race 
in Carbery. OHart in his famous "Pedi- 
grees" has copious notes on the history of 
this remarkable clan. The modern Nicoll is 
therefore a form of Nichols, and is derived 
from the personal name Nicholas, Nicholas- 
son, Nicholson, and Nichols, being in the case 
of the American family abbreviated to Nicoll. 
The Nicoll family took an active and ear- 
nest share on the patriot side in the struggle 
for American independence. William I-'loyd, 
one of the ancestors of De Lancey Nicoll, was 
a signer of the Declaration of Independence, 
a member of the first continental congress, 
and a brigadier-general in the American serv- 
ice. He was also a member of the first na- 
tional congress, and as presidential elector cast 
his vote for lefTerson in 1801. General Na- 



446 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



thaniel Woodhull, who commanded the mili- 
tia on the battle of Long Island, also an an- 
cestor of Mr. De Lancey Nicoll, was a mar- 
tyr in our fight for liberty. Taken prisoner 
by the Tories, commanded by Colonel Oliver 
De Lancey, the latter called upon Woodhull 
to shout "God save the King!" Woodhull re- 
fused, and his captors cruelly cut him down 
with their swords, the wounds soon after 
proving fatal. 

(I) Matthias Nicoll, the immigrant an- 
cestor of the Nicoll family, was descended 
from an ancient and honorable family of Islip, 
Northamptonshire, England. His father was 
a clergyman of the Established Church of 
that time. He was a graduate of Emmanuel 
College, as his father and grandfather had 
been before him, and was by profession a 
lawyer. He came to this country in 1664 as 
secretary to the Duke of York's commission 
and died at Cow Neck (now Plandome), De- 
cember 22, 1687. On the reduction of the 
province in 1664 and the organization of the 
new government supplanting Dutch rule, he 
was appointed by Colonel Richard Nicoll sec- 
retary of the colony, and was authorized, ex- 
officio, to preside with the justices of the dif- 
ferent ridings, in the court of sessions. In 
1671 he was chosen mayor of New York, as 
successor to Thomas Willet, and after the act 
of 1683, for remodeling the court, he was 
appointed the first judge of the court of oyer 
and terminer, in which capacity he officiated 
for the last time in Queen's county, Septem- 
ber 12. 1687. He was the author of the first 
body of English law put in force in the col- 
ony and known as the "Duke's Laws." These 
laws were more tolerant in matters of reli- 
gion than those of New England. He was 
a man of superior abilities and of the strict- 
est integrity. His purchases upon Cow Neck, 
as well as upon Great Neck, were extensive, 
the former of which he conveyed to his only 
son, William He married Abigail Johns. 
Children : William, mentioned below : Mar- 
garet, born May 30, 1662, married. May 12. 
1686, Richard Floyd, of Setaukct, and died 
February i, 1718. 

(II) \Yilliam. son of Matthias and .Abigail 
(Johns) Nicoll, was born in England in 1657. 
died in Mav. 1723. He was educated for the 
bar. In 1677 he accompanied Sir Edmund 
Andros to England, and on arriving there 



joined a regiment of troops, then embarking 
for Flanders, and spent some time in the 
army. Ill health compelled his return home 
two years after, and the journal of his ad- 
ventures on the occasion mentioned is still 
existing and is a great curiosity. He now 
entered on his profession and acquired a high 
reputation at the bar of New York. In 1683 
he was appointed clerk of Queen's county, and 
held the office until June 20, 1688, discharg- 
ing its duties the last year by his deputy, 
Andrew Gibb, who was appointed his suc- 
cessor. He purchased a considerable tract of 
land upon Madnan's Neck, called by the In- 
days. Wallage, and now Great Neck. His 
purchase in Islip, Suffolk county, was made 
in 1683, and was confirmed by the patent, 
September 20, 1697, including his subsequent 
purchases from the Indians. \\'illiam sided 
with the revolution in England in favor of 
William and Mary, but was decidedly opposed 
to the measures of Leisler and his adherents ; 
in consequence of which he was imprisoned 
with others, his associates, who had the cour- 
age and honesty to avow this opinion in 
relation to public affairs. In 1691 he was 
called to the council, and in 1695 sent to Eng- 
land by the assembly to urge the crown to 
enforce the contributions allotted to the other 
colonies, for the defence of the country 
against the French, which fell with unequal 
weight upon this colony. He was allowed 
for his services on this occasion one thou- 
sand pounds. On his passage out he was cap- 
tured by a French privateer, and it became 
necessary to destroy his papers to prevent 
them falling into the hands of the enemy, who, 
however, robbed him of three hundred and 
fifty pounds in money. Being carried to St. 
Malo and imprisoned, he was, after some 
months, exchanged and arrived in England. 
He was a member of the assembly twenty-one 
years in succession, and speaker sixteen years 
of that time. 

In 1691 William Nicoll was employed to 
conduct the prosecution against Leisler and 
his associates, and he was also one of the 
council employed by Nicholas Bayard in 
March. 1702, in his defence against a political 
prosecution instituted by Nanfan. the lieuten- 
ant-governor, and pursued with all the vio- 
lence and liittcrness of party rancor for cir- 
culating and signing a petition to the king and 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



447 



parliament, in which the abuses of power 
by him and his friends were enumerated. He 
was also one of the council employed in the 
defense of Francis McKemie, a Presbyterian 
clergyman, June, 1707, indicted for preaching, 
which was brought about by the bigotry of 
the governor, Lord Cornbury. Mr. Nicoll 
served in the assembly at a period when the 
colony was divided into bitter parties, and 
when a variety of interesting questions arose 
between the governor and the assembly, af- 
fecting their rights in the defense of the lat- 
ter. Governor Dongan, who was styled lord 
of the manor of Martha's Vineyard, Decem- 
ber 19, 1685, appointed Mr. Nicoll steward 
thereof. In 1707 Giles Sylvester devised all 
his lands on Shelter Island to him and made 
him his executor, which, with his ijrevious 
purchase, made hiin owner of four-fifths of 
the said island. 

He married, in ' 1693, Anna, daughter of 
the patroon, Jergmiah Van Rensselaer, of Al- 
bany, and widow of her cousin, Killiaen Van 
Rensselaer, the eldest son of Johannes, the 
heir-at-law of Killiaen Van Rensselaer, first 
proprietor of the manor of Rensselaerwyck, 
and Claverack. Children : Benjamin, men- 
tioned below ; William, Van Rensselaer, Mary, 
Catharine, Frances. 

(Ill) Benjamin, son of William and Amia 
(Van Rensselaer) Nicoll, was born in 1694, 
died in 1724. To this Benjamin the tract of 
land in Suffolk county, which his father, Wil- 
liam, settled and called Islip Grange, de- 
scended. The younger brother of Benjamin, 
William, devoted himself to public affairs and 
was elected speaker of the colonial legislature 
for eighteen consecutive years. He owned 
an estate of four thousand acres at Shelter 
Island, which he left by his will to his nephew, 
William, the son of his brother, Benjamin. 
Benjamin Nicoll married, in 1714, Charity, 
daughter of Richard Floyd, born April 6, 
1692, died 1758. She married (second) Sep- 
tember 26, 1725, the Rev. Dr. Samuel John- 
son, of Stratford, Connecticut, first president 
of King's, now Columbia College, by whom 
she had two sons. William and Samuel \\'il- 
liam, the latter of whom was the first presi- 
dent of Columbia College. Children of Ben- 
jamin and Charity (Floyd) Nicoll: i. Wil- 
liam, known as Lawyer or Clerk Nicoll, born 
October 7, 1715, died March i, 1780; he mar- 



ried Joanna, daughter of Captain Samuel 
D'Honneur; he was bred to the law, and was 
in 1750 appointed clerk of Suffolk county, 
which office he held at the time of his death ; 
he was one of the great lawyers of the pe- 
riod ; his descendants through his eldest son 
inherited the Islip estate, while the descend- 
ants of his second son, Samuel Benjamin, 
became the proprietors of the Shelter Island 
property ; in the present generation by inter- 
marriage the Nicolls of Bayside, Long Island, 
represent both branches of the family. 2. Ben- 
jamin, mentioned below. 

(IV) Benjamin (2), son of Benjamin (1) 
and Charity (Floyd) Nicoll, was born March 
17, 1718, died April 3, 1760. He graduated 
at Yale College in 1734, and was also educated 
for the bar, but his father dying intestate he 
got none of the patrimonial estate, and was 
of course thrown entirely on his own re- 
sources for support. He settled in New York, 
and bade fair to stand in course of time at 
the head of his profession, when he was cut 
off by death at the age of forty-two. He. 
however, lived long enough to give abundant 
proof of his abilities and usefulness, being one 
of the founders, not only of the present city 
library, but of King's College, also, of which 
his stepfather, Dr. Samuel Johnson, of Strat- 
ford, was the first president in 1754. Benja- 
min Nicoll married Mary Magdalen, daughter 
of Edward Holland, the eminent merchant of 
New York. Children: i. Henry, mentioned 
below. 2. Edward, who graduated at King's 
College in 17 — , and died a bachelor. 3. Sam- 
uel, a physician of talent, who practiced with 
much reputation in the City of New York, 
being a professor of chemistry in Columbia 
College in 1792, but dying at an early age, 
leaving two sons and one daughter. 4. Mat- 
thias, who graduated at King's College, in 
1776, and became an eminent merchant and 
shipowner at Stratford, Connecticut, where 
he died in 1827, leaving several daughters and 
two sons. 

(V) Henry, eldest son of Benjamin (2) 
and Mary Magdalen (Holland) Nicoll. was 
born December 13. 1756, died .•\pril 9, 1790. 
He graduated from King's College in 1774, 
and became a prominent New York merchant. 
He married (first) Alice Willet. a niece of 
Lieutenant-Governor Colden. and (second") 
December 2, 1780, Elizabeth, only daughter of 



448 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



General Nathaniel and Ruth (Eloyd) Wood- 
hull. Children by second marriage: i. Ed- 
ward Holland, mentioned below. 2. Eliza 
Willet, married Richard Smith, Esq., of 
Smithtown. 3. Henry Woodhull, died in 1829; 
married Louisa, daughter of John Ireland. 

(\Tj Edward Holland, son of Henry and 
Elizabeth (Woodhull) Nicoll, was born No- 
vember 21, 1784, died May 7, 1848. He was 
of the firm of Smith & Nicoll, great tea mer- 
chants of New York City. He married, Jan- 
uary 17, 1810, Mary, daughter of Solomon 
Townsend, of Albany. Children: i. Henry, 
a lawyer of prominence in New York City and 
a member of congress. 2. Solomon Town- 
send, mentioned below. 

(\T1) Solomon Townsend, son of Edward 
Holland and Mary (Townsend) Nicoll, was 
born November 13, 1813, died December 23, 
1865. He became a successful merchant of 
New York, and held various positions of 
prominence. In 1855 he purchased the present 
Nicoll estate at Bayside. He married, at Shel- 
ter Island, November 20, 185 1, Charlotte Ann 
Nicoll, his cousin, the second child of Samuel 
Benjamin Nicoll, who died in 1866, and was 
the son of Samuel Benjamin Nicoll, the head 
of that branch of that family in the fourth 
generation. Children: i. Anna Nicoll, mar 
ried William M. Hoes. 2. De Lancey, men- 
tioned below. 3. Benjamin, married Grace 
Lord, daughter of James Couper Lord, and 
granddaughter of the famous Daniel Lord. 

4. Edward Holland, married Louisa Travers. 

5. Alary Townsend, married (first) James 
Brown Lord; (second) Cornelius C. Cuyler. 

6. Charlotte, married (first) McKim Menton ; 
(second) Willoughby Weston. 

(VIII) De Lancey, eldest son of Solomon 
Townsend and Charlotte Ann (Nicoll) Nicoll, 
was born at Shelter Island, New York, in 
1854. He was prepared for college at Flush- 
ing Academy, Flushing, Long Island, and at 
St. Paul's School, Concord. New Hampshire. 
He then went to Princeton University, gradu- 
ating in 1874. From the first he had chosen 
the profession of law, and kept that aim in 
view throughout his college career. ITpon 
leaving Princeton he took a course at the 
Columbia Law School, graduating with honor 
in 1876. Mr, Nicnll was first associated with 
the law office of Julien T. Davies, one of the 
leading practitioners of the state. He then 



connected himself with the law office of the 
noted lawyer, Clarkson A. Potter, brother of 
the late Bishop Henry C. Potter, of the Epis- 
copal diocese of New York. Having been 
admitted to the bar in 1876 and having ac- 
quired a practical knowledge of legal pro- 
cedure in the offices of the distinguished ad- 
vocates already named, Mr. Nicoll, in 1877, 
established his own law office. In 1879 he 
entered into partnership with Walter D. Ed- 
monds, and later joined in organizing the firm 
of Eaton, Lewis & Nicoll. Subsequently Mr. 
Nicoll became a member of the firm of Nicoll 
& Anable, now Nicoll, Anable, Lindsay & 
Fuller. 

Mr. Nicoll made his way rapidly to the 
front of his profession and built up a success- 
ful and profitable practice. His clients from 
the first were largely from the upper ranks 
of the community, and he was called upon for 
advice in many noted and difficidt cases. As 
assistant district attorney he had charge of 
the prosecution of the so-called "boodle alder- 
men," who were accused of selling their votes 
to the promoters of the Broadway surface 
railway undertaking. The prosecution of 
these notorious exponents of "graft"' was a 
task calling for unyielding integrity, courage, 
ability and energy, for the defendants were 
backed by powerful influences and abundant 
funds. They had the best counsel their money 
could command, and they put up a determined 
and resolute fight to the legal proceedings di- 
rected against them. The Tweed Ring had 
owed its exposure largely to the fact that the 
stolen money was divided by check among the 
guilty participants, and the checks were easily 
traced in the books of the Ring bank. The 
"boodle aldermen" did not take the checks. 
They demanded and received cash, but the 
cash was in the form of one-thousand-dollar 
bills. Mr. Nicoll had the bills traced to the 
bribed and bribe giver, and brought the proof 
to the jury as effectively as if checks had 
been given. Convictions were obtained, and 
Mr. Nicoll became the terror of influential 
evildoers who had supposed that their "pull" 
and their cunning would shield them from 
punishment. 

The conviction of the "boodle aldermen" led 
to a widespread demand for Mr. Nicoll for 
district attorney and he was nominated for 
that office in 1887 by a combination of law- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



449 



abiding Democrats and Republicans. The 
campaign which followed was attended by 
some of the worst outrages on the ballot-box 
in the history of the city. All the forces of 
evil were arrayed against Mr. NicoU, partly 
from motives of revenge and partly prompted 
by fear. Thugs repeated and' non-voters 
thronged to the polls to vote against NicoU, 
and money was expended freely to bring about 
his defeat. Notwithstanding all this sinister 
agitation, he almost gained the majority, the 
plurality of his opponent being comparatively 
small. It was a Pyrrhic victory for Mr 
Nicoll's enemies, and when election time came 
again they prudently withheld from a contest, 
and he was carried into office by a large ma- 
jority. 

As district attorney, Mr. Nicoll proved suc- 
cessful in some of the most difficult cases that 
ever came before a public prosecutor. lie 
was quick to detect the evidence of guilt, and 
was resolute in bringing the guilty to justice. 
At the same time he ever kept in mind the 
duty of a public prosecutor to protect the in- 
nocent as well as to punish the guilty, and he 
was ever willing to temper justice with mercy 
when the public interests would not suffer 
thereby. Mr. Nicoll brought the district attor- 
ney's office to a high degree of efficiency, his 
aim being to dispose of all cases coming before 
him as promptly as was consistent with a 
salutary enforcement of law. He established 
a thorough system throughout his office, and 
the methods which he adopted' have been 
maintained in a large degree by his successors. 

Mr. Nicoll was elected to the constitutional 
convention of 1894 which revised the state 
constitution. He was assigned to the im- 
portant committees of the judiciary and on 
suffrage, and took a prominent share in fram- 
ing the fundamental laws for the protection of 
the ballot, and for the maintenance of an un- 
sullied and efficient judiciary. Mr. Nicoll was 
associated in that work with Senator and 
former Secretary of State Elihu Root and 
Hon. Joseph H. Choate, former ambassador 
to Great Britain. The results of the labors of 
that constitutional convention have, on the 
whole, proved highly beneficial and satisfac- 
tory to the people of New York state Thf 
safeguards erected against excessive indebt- 
edness have served to strengthen municipal 
credit, and the secrecy and purity of the ballot 



have been fostered and strengthened by the 
provisions of the constitution bearing on the 
suffrage. 

Hon. De Lancey Nicoll was well known be- 
fore, but his latest triumph in vindicating lib- 
erty of the press and preventing the editor of 
a great New York newspaper and his asso- 
ciates from being seized and carried away 
to the Baslile of Federal Administration and 
there to be given a drumhead trial on the 
charge of libelling the government, was a 
crowning achievement that has meant inter- 
national fame for Mr. Nicoll. His magnificent 
protest against the proposed usurpation, his 
plea in behalf of that freedom of speech and 
of the press which the founders of the Nation 
regarded as indispensable to the perpetuation 
of the liberties for which they offered their 
lives, rang like the shots at Lexington, from 
one end of the Union to the other, and found 
echo wherever civilized man aspires to the 
enjoyment of life, liberty and the pursuit of 
happiness. 

Taste and elegance are apparent in Mr. 
Nicoll's home surroundings, and his private 
library indicates the judgment of a connois- 
seur in regard to literature of the past and 
present. Mr. Nicoll has always shown a 
wholesome realization of the fact that physical 
exercise is necessary to maintain the best con- 
ditions of mind and body. In earlier years 
he was noted as one of the most expert lawn 
tennis players, and won many games at that 
delightful pastime. With the introduction of 
golf into general favor, Mr. Nicoll became a 
confirmed golf player, and it has continued to 
be one of his regular recreations. He is a 
member of the Tu.xedo Club, and also belongs 
to the Metropolitan, Manhattan, Union, Law, 
University, Democratic, Racquet and other 
clubs, and the Downtown Association. 

Mr. Nicoll was married in i8go to Maud 
Churchill, of the old .American family of that 
name, which includes soldiers, statesmen, law- 
yers, artists and one well known author in 
its past and present lineage. They have two 
children, De Lancey and Josephine. 



Of the many colonial 
DE PEYSTER families of .\mcrica. none 

gained more distinction 
than the De Peyster family of New York. 
The name was originally written de Payster 



4.';o 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



or de Paster, and de Peyster. Tliis last form 
was the one adopted by most of the family. 
The first authentic record made of tlie family 
was in 1148, when Archambaud de Paster 
witnessed the deed of a gift by William d' 
Ypres to the church of St. Winnoc de Ber- 
gues, in Flanders, now embraced in the De- 
partment du Nord, France. In 1328 Hugues 
Peyster, of Bambeke, was killed in the battle 
of Cassel. 

The family was especially prominent in 
Ghent. The first record made of the family in 
this city was in 1322, when Henry de Payster 
was mentioned as residing on Pensterwech 
street. He became wealthy and served for 
several years as captain in the militia. He 
was survived by tRree sons: i. Henry, mar- 
ried Marguerite Ondermaercx, and died in 
1353; three sons, of whom one, Henry, served 
as schepen of Parchons. 2. Jean, became a 
prominent citizen of Ghent; he married a 
daughter of Sir Francis Van der Hamme. 
3. George, married a Miss Van Merlebeke. 

During the fourteenth century several of 
the family became prominent in Ghent. That 
the family was one of the most influential in 
the city was shown by its members holding 
the office of "schepen," only held by persons 
of the highest rank. Piara (Pierre) de Pey- 
ster served as captain of the archers, and took 
part in an expedition to Alost in 1345. Bald- 
win de Peyster, son of William de Peyster, 
held in 1352 a "feod"' of the abbey of St. 
Pierre. In 1382, after the Flemings were de- 
feated at Roosebeke. Jean de Peyster was one 
of the five ambassadors sent ta Philip VI. of 
France. Many of the family held high office 
in the various guilds of the city. During 
1558-59 Lievcn de Peyster served as royalty 
of the .^rchers of St. George and in 1560 held 
the office of emperor. 

The family was among the first in Flanders 
to embrace the Protestant faith. Its members 
became prominent in that great religious move- 
ment. Jacques de Peyster, of Bergues. son 
of Francis de Peyster, was condemned for 
being a Protestant and was banished and his 
property confiscated. Cornelius de Peyster, of 
Bergues, an active Protestant, was hanged in 
April, 1568. Soon after the massacre of St. 
Bartholomew, August 24. 1572. many of the 
Huguenot families were expelled from France. 
Among the unhappy exiles who found asylum 



in Holland were members of the De Peyster 
family. 

Johannes de Peyster, the founder of the 
family in America, was a direct descendant of 
Jesse de Peyster, born in Ghent in 1490, the 
line of descent being as follows: 

(.Ij Jesse de Peyster had three sons: i. 
Jesse, of whom further. 2. Jean, became the 
city goldsmith of Ghent ; was a Huguenot and 
forced to leave the country ; he died previous 
to 1584; he married the widow of a Mr. \'an 
Reysschoot. 3. Jacques, became prominent in 
his native city; he was a goldsmith and a 
Huguenot ; he fled from the country, but re- 
turned to his native city about 1584; two chil- 
dren ; Jacques and Antoine. 

(IIj Jesse (2), son of Jesse (i) de Peyster, 
was born in Ghent about 15 15. He was a 
prominent citizen of his native city. He was 
one of the first to join the Huguenot move- 
ment and was obliged to leave the country. 
After 1584 he returned to Ghent. He owned 
property on Champ street. He married (first) 
Elizabeth Danckaerts. One child, Elizabeth. 
He married (second) Miss Bruggheman. One 
child. Jesse, mentioned below. 

(III) Jesse (3), son of Jesse (2) and 

(Bruggheman) de Peyster, was born in Ghent 
about 1550, died there in 1607. He followed 
the trade of a goldsmith and acquired a large 
property. For some years he served as lieu- 
tenant of the burgher guard. Owing to his 
religious views he was obliged to leave his 
native land. He returned in 1584. He mar- 
ried, about 1580, Jeanne Vande Voorde. Six 
children: Jesse, died about 1630, married 
Francoise Gay; Jean (Johannes), mentioned 
below ; Jacques, married Catharine de la \'oye, 
died 1646; Licven. married in 1627, Jeanne 
Slichers, widow of Arnaud Bressels : Jonas, 
married Jcane \'andcr Cruycen, and lived in 
London, England ; Marie, married Jacques de 
Kay, of Ghent. 

(IV) Jean (Johannes), son of Jesse (3'* 
de Peyster. was born in Ghent, in 1586, died 
in Haarlem, Holland, in 1648. He was edu- 
cated in the schools of his city and studied 
law in Leyden. He inherited a large property 
and was one of the most prominent citizens 
of his city. Owing to his religious views he 
was forced to leave the country, and seek an 
asylum in Holland. He resided for a time in 
Amsterdam and later in Haarlem. He mar- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



451 



ried Josine Martins. Four children : Jean 
(Johannes), founder of the American family, 
mentioned below ; Abraham, died in 1656, no 
children; Jeane, married a Mr. Bruynsteen ; 
Isaac, married Gertrude \'an Mierop, of Rot- 
terdam. 

( I) The progenitor of the family in America 
was Johannes (Jean) de Peyster, son of Jean 
and Josine (Martins) de Peyster. He was 
born in Haarlem, Holland, in 1628. He re- 
ceived a liberal education. About 1645 h^ 
made a brief visit to New Amsterdam and 
shortly returned for a permanent residence. 
The exact date is not definitely known, but as 
early as 1649 1^^ was a member of the Dutch 
church. He possessed a large fortune, and 
having a good education, he at once took a 
prominent place in the civic, business and so- 
cial life of the growing colony. He brought 
with him from Holland many pieces of fur- 
niture, valuable paintings and silverware, but 
his most interesting possession was a family 
carriage, said to be the first used in America. 
He soon became a large holder of real estate 
in New Amsterdam and was considered one of 
the wealthiest citizens in the province. In 
1653 he was assessed one hundred guilders, 
only eleven persons paying more. In 1654 he 
was the fourth person in the list of con- 
tributors toward building the palisades for the 
protection of the town, and in 1655 was one 
of the most generous contributors to the fund 
for general defence of the colony. At an 
early date he became identified with the militia 
of the colony, his first commission being an 
"adelforst" or cadet in one of the companies. 
He was prominent in the civil affairs of the 
city and was one of Governor Stuyvesant's 
most loyal supporters. In 1665 he was one 
of six burghers to draft the first city charter 
of New Amsterdam. In i6!;5 he was ap- 
pointed "schepen," an office involving both the 
duties of a magistrate and sheriff. This office 
he held in 1657-58-62. During the first Eng- 
lish regime, 1664-73. ^^ took an active part in 
forcing Governor Nichols to give the Dutch 
inhabitants more freedom. He again served 
as schepen in 1665, and was alderman during 
1666-69-73. ^^'hen New .Amsterdam was re- 
taken by the Dutch commanders. Admirals 
Evertsen and Beucke. July 30, 1673, Mr. de 
Peyster was one of the prominent citizens con- 
sulted by these officers as to the conduct of 



the affairs of the province. In August, 1673, 
the name of the city was changed to New 
Orange, and he was one of the three apiwintcd 
by the council of war to rule the town. He 
was also a member of the committee of five 
to provide for defence against the English, 
• who were again threatening the province. 
When England again gained possession of the 
province in 1674. Mr. de Peyster cheerfully 
accepted the rule of the new government and 
used his influence with its citizens to ])roniote 
harmony in the conduct of the affairs of the 
city. In 1677 he was made deputy mayor of 
the city, and on October 15 of the same year 
was appointed mayor, which office he declined 
on the ground of insufficient knowledge of 
the English language. Mr. de Peyster was 
possessed of marked literary ability, and was 
an able orator. Governor Dongan stated that 
he could "make a better platform speech than 
any other man outside of parliament." Mr. 
de Peyster died in New York about 16S5 

He married in New Amsterdam, December 
17, 1 65 1, Cornelia Lubbertse, a native of Haar- 
lem, Holland, died 1692. She was a beautiful 
and accomplished woman. Nine children were 
born of this marriage: i. Johannes, baptized 
August 3, 1653, died young. 2. Johannes, bap- 
tized October 7. 1654. died young. 3. Abra- 
ham, mentioned below. 4. Maria, baptized 
September 7, 1660: she married (first) about 
1680, Paulus Schrick, of New Haven, Con- 
necticut: no children: (second) about 16S9, 
Tohn Spratt : four children, one son and three 
daughters: (third) David Provost, mayor of 
New York. 5. Isaac, baptized April 16. 1662; 
he became a wealthy and influential merchant 
of New York, and also held several public 
offices: he married, December 27, 1687. Mary, 
daughter of Jan Hendrickse Van Baal, or 
Balen, of Albany: nine children. 6. Jacobus, 
baptized December 23, 1663, died young. 7. 
Tohannes. born September 21, t666, died about 
1719: he was one of the wealthiest and most 
respected citizens of New York ; he held 
many public positions and served as captain in 
the cavalry regiment, commanded by his 
brother Abraham : he married. October 10, 
1688, Anna, daughter of Gerret Bancker. of 
Albany. 8. Cornelius, baptized October 4, 
1673 : became an extensive owner of real estate 
in New York; he held many offices of trust 
and served as captain in the city regiment of 



452 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



cavalry; he married (first) September 20, 
1694, Mary Bancker; seven children; (sec- 
ond) , by whom he had several children. 

g. Cornelia, baptized December 4, 1678, died 
young. 

(11) Abraham, son of Johannes and Cor- 
nelia (Lubbertse) de I'eyster, was baptized in 
New York, July 8, 1657, died there, August 2, 
1728. lie received a liberal education, and at 
an early age he began a mercantile business in 
which avocation he was very successful. He 
inherited a large fortune from his father, and 
with the profits of his extensive mercantile 
business made him one of the richest men in 
the province. He built a mansion on Queen 
street, now Pearl, opposite Pine street, and 
here he dispensed liberal hospitality. His 
home was a center of culture and refinement 
of the province. He had extensive acquaint- 
ances throughout the colonies, and accounted 
as his friends many of the noted men of the 
time. He was especially intimate with Wil- 
liam Penn, who referred to him in one of his 
letters as "the fascination of Colonel de Pey- 
ster's good humor." .At an early date he took 
a prominent part in civil affairs of the city 
He served as alderman in 1685 and as mayor 
1691-93. On September 28, 1698, he became 
a member of Governor Rellemont's council 
and in the same year was appointed assistant 
justice of the supreme court.. In 1701 he was 
tendered the office of chief justice, which po- 
sition he declined. From March 5 to May 15, 
1701, he acted as governor of the province. 
In 1709 he was deputy auditor-general of the 
port of New York. On October 19. 1706, he 
received the aiipointmcnt of treasurer of the 
province of New York and New Jersey, which 
office he held until June, 1721. He served for 
many years- as orphan master, also served as 
administrator of estates and guardian. He 
took an active interest in the militia of the 
province, serving as colonel of the New York 
city regiment, consisting of one troop of cav- 
alry and eight companies of infantry, about 
seven hundred men. 

He was a public-spirited citizen and con- 
tributed generously of his time and money for 
the good of the city and province. His bene- 
factions were many. When the provincial 
government was pressed for money, he ad- 
vanced the necessary amounts. He gave to 
the city land at "Smit's Vlye," also the site of 



the "Fly Market" on lower Maiden Lane. To 
aid in the extending of the shipping facilities 
of the city, he gave a large tract of land along 
the river front. He was early impressed with 
the necessity of having a city hall worthy of 
the growing town, and generously presented 
the valuable lot on Wall street now occupied 
by the United States sub-treasury. It was 
largely through his infiuence that the city first 
began supporting the poor. He was especially 
interested in educational matters, and gave 
liberally of his wealth to aid teachers and stu- 
dents. He offered rewards and prizes to 
stimulate an interest in education. He pre- 
sented a bell to the Middle Dutch Church on 
Kip, now Nassau street. He was an active 
member of the Dutch church and a generous 
supporter of its benevolences. His statue now 
stands in Bowling Green. It was presented by 
General John Watts de Peyster. 

He was married in Amsterdam, Holland, 
April 5, 1684, to his cousin, Catharine de 
Peyster, daughter of Isaac de Peyster. She 
was born July 19, 1665. Thirteen children 
were born of this marriage: i. Johannes, 
born July 6, 1685, died September, 1686. 2. 
Johannes, born October 30. 1686, died Jan- 
uary 2, 1690. 3. Catharine, born September 7, 
1688; married, December 7, 1710. Philip Van 
Cortlandt. son of Stephanus Van Cortlandt. 4. 
Abraham, born November 7. 1690, died De- 
cember 4, 1693. 5. Johannes, born April 3, 
1692, died young. 6 Elizabeth, born July z6, 
1694; married Hon. John Hamilton, then gov- 
ernor of New Jersey. 7. Abraham, mentioned 
below. 8. Mary, born October 17. 1698: mar- 
ried, but left no children. 9. Joanna, bom 
July 13. 1701 : married her cousin. Isaac de 
Peyster. 10. Maria, born August 25. 1703. 
II. Johannes, born February 28, 1705. died 
September 15. the same year. 12. Pierre Guil- 
liaume. born January 15;. 1707; married. De- 
cember 19, 1733. Catharine, daughter of .Arent 
Schuyler ; seven children : Abraham ; .Arent, 
born June 2y, 1736. died in Dumfries. Scot- 
land, in 1822. was one of the most distin- 
gui.shed members of the family, he entered the 
English armv. rose to the rank of colonel and 
was distinguished for bravery in many battles; 
Pierre : Catharine Adriana ; Swantia ; Pierre, 
a distinguished privateer; Arent Schuvler. 
13. Johannes, born Mav 6. 1709. 

(HI) .Abraham (2), son of .Abraham (i) 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



453 



and Catharine (de Peyster) de Peyster, was 
born on Queen, now Pearl street, New York 
City, baptized August 26, 1696, and died Sep- 
tember 17, 1767. He received a liberal educa- 
tion, and at an early age took a prominent 
part in the civil affairs of his native city. In 
June, 1721, he was appointed treasurer of New 
York, succeeding his father, who on account 
of illness had been forced to resign the office. 
He held this position for forty-six years, and 
in turn was succeeded by his son Frederick. 
He was an able officer and administered his 
duties with honesty and great business ability. 
He was one of the wealthiest citizens of his 
city. He married, July i, 1722, Margaret, 
eldest daughter of Jacobus and Eve (Philipse) 
Van Cortlandt. Eleven children were born 
to them: I. Abraham, born October 5, 1723, 
died in March, 1724. 2. and 3. Eve and Cath- 
arine (twins), December 3, 1724; Eve, died in 
April, 1728; Catharine, married John Living- 
ston. 4. James Abraham, mentioned below. 

5. Pierre, October 19, 1727, died in April, 
1728. 6, Margaret, November 14, 1728 ; mar- 
ried Hon. William Axtell. 7. Pierre, March 
27, 1730- 8. Frederick, known as the "Mar- 
quis," born April 8, 1 731, lived in France for 
sixteen years ; returned to New York City, 
where he died August 25, 1773. 9. Eve, Janu- 
ary I or 2, 1733-34, died unmarried. 10. Mary 
Margaret, August 26, 1735, married Dr. John 
Charlton. 11. Elizabeth, September 11, 1737. 
married Matthew Clarkson. 

(IV) James Abraham, son of Abraham (2) 
and Margaret (Van Cortlandt) de Peyster, 
was born in New York, February 26, 1725-26, 
died at Jamaica, Long Island, July 7, 1799- 
He was educated in the schools of his native 
city, and at an early age began his mercantile 
career, in which avocation he gained distinc- 
tion. He also engaged extensively in shipping, 
owning at one time one hundred ships. He 
was distinguished for his great benevolence 
and was an active member of Trinity Church. 
He was prominent in the militia, serving for 
some time as colonel. He married. February 

6, 1748, Sarah, daughter of the Hon. Joseph 
Reade, a member of the King's Council. She 
was born August 10. 1724, died in Jamaica. 
July 27, 1799. To this union were born thir- 
teen children: i. Margaret, born January t8. 
1749 ; married Colonel Thomas James, an of- 
ficer of the British army. 2. Ann Adriana. 



born April 30, 175 1, died July 28, 1751. 3. 
Abraham, born February 18, 1753; served as 
captain in the British army ; he founded the 
city of St. John's, New Brunswick, and was 
treasurer of the province; he died in St. John's 
about 1799; married Catharine Livingston. 4. 
Joseph Reade, born April 8, 1754; married 
and left one daughter. 5. James, born May 6, 
^755. 'li'-'J June 5, of the same year. 6. Ann, 
born August 24, 1756, died unmarried. 7. 
James, born December 3, 1757; was a lieu- 
tenant in the British army, and was killed in 
battle, August 18, 1793. 8. Frederic, men- 
tioned below. 9. Lawrence Reade, born Feb- 
ruary 21, 1760, died June 24, 1761. lo. Sarah, 
born September 20, 1761. 11. Lawrence 
Reade, born March 19, 1763, died January 20, 
1771. 12. Mary Reade. horn September 18, 
1765, married . 13. Elizabeth, born Janu- 
ary 17, T768; married Dr. William llamersley. 

(V) Frederic, son of Captain James Abra- 
ham and Sarah (Reade) de Peyster, was born 
in New York City, December 10, 1758, died 
at Bloomingdale, New York City, February 
26, 1834. He was educated in the scliools of 
his native city. At the age of eighteen years 
he was made captain of the "Axtell Guards" 
or "Nassau Blues," raised on Long Island for 
the protection of Chief-Justice A.xtell, his 
uncle. He later entered the Royal New York 
Volunteer Infantry, in a regiment commanded 
by Colonel James Ferguson. He was commis- 
sioned captain and served with distinction in 
the south. In an engagement with the con- 
tinental army he was shot in the leg, while 
swimming his horse across a river. At the 
close of the revolutionary war he went with 
his brother, Abraham, to New Brunswick. In 
1784 he was granted a city lot in St. John's, 
and during 1792 he was a magistrate in Yorke 
county. He later returned to his native city, 
where he engaged in the mercantile business 
for many years. He was an able business man 
and acquired a large property. Owing to the 
death of his older brother, without male issue, 
he became the head of the family. He was 
a member of the Society for Promoting Re- 
ligion and Learning, serving as its first treas- 
urer. 

He married (first) Helen, daughter of Gen- 
eral Samuel Hake, commissary-general of the 
British armv in America, and Helen (Living- 
ston) Hake. She died April i, 1801. aged 



454 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



twenty-eight years. Five children: i. James 
Ferguson, mentioned below. 2. Robert Gil- 
bert, born June 27, 1795, died at Norwich, 
Connecticut, in 1873 ; he was a merchant in 
New Orleans, Louisiana. 3. Frederick, born 
November 11, 1796, died in 1882; graduated 
from Columbia University in 1816; studied 
law and practiced the profession for several 
years ; later he engaged in literary pursuits, 
gaining distinction as a historian. 4. Abra- 
ham, born June 18, 1798, died unmarried; he 
went to Brazil. 5. Samuel, died in infancy. 
Captain de Peyster married (second) Ann, 
daughter of Gerard G. Beekman. Six chil- 
dren: 6. Joanna, born March 7, 1804, died in 
1867 ; married Richmond Whitmarsh, of 
Rhode Island. 7. Ann Frederic, born June 7, 
1805, died unmarried, in 1840. 8. Margaret, 
born June 9, 1806, died unmarried, December 
16, 1866. 9. Mary Elizabeth, born April 14, 
1809, died unmarried. 10. Pierre Van Cort- 
landt, born July 11, 1814, died unmarried, 
April I, 1854. II. Catherine Van Cortlandt, 
born October 20, 1818; married, June 
19, 1838, Benjamin Hazard Field, of York- 
town, New York ; her children were : Cort- 
landt de P. Field, and Florence, who married 
(first) David Bishop and (second) John E. 
Parsons. 

(VI) James Ferguson, oldest son of Fred- 
eric and Helen (Hake) de Peyster. was born 
in Hanover Square, New York City, in 1794, 
died June 12. 1S74. He prepared for college 
in the schools of his native city, and graduated 
from Columbia University in 1812 with the 
degree of A. B. On March 30, 1814, he was 
commissioned first lieutenant, Forty-second 
United States Infantry, and on April 26, the 
same year, was promoted captain. He served 
with distinction tuitil the close of the war. 
being honorably discharged. June 15, 1815. 
He then engaged in the mercantile btisiness. 
He was for many years an active member of 
the Chamber of Commerce, and was a trus- 
tee and treasurer of the Bank for Savings in 
Bleeckcr street. He was a member of St. 
Michael's Church, and served as its treasurer 
from t8i6 until his death. ?Ie was a public- 
spirited citizen and gave liberally of his time 
and money to assist in all matters oertaining 
to the civic and religious welfare of the city. 
He served as governor of the New York Hos- 
pital for forty years and was for many years 



a trustee of the Public School Society. He 
took deep interest in the New York Dispen- 
sary, serving as secretary of the board of 
directors for many years, and as its president 
from 1861 until his death. He was a trustee 
of the New York Infant Asylum, and was 
treasurer of the Society for Promoting Re- 
ligion and Learning, succeeding his father. 

He married (first) Susan Maria, daughter 
of Matthew Clarkson. One child, Susan 
Maria Clarkson, married, in 1856, Robert Ed- 
ward Livingston, of Clermont. Captain de 
Peyster married (second) in Salem, M.issa- 
chusetts, February 4, 1838, Frances Goodhue, 
born, June 17, 1808, in Salem, died April 30, 
1871, in New York, daughter of William and 
Frances (Goodhue) Ashton. Children: i. 
Frederic J., mentioned below. 2. Jacob Ash- 
ton, born August 9, 1840, died May 27. 1878. 
3. Frances Goodhue, born April 27, 1842. died 
December i, 1864. 4. Walter, born in 1846, 
died young. 5. Helen Hake, born in 1849, 
died young. 

(VII) Frederic J., son of Captain James 
Ferguson and Frances Goodhue (Ashton) de 
Peyster, was born in New York City, Febru- 
.sry 5, 1839, died at Lakcwood, New Jersey, 
May II, 1905. He prepared for college at the 
private school of Dr. Dennis and entered the 
College of the City of New York in 1856, 
and graduated with the degree of A. B. in 
i860. He then entered the law department 
of Columbia University and graduated in 1862 
with the degree of LL. B. He was admitted 
to the bar and was for some years associated 
with the firm of Tremaine & Tvler in the 
practice of his profession. He then retired 
from active practice and devoted his time to 
literary and philanthropic work. He took great 
interest in the American School of Classical 
Studies in Athens, and served for several 
years as the New York trustee and as treas- 
urer of the institution. He raised funds to 
assist scholars in research work in Greece and 
for exploring and restoring the ancient works 
of art. It was largely through his tmtiring 
labor and devotion to the work that interest 
was aroused in leading scholars thrnutjhont 
the world and the .American ITniversities be- 
came enlisted in this field of historical and 
literary research. 

He was a member of the St. Nicholas So- 
ciety, serving as president for several years, 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



455 



and during his term of office Queen Williel- 
mina of Holland conferred upon him the or- 
der of Orange Nassau. He was president of 
the New York Dispensary ; St. Nicholas Club, 
1887-89; the New York Infant A.sylum ; the 
Huguenot and Orpheus societies. He served 
as chairman of the Society Library, and was 
a trustee of the Home of the Incurables, the 
Good Samaritan Dispensary, and the New 
York Institution for the Instruction of the 
Deaf and Dumb. He took a deep interest in 
the affairs of the College of the City of New 
York, and served as president of the Alumni 
Association during 1882-84; was president of 
the Archaeological Society from its founda- 
tion until 1889. He was first to serve as gov- 
ernor-general of the Society of Colonial Wars, 
and was governor-general at the time of his 
death. He was also a member of the Numis- 
matic, Holland, and the New York Historical 
and other societies. 

He married October 10, 1871, Augusta Mc- 
Evers, born October 6, 185 1, in Morrisania, 
New York, died April 5, 191 1, in Morristown, 
New Jersey, daughter of William Henry and 
Ella (Birckhead) Morris, of New York. Five 
children were born to them: i. Helen Van 
Cortlandt. born September 12, 1872; married 
George Augustus Lung, April 28, 1908 ; one 
child, George A. Lung, born December 5, 
1909. 2. Frederic Ashton, mentioned below. 
3. Frances Goodhue, born June 6. 1876. 4. 
Augusta Morris, born June 25, 1877. 5. Ella 
Morris, born July 7, 1S81 ; married December 
14, 1905, William Brock Shoemaker, who died 
June 21, 1906. No children. 

(VIII) Frederic Ashton, son of Frederic J. 
and Augusta McEvers (Morris) de Peyster, 
was bom in New York City, October 29, 1874. 
He married, April 21, 1908, Alice, daughter 
of Frederick Augustus and Alice (Townsend) 
Abercrombie-Miller. Children: i. Alice Town- 
send, born June 14, 1910. 2. Frederic Ashton, 
born December 10, 191 1. 3. Helen Van Cort- 
landt, May 9, 1913. 



The surname Sickles is Hol- 

SICKLES land Dutch in origin, and was 

already conspicuous in the 

early developments of New Amsterdam and 

Albany. 

Zacharias Van Weenen Sickles, born at 
Vienna. Austria, about 1630, went to Holland 



and from there to Curacoa, where he served 
as cadet, and when Stuyvesant returned from 
a visit to Curacoa in 1655 Sickles came with 
him and soon after became attached to the 
garrison at Fort Orange, remaining in Albany 
after the surrender of 1664, and remov- 
ing to New York in 1693, where he was ad- 
mitted freeman in 1698. He married, in 1658 
or 1660, Anna, daughter of Lambert and 
Anatie Van Valkenbergh, who were residing 
at New Amsterdam in 1644, and afterwards 
went to Albany. He would seem to be the 
chief American progenitor of the Sickles. He 
had a son Robert, who married Geertrny Rid- 
derhaas, April 5, 1^86, their children, Maria, 
Sophia, Henricus and Elizabeth, being bap- 
tized at Albany and New York. He had an- 
other son, Lambert, whose children were 
Johannes and Alida. Another of his sons was 
Thomas, who settled in New York and had 
a large family. Zacharias, another son, bom 
at Albany in 1670, died January 20, 1729, set- 
tled in Harlem in 1693 and bought of his 
father-in-law some land in Harlem in 1705, 
at his death owning about forty-three acres. 
This Zacharias married (first) August 23, 
1693, Maria, daughter of Jan Hendriks and 
Annatje (Bastiens) Brevoort, who were mar- 
ried January 29, 1668; and (second) July 19. 
1717, Wyntie Dyckman. Zacharias, son of 
Lambert, and grandson of Zacharias, the first 
settler, married Annati Wyngaard, July 4. 
1728. She was buried August 6, 1746. One 
of the children of Zacharias and .^nnati 
(Wyngaard) Sickles, namely Abraham, born 
June 5, 1737, married Maria Cannel, Connell, 
Kanner or Connor, April 16, 1767. She died 
May 28, 1829. Their son Zacharias married 
Catherine Sheers, June iq, 1777. 

Garret Sickles, who lived at Stuyvesant, 
was born in 1732, died in 1830. He mar- 
ried Hielchi Clow, and his son Garret Zach- 
arias Sickles, who appears to have been a su- 
pervisor for some years, living at Stuyve- 
sant, married, in 1814, Elizabeth Sharp. Gar- 
ret Zacharias Sickles was born in 1788. It 
has been found impossible, with the available 
records, to give the line that follows with ful- 
ness that approaches complete accuracy, but 
it is probable that the finding of one or two 
further connecting links will show the line 
to be part of some of the foregoing branches. 

(I) George Garrett Sickles, the first ascer- 



456 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



tainable ancestor of the branch of the Sickles 
family here dealt with, was born in New York 
City about the year 1799. He was engaged 
in mercantile pursuits and acquired a compe- 
tency. He married, about 1820, Susan, daugh- 
ter of a Mr. Marsh, who was probably con- 
nected with some of the colonial Marsh fam- 
ilies of New England. These families appear 
to have been English in origin, for men of 
the Marsh name are said to have been known 
in all parts of England ever since the intro- 
duction of surnames. The name is also found 
in Ireland, but it would appear to be ex- 
tremely rare, it it exists at all, in Scotland. 
Two hundred and fifty years ago there were 
at least six men of the Marsh name who had 
left the .shores of the British Isles for this 
new world. The first of the six to come was 
John Marshc. who took oath March 24, 1633, 
and settled first in Salem and then in Hart- 
ford. George, whose name became associated 
with Hingham, came nearly as early, drawing 
his home lot at Hingham, Massachusetts, on 
September 18, 1635. Also in that year, 1635, 
four others of the name came : for on March 
13 another John Marsh, aged twenty-six, hav- 
ing taken the oath of fidelity to the English 
king and crown, set sail on the "Plain John" 
for Virginia, as all New England was then 
called. 

In the same year, a week or so later than 
the coming of John Marsh, the second, on 
May 21, upon the "Matthew of London," 
William Marsh, aged twenty-six, sailed for St. 
Christopher, and was possibly the William 
Marsh who came to Plainfield, Connecticut, 
in Cromwell's day, of whom an account says 
that he was at Boston in 1636. And on July 
27. 1635, John or Jonathan Marsh, aged 
thirty-three, and Frances Marsh, aged twenty- 
eight, came over on the "Primrose," Captain 
Douglas, master. Thus in 1635 six of the 
Marsh name, whether they belonged all or 
some of them to the same family has not yet 
been ascertained, had sailed on five different 
vessels that year and on another two years 
before. Samuel Marsh was at New Haven in 
1647. Thomas Marsh came in i64<S; .Mex- 
ander Marsh, of Braintree, is mentioned in 
the records as arriving in 1654 and later set- 
tling at Braintree. Another entry is to the 
eflFect that John and Sarah Marsh had a son 
born in Boston in i66g. Others of the name. 



in various parts of New England, followed. 

(II) General Daniel Edgar Sickles, son of 
George Garrett and Susan (Marsh) Sickles, 
was born in New York City, October 20, 1825. 
He was educated in the University of the City 
of New York, but left before the entire 
course was completed to learn the printer's 
trade, a trade which he followed for several 
years. He then studied law and was admitted 
to the bar in 1844 and began practicing in New 
York City. In 1847 he was elected to the 
legislature, in which body he took rank as 
a leader of the Democrats. In 1853 he was 
appointed corporation counsel of New York 
City, and on July 30 of the same year he 
was commissioned as secretary of the lega- 
tion at London and accompanied James Bu- 
chanan to England. He returned in the year 
1855, and was elected, after an energetic can- 
vass, to the state senate in the autumn, and 
a year later he was chosen a member of con- 
gress, taking his seat December 7, 1857. Dis- 
covering a guilty intimacy between his wife 
and Philip Barton Key, United States attor- 
ney for the District of Columbia, he shot the 
latter in the street, February 27, 1859. He 
was indicted and after a trial of twenty days, 
acquitted. He had been elected for a second 
term in 1838, and served until March 3, 1861. 
At the beginning of the civil w-ar he raised 
the Excelsior Brigade of United States Vol- 
unteers in New York City and was commis- 
sioned by the president as colonel of one of 
the five regiments. On September 3. 1861, 
the president nominated him brigadier-general 
of volunteers. The senate rejected his name 
in March, 1862, but confirmed it on a second 
nomination. He commanded a brigade under 
General Joseph Hooker and gained distinction 
at Williamsburg, Fair Oaks and Malvern Hill. 
His brigade saw service in the seven days' 
fight before Richmond and in the Margrand 
campaign, and bore a conspicuous part at .\n- 
tietam. 

He succeeded General Hooker in the com- 
mand of the division and was engaged at 
Frdericksburg. On the organization of the 
Army of the Potomac he was assigned to the 
command of the Third Army Corps, and was 
appointed major-general on March 7, 1863, 
his commission dating from November 2Q, 
1862. At Chanccllorsville he displayed gal- 
lantry and energy, gaining the first success 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



457 



of the day by cutting off the ammunition train 
of the enemy, arresting a general panic by 
rallying the retreating artillery, and with- 
standing the force of Stonewall Jackson's 
attack with determination after the line was 
formed. 

At Gettysburg his corps was posted be- 
tween Cemetery Hill and Little Round Top 
He advanced to an elevation, which he 
thought desirable to hold, and in this position 
was assailed by General James Longstrect's 
column, while General John B. Hood en- 
deavored to gain the unoccupied slope of the 
Little Round Top. In the desperate struggle 
that followed the Third Corps effectively aid- 
ed in preserving that important position from 
the enemy, but was shattered by the onset of 
the overwhelming numbers of the enemy. 
After the line was broken General Ambrose 
P. Hill followed the Confederate advantage 
up with an attack on Sickles' right, during 
which General Sickles lost a leg. He con- 
tinued in active service until the beginning 
of the year 1865 and was then sent on a con- 
fidential mission to Columbia and some other 
South American countries. On July 2R, 1866. 
he joined the regular army as colonel of the 
Forty-second Infantry. On March 2, 1867, 
he was brevetted brigadier-general for brav- 
ery at Fredericksburg, and major-general for 
gallantry and meritorious service at Gettys- 
burg. He commanded the military district of 
the Carolinas in 1865. continuing to 1867, and 
carried out the work of reconstruction so 
energetically that President Johnson relieved 
him of his command, after offering him the 
mission to the Netherlands, a post which he 
declined. 

He was mustered out of ■ the vohmtcer 
service January t. 1868, and on April T4, 
i860, w'as placed on the retired list of the 
Lfnitcd States army with the full rank of 
major-general. He was active in promoting 
the candidacy of General Ulysses S. Grant 
for the presidency, and on May 15. i860, he 
was appointed minister to Spain. Relinquish- 
ing this post Alarch 20. 1873, he resumed his 
residence in New York City. He is president 
of the New York state board of the civil ser- 
vice commission, and he is likewise on the 
board of commissioners for the erection of 
New York monuments at Gettysburg. He be- 
longs to a great number of clubs and patriotic 



societies, and still takes a prominent part in 
the movements arising out of the public ques- 
tions of the day. 



The origin of the 
SCHERMERHORN family name of 
Schermer horn is 
said to have been derived from the Dutch 
words "schermer," meaning a fencer, and 
"hoorn," the word for horn, which is em- 
blematic of power or plenty : but considering 
the fact that it is a Dutch family, originally 
residents of Holland, where a large propor- 
tion of the families took name from a locality 
when emigrating, it is reasonable to believe 
that they dwelt near the town of Hoorn. in the 
province of North Holland, situated some 
twenty miles northeast of Amsterdam and 
located on the Hoornerhop, a bay of the Zuy- 
der Zee. There is also a town of the name, 
Schermerhorn, in that neighborhood. The 
prominent member giving name to the family 
in the early days might have been commonly 
known as "the fencer of Hoorn," hence the 
use of the Dutch designative. Schermerhorn. 
The name has been spelled in a variety of 
ways, as reference to the ancient records of 
this country, written in Dutch, will show. 
Sometimes it is found in the form Schermer- 
hoorn, Schermerhorne. as well as Schermer- 
hooven and Scher-Hooren. 

(I) Jacob Janse Schermerh'^rn was tiie 
progenitor of this family in .\merica He 
was the son of Jan (or John) .'^chernlerhnrn, 
and was born at Watcrland. Holland, in the 
year 1622. It is said that he came to this 
country on the ship "Arms of Rensselaers- 
wyck,"' sailing on October i, 1636, and arriv- 
ing that same year at Beverwyck (.Mhany), 
New York. How he happened to make the 
voyage when only fourteen years of age. if 
the date of his birth be correct, cannot be 
said; but it is as likely that he came in 1643. 
under the au=oices of Patroon Kiliaen Van 
Rensselaer, who was then exerting himself to 
upbuild his colony of Rensselacrswyck. and as 
both the fatb'^r of youn?: .'^che^luerllorn and 
the Patroon lived in .\msterflam, it is most 
probable that the former knew about the plan 
of colonization and saw an advantage in ac- 
cepting the proposition to grow up with the 
new country. However, his name appears as 
the twelfth male member of the Protestant 



45« 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Reformed Dutch Church in Beverwyck, which 
was organized in 1642, by Dominie Johannes 
Megapolensis, and built the following year 
near the bank of the Hudson river, at Albany. 

He prospered both as a trader with the 
Indians and as a brewer. In 1648, he broke 
the law regarding the sale of firearms and 
aniinuiiition to the savages, and after lieing 
tried by order of Governor Peter Stuyvesant, 
was sentenced to banishment for a term of 
five years, and it was also ordered that his 
property l)e confiscated. A number of the 
prominent citizens sided with him in consid- 
ering the penalty too severe, and succeeded in 
having the banishment clause set aside ; but 
his property was seized. He thereupon made 
complaint to the states general because of the 
severity of penalties for minor offenses. He 
received grants of land at Beverwyck on No- 
vember 9, 1652, and October 25, 1653. It is 
recorded that he executed others on July 13, 
1651. His estate was so large that it was ex- 
ceeded by but a few excepting the patroon's 
and those of men of official rank in the col- 
ony. He was made one of the commissaries 
(magistrate) of the jurisdiction of Beverwyck, 
and in 1654 visited his father, then residing in 
Amsterdam, Holland. Upon his return to 
this country he was again nominated, April 
S, 1656, to the same office, and continued to 
fill the position until 1675, '^ "o*^ longer. As 
a member of the consistory of the Dutch 
church of Albany, he audited the deacons' ac- 
counts, in 1665. The following year he kept 
the accounts himself, and again audited them 
in 1671, ir)72, 1685 and in 1686. In the sum- 
mer of 1688, he made another brief visit to 
Holland. Shortly after the first settlers ar- 
rived at .Schenectady, he removed there, where 
he died in 1688. having made his will on May 
20, 1688, which is recorded in the office of the 
Albany county clerk. At the time of his 
demise his estate was valued at 56,882 
guilders ($23,000), and besides his property 
in Albany and .Schenectady, he owned land at 
Schodack, New York, and also had funds 
drawing interest in Holland. 

Jacob Jansc Schermcrhorn married Jainietje 
Segers. daughter of Cornells Segerse \'an 
Voorliondt, who came to Beverwyck, from 
Holland, in 1642. Children: i. Rcyer. horn 
at Beverwyck (Albany), in 1652, died Febru- 
ary 19, 1719; married, in 1684, Ariaantje 



.•\rentse Bratt (or Bradt), widow of Holmer 
Otten. 2. Symon Jacobse, see forward. 3. 
Helena, married, in 1683, Myndert Harmense 
\'an der Bogart. 4. Jacob, died June 20, 1743 ; 
married, in 1684, Gerritje Hendrickse \'an 
Buren. 5. Machteldt (or Machtcl), born at 
Beverwyck; married, about 1683, Johannes 
Beeckman. 6. Cornells, born at Beverwyck ; 
married (first) July 21, 1695, Maritje Hen- 
dricks Van Buren; married (second) Febru- 
ary 6, 1713, Margareta Albertse. 7. Jannetje, 
born at Beverwyck; married. July 28, 1695, 
Casper Springsteen. 8. Neeltje, born at 
Beverwyck; married, September 30. 1700, 
Barent Ten Eyck. 9. Lucas, born at Bever- 
wyck ; married, in 1700, Elizabeth Dame. 

(II) Symon Jacobse, son of Jacob Janse 
and Jannetje (Segers) Schermerhorn, was 
born at Beverwyck (Albany), in 1658. He 
removed to Schenectady, New York, before 
1690, possibly when his father bought proper- 
ty and went there to reside triwards the end 
of his life, for his father died there in 1688. 
Symon became a hero of the Mohawk valley 
at the time of the great Indian massacre of 
Schenectady, when on the bitterly cold night 
of February 8, 1690, they and the French 
from Canada swept down u])on the little vil- 
lage and not only burnefl the place but 
slaughtered practically every inhabitant, spar- 
ing only an isolated family or two with whom 
they had been friendly for reason. It was 
then that Symon Schermerhorn. like Paul 
Revere, started out for a midnight ride to 
warn the inhabitants of .Mbany that the enemy 
was but seventeen miles distant and was burn- 
ing everything in the path. He made the ride 
in peril, for his horse was wounded, and he 
was shot through the thigh ; but he presevered, 
and arrived at .Mbany in time to liave the 
Dutch burghers rally to the rescue of the 
\'illagc on the Mohawk. Captain Bull's com- 
pany immediately went over the plains, but 
when they came upon the scene of devastation 
a!id brutality, the frame houses were smould- 
ering ruins and the blood of the victims had 
frozen the slain to the earth. In the list of 
killed during the massacre appear the names 
of his son. Johannes, of his three negroes, of 
Arnout, the son of Arnout Cornelise \'iele, 
the interpreter, and of Mary \'iele, the last 
two being probablv the brother and sister of 
Symon Schermerhorn's wife He removed to 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



459 



New York City in 1691, possibly discouraged 
and too much afraid of living in a locality 
subject to Indian marauders, and became the 
commander and owner of a craft navigating 
the Hudson. He died in New York City, in 
1696, leaving a widow and one son, Arnout, 
and possibly two daughters. 

Symon Jacobse Schermerhorn married, in 
1683, Willempje, daughter of Arnout and 
Gerritje (Ferritse) Viele, of Amsterdam, 
Holland. Her father was an Indian interpre- 
ter, and was very useful in court proceedings, 
in trading affairs and in the formation of 
treaties. Children: i. Johannes, baptized at 
Albany, July 23, 1684, killed at Schenectady, 
New York, February 9, 1690. 2. Arnout, see 
forward. 3. Maria, baptized in New York 
City, July 5, 1693, sponsors, Cornells Gerrit 
and Jacquemyntje Viele. 4. Jannetje, bap- 
tized in New York City, March 24. 1695, 
sponsors, Cornells Vilem and Jannetje Van 
Feurden, wife of Gerrit Villen. 

(Ill) Arnout, son of Symon Jacobse and 
Willempje (Viele) Schermerhorn, was born 
either in Schenectady or Albany, but was bap- 
tized at the latter place on November 7, 1686. 
His parents were probably residents of Schen- 
ectady at that time and how any member of his 
family escaped being massacred is not known ; 
but his parents took him and his sister to live 
in New York City in 169;, the year following 
the Indian massacre. He is described in all 
records as a mariner. He made his way, for 
his name appears a great many times at the 
register's office in connection with conveyances. 
On April 21, 1726, April 3, 1729, and on Feb- 
ruary 10, 1730, he obtained, by purchase from 
his father-in-law, Johannes Beekman, of New 
York City, three parcels of land, known as 
water-lots, on the south side of Queen (now 
Pearl street), between Fulton and Beekman 
streets, as since opened or extended. Upon a 
portion of this land, be built a wharf, which 
appears as Schermerhorn's wharf on the 
James Lyne Map of New York, in 1728. Ad- 
joining it on the east appears Cannon's wharf 
Upon the higher land nearby, Johannes Beek- 
man, Arnout Schermerhorn and John Cannon 
had their residences and places of business, 
and their wharves or gardens extended over 
the site of Fulton market. These three fam- 
ilies, living close together, had descendants 



who intermarried. He died some time after 
1742. 

Arnout Schermerhorn married, about 17 10, 
in New York City, Maritje (Mary or Marial. 
daughter of Johannes Beekman, of that place. 
Children: i. Catharina, baptized May 10, 
171 1, sponsors, Johannes Beekman, grand- 
father, and Aeltje, his wife, grandmother. 2. 
Willemyntje, baptized in New York City, Oc- 
tober 14, 1713, sponsors, Arnout Viele, and 
Willempje Van Hoesen, widow of Symon 
Jacobse Schermerhorn, grandmother. 3. Jo- 
hannes (John), see forward. 4. Aeltje, born 
in New York City, baptized there. May 19, 
171 7, sponsors. Colonel Gerardus Beekman, 
and Magdalena, his wife. 5. Jannetje, born in 
New York City, baptized there, September 20, 
17^9. sponsors, Jan Damboy, Theodorus 
Beekman, Jannetje Schermerhorn and Fran- 
cyntje Abrahams. 6. Symon, born in New 
York City, baptized there, August 6, 1721, 
sponsors, Johannes Beekman Jr., and Aeltje 
Statern. 

(IV) John, son of Arnout and Maritje 
(Beekman) Schermerhorn, was born in New 
York City, July 8, 171 5, and baptized there, 
July 13, 1715. He died in that place on Sep- 
tember 10, 1768. Like his father and grand- 
father had been, he was a sea-faring man. 
He was known as a "master," and probably 
was the owner of trading vessels plying be- 
tween New York and Charleston, South Car- 
olina. Records also place him as "merchant." 
He was also engaged in fitting out "Letters 
of Marque," or "Privateers," in the war be- 
tween England and France. From a general 
release, dated December 10, 1761, recorded in 
the register's office, in liber 36 of con., p. 49. 
it would appear that he paid bff certain liabili- 
ties of his father. 

John Schermerhorn married, in New York 
City, June 10, 1741, Sarah, daughter of John 
Cannon, who was descended from a family 
of refugees from Rochelle, France, which 
came to this country n -t long after the revoca- 
tion of the Edict of Nantes. She died in New 
York City, December 30, 1762. Children: i. 
Arnout, born March 12. baptized March 14. 
1742, sponsors, Arnout Schermerhorn and 
wife, paternal grandparents. 2. Mary, bap- 
tized December 21. 1743, sponsors, John Can- 
non and wife, maternal grandparents; mar- 
ried (first) Joseph Marschalk, 1762, married 



460 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



(second) John Byvanck. 3. John, baptized 
January 15, 1746, sponsors, Feter Cannon and 
wife, VVillemptje, daughter of Arnout Scher- 
merhorn. 4. Simon, baptized January 2J, 
1748, sponsors. Evert Byvanck (husband of 
Mary Cannon), and Hester Kortright (Hester 
Cannon, who married Cornelius Kortright). 
5. Peter, see forward. 6. Sarah, born October 
3, 1 75 1, baptized October 9, sponsors, Law- 
rence Kortright and Mary Byvanck (Mary 
Cannon, wife of Evert Byvanck) ; married, 
in 1771, James A. Stewart. 7. Catherine, born 
November 28, baptized December g, 1753, by 
Rev. Henry Barclay, then rector of Trinity 
Church, sponsors, Robert Rapcr, Sarah Can- 
non and Mary Kortright. 8. Abraham, born 
March 27, baptized April 6, 1755, sponsors, 
John Cannon, Peter Colette (Goelet), and 
Catherine Van Raust. 9. Cornelius, born De- 
cember 10, baptized December 19. 1756, spon- 
sors, Arnout Schermerhorn and Jane Colette 
(Goelet). 10. Catherine, born March 21, 
baptized March 25, 1759, .sponsors, John 
Paintar (Pintard), Mary Paintar and Mary 
Schermerhorn. 11. Esther, born July 10. bap- 
tized July 15, 1761, sponsors, Joseph Mars- 
chalk. Sarah Van Raust and Mary Kortright. 
12. Hester, born December 18, baptized De- 
cember 28, 1762, sponsors, Joseph Marschalk, 
Margaret Kortright and Sarah Roosevelt ; died 
August 17, 1763. 

(V) Peter, son of John and .Sarah (Can- 
non) Schermerhorn, was born in New York 
City, October i, 1749. and was baptized there 
on October 11. He died at his residence, No 
68 Broadway, January 28, 1826. He adopted 
the calling of his father and grandfather at 
an early age, for in his marriage certificate, 
which is dated in his twenty-second year, he 
is styled "Captain" Schermerhorn. He like- 
wise owned trading vessels running between 
New York and Charleston. During the 
troubles in New York, in 1776, after the 
"Asia" fired upon the town and before the 
British took possession, he removed with his 
family to the neighborhood of Hyde Park, 
on the Hudson river, and there remained un- 
til after the peace of 1783; some of his chil- 
dren having been born there. The motives 
for this removal were mostly political, but it 
was probable that so much of his propertv as 
consisted of vessels was, by the same means, 
saved from seizure. Many, if not all, of the 



members of his father's family withdraw from. 
New York at the same time. After his re- 
turn to New York he established himself in 
business as a ship chandler, admitting in 1802 
his second son, Peter, and in 1808 his third 
son, Abraham, the styles of the firm having 
been successively Peter Schermerhorn & Son 
and Peter Schermerhorn & Sons. In 1791 
his place of business and his residence w'ere at 
Nos. 71 and y;^ Water street, respectively, in 
1794, at Nos. 220 and 224 Water street, re- 
spectively, while, in 1799, they were trans- 
ferred, the former to 243 Water street and the 
latter to No. 68 Broadway, and there remain- 
ed until his death. In 1795 he with his brother 
Simon purchased, probably from the execu- 
tors of Jacob Bennet, about 160 acres at Go- 
wanus (Brooklyn), which they made their 
summer residence. In 1816, having acquired 
his brother's interest, he conveyed the whole 
to his son, Abraham. A part of it is now com- 
prised in Greenwood cemetery. On January 
28, 1806, he purchased from Thomas Marsten, 
about four and a half acres on the East river, 
at the foot of Eighty-second street, which he 
occupied in summer, until his death. On Jan- 
uary 31, 1S09. with Mattlicw Clarkson, Her- 
man Leroy, Henry Rogers and Gulian Lud- 
low, he conveyed to the "Rector, etc., of Grace 
Church." property on the corner of Rector 
street and Broadway, upon which the old Ger- 
man Lutheran church stood formerly, and 
upon which Grace church had then just been 
erected, such property having been conveyed 
to the grantors by the trustees of said Lutheran 
church, in trust, to convey the same to Grace 
Church so soon as it should have been in- 
corporated. In 1796, he was elected a director 
of the Bank of New York, which was organ- 
ized in 1784. 

Peter .Schermerhorn married, in New York 
City. September 11, 1771. Elizabeth, daughter 
of Abraham Bussing, who died at her home. 
No. 68 Broadway. January 8, 1809 (sec Buss- 
ing"). Children: t. John, see forward. 2. Peter, 
see forward. 3. Abraham, born (probably)- 
at Hyde Park. New York, .^pril 9. 17S3. died 
in 1850. 4. George, born May t6. 1785. bap- 
tized in June, sponsors. Simon Schermerhorn 
and Jane, his wife; died October 23, 1785. 5. 
Elizabeth, born June 15, 1787. baptized in July, 
sponsors, Simon Schermerhorn and Elizabeth 
Bussing; married Edward R. Jones. 6. Jane, 




( Jy^^^' ' y///r/-///'r/-//^/'y/ 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



461 



born March 25, baptized April 22, 1792, spon- 
sors, Simon Schermerhorn and Jane, his wife ; 
married Rev. William Creighton. 

(VI) John, son of Peter and Elizabeth 
(Bussing) Schermerhorn, was born in New 
York City, June 13, and was baptized there, 
June 25, 1775, sponsors, Simon Schermerhorn, 
and Mary Brewerton, wife of John Brewerton, 
of South Carolina. He died in 1831. 

John Schermerhorn married, at New York 
City, May 27, 1802, Rebecca H. Stevens, 
daughter of General Ebenezer Stevens, who 
was born in 1780, and died in 181 5. General 
Stevens was one of the famous "Boston Tea 
Party," commanded artillery at Saratoga and 
Yorktown, and also served throughout the 
War of 1812. Children : i. Elizabeth Caroline, 
born in 1803, died in 1849 ; married William 
N. Gilljert. son of Nicholas Gilbert. 2. Horatio, 
born in April. 1805, died in March. 1886; mar- 
ried Sarah Strobel. 3. George Stevens, see 
forward. 4. John Peter, born June 2, 1808, 
died February 7, 1878 ; married Louise Wil- 
liamson. 5. Edward Jones, born in 1810, died 
in 1825. 6. William, born January 11, 1812, 
deceased ; married Charlotte F. Leggett. 

(VI) Peter, son of Peter and Elizabeth 
(Bussing) Schermerhorn, was born at Stou- 
tenburgh's, now Hyde Park, Duchess county. 
New York. April 22, 1781. and was baptized 
September 29, 1782, at Poughkeepsie, New 
York. He died in the Hardenbrook House, 
New York City, Jvme 23, 1852. He was as- 
sociated with his father in business in 1802, 
under the style of Peter Schermerhorn & Son, 
ship chandlers. His brother, Abraham, was 
admitted to the firm in 1808, the style becom- 
ing Peter Schermerhorn & Sons. In 1810 the 
two brothers formed a separate firm, styled 
Schermerhorn & Company, carrying on the 
same line of business at the corner of Wash- 
ington and Rector streets, retaining, however, 
their connection witli the older firm. After 
the death of their father, two firms were 
formed, viz.. Schermerhorn, Banker & Com- 
pany, at No. 243 Water street, and Schermer- 
horn. Willis & Company, at No. 53 South 
street. After his marriage in 1804 he resided 
at No 88 Greenwich street, and at No. 152 
Greenwich street, southwest corner of Cort- 
landt, in 1808. In 181 5 he purchased No. 21 
Park place, then Robinson street, extending 
through to Murray street, which he continued 



to occupy until 1843, when he removed to a 
new house, built for himself, on the north- 
west corner of Great Jones street and Lafay- 
ette place, where he resided until his death. 
Soon after his marriage, he erected a summer 
residence on the bank of the East river, at 
the foot of East Sixty-seventli street, upon a 
portion of the Louvre farm, tiie country seat 
of his father-in-law, John Jones. It consisted 
of 132 acres, extending from Third avenue 
to the East river, and from Sixty-sixth street 
to Seventy-fifth street. After the death of 
John Jones, the farm was partitioned among 
his children, division No. i falling to the lot 
of his daughter, Sarah, wife of Peter Scher- 
merhorn. This was the division nearest the 
city, and included the summer residence above 
mentioned. Adjoining it, on the south, lay 
Hardenbrook Farm, of about twenty acres, 
between Sixty-fourth and Sixty-sixth streets. 
Third avenue and the East river. This Peter 
Schermerhorn purchased in 1818, from the 
heirs of John Hardenbrook, and adding it to 
his wife's share of the Louvre Farm, gave 
to the whole the name of Belmont Farm. He 
at once removed to the Hardenbrook House, 
at the foot of East Sixty-fourth street, in 
which he died. He was elected to the vestry 
of Grace Church in 1820, and was one of the 
wardens in 1845, retaining the position until 
his death. He was one of the building com- 
mittee imder whose superintenrVence the new 
church and rectory on Broadway, near Tenth 
street, were erected, and completed in 1846, 
taking an active part in all the arrangements 
whereby the transfer of the church, from the 
original site on Broadway at Rector street. 
was effected. He was elected a director of 
the Bank of New York in 1814, and so con- 
tinued until he died. 

Peter Schermerhorn married, in New York 
City. April 5. 1804. Sarah, daughter of John 
and Eleanor Jones. Children: i. Peter Henry, 
born March '27, 1805. died April 9, 1807. 2. 
lohn Jones, born August 17, 1806, died at 
Paris. France, in September. 187(1; married. 
November 28. 1832. Mary S.. daughter of 
Philip Hone, of New York City, and she died 
November 13, 1840. 3 Peter Augustus, see 
forward. 4. Edmund Henry, born December 
5, 1815. died October i, 1891. 5. James Jones, 
born .September 25, 1818. died June 3. 1823. 
6 William Colford, born June 22, 1821, died 



462 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



January i, 1903; married, September 24, 1845, 
Ann Elliott Huger Laight, daughter of Fran- 
cis Cottenet, and she died February 14, 1907. 
Their children were: i. Fanny, married Sam- 
uel W. Bridgham. no issue, ii. Sarah, died 
at Bar Harbor, Maine, in 1906. iii. Annie 
Cottenet, married John I. Kane, who died 
February i, 1913, no issue. 

(VH) Peter Augustus, son of Peter and 
Sarah (Jones) Schermerhorn, was born in 
New York City, January 13, 181 1, and died 
there May 6, 1845. 

He married, in New York City, December 
9, 1835, Adeline Emily, daughter of Henry 
A. Coster, and she died at Florence, Italy, 
June 8. 1873. Children: i. Ellen, born in 
New York City, March 9, 1837 ; married in 
New York, in February, 1867, Richard Tylden 
Auchnuity, the great-grandson of Rev. Dr. 
Auchmuty, rector of Trinity Church. He 
was major and then lieutenant-colonel of the 
United States Volunteers during the civil war ; 
was assistant adjutant-general on the staff of 
General Morell, and afterward on the staff 
of General S. W. Crawford; later on in the 
inspector-general's department, with General 
Hardic. He died at Lenox, July 20, 1893; 
no issue. 2. Henry Augustus, born in New 
York City, January 29, 1841. died there June 
9, 1869. 3. Frederick Augustus, see forward. 

(Vni) Frederick Augustus, son of Peter 
Augustus Schermerhorn. born at No. 34 War- 
ren street, in New York City, November i, 
1844. He was educated at the schools of Wil- 
liam J. Nevins. Professor H. Drisler. and of 
R. P. Tenks, afterwards entering the .School 
of Mines of Columbia College, graduating in 
t868. He was first lieutenant in the One 
Hundred and Eighty-fifth Regiment, New 
York Volunteers, detailed as aide-de-camp to 
General Charles Griffin, commanding the 
First Division of the Fifth Army Corps ; was 
brevettcd captain of the United States Vol- 
unteers for gallant conduct at the battle of 
Five Forks, Virginia. He was a trustee of 
Columbia University for over thirty years, 
and for forty-two years was manaeer. secre- 
tary and president of the New York Institute 
for the Blind : is a trustee of the New York 
Trade School ; prosiflcnt of the Union Club, 
by election of February 12. T913, and for 
many years on the board of the New York 
Life Insurance & Trust Company; director 



of the Consolidated Gas Company and of a 
number of other organizations both financial 
and philanthropic. He is a member of the 
Union, Metropolitan, Knickerbocker, Tuxedo, 
Century, Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht, 
Larchmont Yacht, New York Yacht, the Mid- 
day, Riding, City and the Army & Navy clubs, 
of the St. Nicholas Society and the Loyal 
Legion. He is engaged in real estate at No. 
25 Liberty street, New York City, and has 
resided many years in the old family home 
at No. loi University place. 

(VII) George Stevens, son of John and 
Rebecca H. (Stevens) Schermerhorn, was 
born in New York City, January 18, 1807, 
and died August i, 1885. He married, No- 
vember 29, 1832. Isabella Grim, who was born 
November 3, 1809, died June 25, 1890, and 
was the daughter of Philip Grim, of New 
York. Children: i. M. Isabel, born Septem- 
ber 20, 1833. 2. George Stevens, see forward. 
3. Charles Augustus, born January i, 1839; 
married, June 3. 1880, Louise Schermerhorn, 
daughter of John Peter and Louise (William- 
son) Schermerhorn. 4. Edward Eugene, born 
September 13. 1842, served with the Seventh 
Regiment during the civil war. 

(VIII) George Stevens, son of George 
Stevens (i) and Isabella (Grim) Schermer- 
horn, was born at New York City, May 3, 
1835, and resides in New York City. He 
was educated at Trinity School, and that of 
the Rev. Dr. Muhlenberg, New York City. 
He was a member of the Seventh Regiment 
New York Militia, in 1855 ; was inspector of 
rifle practice, with rank of major, of the First 
Brigade, First Division, National Guard. New 
York. April 4. 1879, and lieutenant-colonel 
and inspector of rifle practice. Department 
of State, March 15, 1882: is a member of the 
Seventh Regiment Veteran .Association, Sons 
of the Revolution, and St. Nicholas Society 
of Now York City. 

He married, at the Church of the Holy 
Communion, New York City, April 25. 1859, 
Julia Magdalene Gibert, who was born Jan- 
uary 13, 1841, daughter of William Nicholas 
Gibert anri Elizabeth Caroline Gibert. Chil- 
dren: I, .Arthur Frederick, born .April i. 1860, 
in New York Citv; married, at Philadelphia, 
June 6, 1R03. Mrs. Frances S. Green; no is- 
sue; he is lieutenant-colonel of the One 
Hundred and Twelfth Regiment National 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



463 



Guard, New York. 2. Amy Elizabeth, born 
in New York City, April 3, 1861. 3. Edward 
Gibert, November 22, 1864: appointed Janu- 
ary I, 191 3, by (lovernor William Sulzer, his 
military secretary with rank of major. 4. 
Caroline Maud, born March 17, 1870; died 
at New Rochelle, New York, July 10, 1870. 
5. George Egniont, born March 12, 1871, died 
in New York City, November 14, 1S71. 6. 
Philip Grim, born February 24, 1878; all these 
children were born in New York City. 



Brokaw is the anglicized form 
BROKAW' of the ancient and honorable 
name of Broucard, at one time 
among the most noted in France, and which 
today is well known in that country. Its 
original bearer in America was a Huguenot, 
or French Protestant, who appears to have 
lived first in France, and later in Mannheim, 
whence he went to America. Baird, in his 
"Huguenot Emigration to America," says: 
"Mannheim itself now became the home of 
many French refugees, and among them we 
recognize several French families that after- 
wards moved to America. Here David de 
Marest, Frederick de Vaux, Abraham Has- 
broucq, Cretien Duyou, Mathese Blanchan, 
Meynard Journeay, Thonnet Terrin. Pierre 
Parmentier, Antoine Crispel, David Usilie, 
Phillipe Casier, Bourgeon Brouqard. .^imon 
Le Febre, Juste Durie. and others, enjovcd 
for several years the kindness of their Ger- 
man coreligionists and the protection of the 
good Elector Palatine." This Boursreon Bron- 
Card was the direct ancestor of the Brokaw 
family in America, the name having gradually 
been metamorphosed to the form now gener- 
ally in use in New York and elsewhere. 

fl) Bourgeon Broucard. the immigrant an- 
cestor of the Broucard or Brokaw family, was 
born in 1645;, or thereabouts,- probablv in or 
near La Rochelle. France, and died after the 
year 1702, at Bushwick, Long Island He was 
of an old and honorable French family of that 
name, and it is recorded that even the Catholic 
bishops acknowledge that the Protestants were 
a loval. faithful, hard-workine. sober and 
well-to-do class of French subiects, their only 
fault being that they preferred persecution, 
death, the confiscation of their property and 
exile from the land thev loved, to eivine un 
of their religious convictions. He came with 



other Huguenots from Mannheim, Germany, 
to the English colonies in 1675, and landed in 
New York. He resided in Bushwick, Long 
Island, where he purchased land in 1684. This 
he sold in 1688, and moved to Newtown, Long 
Island, where he was one of the prominent 
men in the settlement, and where he assisted 
in all church services at the humble little 
church that had been erected at that place. 
He married previous to 1675 (the exact date 
unobtainable), Catherine Le Febre, daughter 
or sister of Simon Le Febre, who was living 
at Mannheim at the time that Bourgeon Brou- 
card made his home in that hospitable city. 
-She accompanied him to America, and the 
proof that he was a man of substance is that 
he paid the passage of himself and family and 
had enough left to buy a comfortable home 
immediately after landing. Children : Maria ; 
Jane ; Catalina ; Isaac ; John ; Jacob ; Peter ; 
Abraham, of whom further. 

(II) Abraham, son of Bourgeon and Cath- 
erine (Le Febre) Broucard, was born in 1684, 
at Bushwick, Long Island, and died in 1747; 
the exact day of his death is not known, but 
a fairly correct idea may be gathered from 
the record of his will, which was dated May 
25, 1747, proved September 9, in the same 
vear, and on October 12. 1747, the record at 
Trenton, New Jersey, being October 16, 1747- 
Abraham resided in Somerset county. New 
Jersey, and was a miller by occupation. He 
was a noted Indian fighter, and his name 
appears among those who were detailed to 
keep strict watch on the red men who ever 
hovered in the vicinity. He was public- 
spirited, and his name (spelled Abra. Broch- 
ard) is on the roster of the local militia. He 
served in Captain Peter Demonl's (sixth) 
company. Colonel Thomas flfarmar's rof'iment 
of New Jersey militia, 1715. His wife, Maritie 
(Margaret or Mary), was mentioned in his 
will. Like her husband she was a Spartan, 
and bore the hardships of those early days 
with a good will. Children: Catalyntje: Isaac, 
of whom further: Brugon (or Bourgeon); 
Abraham, George, Christopher, John. Mary, 
Jane, Engeltje. 

(III) Isaac, -son of Abraham and Maritie 
Broucard. or Brokaw. was born in 1710. bap- 
tized April s. 1719. in R-irit-Ti- now Somer- 
ville. New Jersey, and died probably in 1708. 
His will was dated September 23, I793- proved 



464 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



February 20, 1799, at Hillsborough, Somer- 
set county, New Jersey. Like his father, he 
was detailed to watch the Indians, and, having 
a wife and eight children to add an incentive 
to his task, he was ever on the alert for the 
dark skinned foe. The name of an Isaac 
Brougard appears on the list of a company 
under Sir Jeffrey Amherst when he was 
skirmishing with the French. Isaac was a 
private soldier in the war of the revolution, 
and, though advanced in age, he gave a good 
account of himself. He resided most of his 
adult life at Hillsborough, where he acquired 
property, and was considered a man of stand- 
ing in the community. He married (first) 

Maritje , who died before 1793; (second) 

Styntje, who died after 1793, and was men- 
tioned in her husband's will. Children : Abra- 
ham; Maregritje : Marya; Laerte ; Eysack or 
Isaac, of whom further; Caleb, David, Cath- 
erine. 

(IV) Isaac (2), son of Isaac (i) and 
Maritje Brokaw. was born in Raritan (now 
Somerville), New Jersey, baptized there July 
8. 1759. and died July 29, 1838. He was a 
valiant soldier in the war of the revolution, 
fighting at the side of his father and brothers. 
At the call to arms in 1812 he again shoul- 
dered his musket in defense of his country. 
He married Maria Van Nortwich, born March 
24, 1759, died March 6. 1828. both of them 
residing at Hillsborough and Greenbrook, 
New Jersey. .She was descended from Simon 
Van Nortwich. who came as a boy to America 
in 1694 with his mother, stepfather, a brother 
and sister. His mother, Cornelia Van Wess- 

len, married (first) Van Nortwich; 

(second) Dominie Wilhelmus Lupardus (with 
whom he crossed the Atlantic), and (third) 
Martin Schenck. Among the children of 
Isaac (2) and Maria Brokaw was Simeon, 
named for his ancestor, of whom further. 

(V) Simeon, son of Isaac (2) and Maria 
(Van Nortwich) Brokaw, was born Novem- 
ber 22, 1792, at Greenbrook. New Jersey; 
died February 3. 1854, at Metuchen. New 
Jersey. He was for many years a prominent 
citizen of both Greenbrook and Metuchen, 
and was a progressive, up-to-date man. He 
married, February 6. 1822, at Metuchen. 
Prudence Vail, born February 17, 1795. at 
Greenbrook, died May 14. 1887, at Plainfield. 
New Jersey, daughter of \\'illiam and Jemima 



(Cole) Vail (see Vail). She descended from 
a long line of English ancestry ; the first im- 
migrant of the family came over in 1660, or 
thereabouts. For generations before the revo- 
lutionary war the Vails were a prominent 
family in New Jersey and New England. 
They intermarried with the Laings, Shotwells 
and Jacksons, all noted families, and each 
contributing its quota of valiant men to the 
Continental army. Children of Simeon and 
Prudence (Vail) Brokaw: Jemima V'ail ; 
Eliza Phylis ; Letitia Vail ; William \'aii 
(q. V.) ; Isaac Vail, of whom further. 

(VI) Isaac Vail, son of Simeon and Pru- 
dence (Vail) Brokaw, was born at Metuchen, 
New Jersey, November 27, 1835. He was 
educated in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He 
began his business career with Wilson G. 
Hunt & Company, cloth importers, and later 
joined in organizing the firm of Brokaw 
Brothers, which has long been the leading one 
in the clothing business. Mr. Brokaw is now 
and has been for many years its president. He 
is much interested in church and philanthropic 
work, and was the founder of the Bethany 
Mission. He is a Republican in politics, and 
a member of the Union League Club. He is a 
gentleman of the old school, and is famed for 
his courtly, polished manners. He married, 
November 14, i860, at Newark, New Jersey, 
Elvira Tuttle Gould, born March 1, 1840, 
daughter of Joseph P. and Eloisa Elvira ( Tut- 
tle V Gould "(see Tuttle VIII). of Newark, 
New Jersey. Their home on Fifth avenue, 
New York City, is famed for its charming 
hosnitality. Children : Grace, Ernest. Fred- 
erick, Isaac Irving. Elvira. Howard Crosby, 
George Tuttle, of whom further. 

(VII) George Tuttle. son of Isaac \'ail and 
Elvira Tuttle (Gould) Brokaw, was born No- 
vember 14, 1879, in New York City. He was 
educated at Princeton University, from which 
he was graduated and received his degree of 
Bachelor of Arts in 1902. Upon graduation 
he became associated with the firm of Brokaw 
Brothers, and subsequently became one of its 
directors and vice-presidents. He went 
through a course of law study in 1900 and 
received his degree of LL. B. at the New York 
Law .School, and was admitted to the New 
York bar in 1912. In 1013 he formed a part- 
nership for the general practice of the law 
and became a member of the firm of Gulick, 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



465 



Brokaw & Springs, having offices at 165 
Broadway. Air. Brokaw is a Republican in 
politics, and a Presbyterian in religion, being 
a deacon of the Madison Avenue Presbyterian 
Church. He belongs to the Society of Colonial 
Wars, Huguenot Society, Holland Society, St. 
Nicholas Society, Sons of the Revolution, 
Union League Club. University Club, Racquet 
and Tennis Club, Princeton Club of New 
York, New York County Lawyer's Associa- 
tion. Riding Club, Piping Rock Club, Sleepy 
Hollow Club, Ardsley Club, Rumson Country 
Club, Countrv Club of Lakewood, and Garden 
City Golf Club. 

(The Tuttle Line). 

History records that four distinct families 
of the name of Tutle or Tuttle, or at least with 
some name resembling these forms, came over 
to America as early as 1634, three of them in 
the ship "Planter." and the other in the 
"Angel Gabriel." which was wrecked off the 
coast of Maine the same year. Totyl, Totehill, 
Tothill and Tuttle are held to be synonymous. 
The name is supposed to have originated by 
families living near t'le natural or artificial 
mounds called tot-hi'l^. which abound in 
widely separated localities in England, and 
was taken as a surname. A common origin, 
or even blood relationship between all who 
bear this name in any of its forms, is there- 
fore unlikely. That they were important is 
attested bv the use of coats-of-arms of at 
least two branches. That of the Tothills of 
Devonshire (from which the Tuttle family of 
American sprang) , is thus described : "Azure, 
on a bend argent, cotized or a lion passant 
sable. Crest — On a hill, vert, a dove proper 
bearing an olive branch vert, with fruit or." 

The three Tuttles arriving on the "Planter" 
were John of Ipswich, Richard of Boston, and 
William, who went to New Haven. The sur- 
vivor of the "Angel Gabriel" was John Tuttle, 
of Dover, New Hampshire. A family pedi- 
gree bearing the date of 1591 places at the 
head of it one William Totyl, of Devonshire, 
called "esquire," who served as bailiff in 1528 
and again in 1548: he was high sheriff in 1549, 
and lord mayor of Exeter in 1552. It is prob- 
able that the immigrant Tuttles may have had 
a close connection with this family. Another 
authority derives the name, at least in Scot- 
land and Ireland, from O'Tuathail, anglicized 



Toole, Tuthill and Tuttle, the members of 
which family were kings of Leinster, princes 
of Imaile, and chiefs of Hy-Mureadaigh or 
Hy-Murray, the surname being derived from 
the commander Tuathail, who is number one 
hundred and nine on the family pedigree. The 
chief ancestor was Cahir the Great, who was 
succeeded by Conn of the Hundred flatties in 
the second century A. D. Lower derives the 
names Turtle and Tuttle from an old tribe 
name, Hy-Tuirtre, whose ancient territory 
was the modern county Antrim. 

(I) \\'illiam Tuttle. the immigrant ancestor 
of the Tuttle family, was born about 1609, 
and died in the early days of June, 1673. at 
New Haven, Connecticut. He crossed from 
England in the ship "Planter," which lanaea 
in April, 1635, after a long and stormy voy- 
age. He must have been a man of great 
courage, for he, in common with other Eng- 
lishmen, must have heard of the horrors of 
the first winter at Plymouth and the subse- 
quent Indian massacres, and the untold hard- 
ships that befell the lot of the immigrants. 
He was a man of substance, as he had the 
wherewithal to pay the passage of himself and 
family and to purchase a home for himself, 
his wife, Elizabeth, aged twenty-three, and 
children — John, aged three and a half years; 
.'\nn, aged two and a half years ; and Thomas, 
aged three months. Immediately after land- 
ing- he began business for himself, and was 
rated as a husbandman and merchant, he pur- 
chasing land for a farm and establishinfr a 
store. His wife, Elizabeth, was admitted to 
the church in Boston. July 14, 16^6, and was 
dismissed to the Ipswich church September 8, 
t6^0. In 1635 he was eiven permission to 
build a windmill at Charlcstown, and he be- 
came a proprietor of Bo.ston in 163^1, owning 
later, in 1641, a home lot in New Haven, 
Connecticut, which he bought of Edward Hop- 
kins. In i6i;o he boutrht of Joshua Atwater 
his mansion house and barn and certain other 
lands, afterwards the property of Mrs. Hester 
Coster, who bequeathed them to the church. 
The church sold it in 1717 to Yale College, 
and it is now a part of the college grounds, 
formerly enclosed by the historic "fence." 
Mr. Tuttle was one of the first owners of 
New Haven, and surveyed the road from the 
ferry at Red Rock to Stony River. In 1659 
he bought land at North Haven, and in 1661 



466 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



a dwelling house and home lot of John Pun- 
derson, which he gave to his son, John Tuttle. 
He was assigned one of the best seats in the 
meeting house, which shows his high standing 
in the community. He was one of the peti- 
tioners for permission to continue their settle- 
ment in Delaware unmolested. This project 
failed, however, and he remained in New 
Haven where he farmed. He served as fence 
viewer: in 1646 did garrison duty, being also 
often on committees to settle boundary ques- 
tions ; was many times on the jury; 1667 he 
was constable. At his request, at a court held 
in New Haven, May i, 1660, his daughter, 
Sarah Tuttle, and Jacobeth Melyn, son of 
Cornelius Melyn, the patroon of Staten Island, 
of which he was sole proprietor by grant from 
the home government, were prosecuted for 
"sitting down on a chest together, his arm 
about her waist and her arm upon his shoulder 
or neck, and continuing in this sinful position 
about a half an hour, in which time he kissed 
her and she kissed him and they kissed one 
another, as the witnesses testify." They were 
fined twenty shillings each, and one-half of 
Sarah's was subsequently remitted at request 
of her father. An inventory of William Tut- 
tle's estate, Jime, 1673, by John Harriman and 
William Bradley, places its value at £400 85s 
6d. every article beine tabulated and valued. 
His wife Elizabeth's estate, in Ecbniary, 1684. 
was apnroved by M. Mansfield and John Al- 
leng, Jr.; the tabulated list was £204 75s 
3J^d. This did not include the real estate, and 
was for those times large amounts Children : 
I. John, born 1631. Z. Hannah (Ann), born 
i6'^2. 3. Thomas, born i6'?4. who was three 
months old when be landed with his parents, 
and was baptized in Cbarlestown, Massachu- 
setts. 4. Jonathan, baptized July 8, 1637. 5. 
David, baptized April 7, 1639. 6. Joseph, of 
whom further. 7. Sarah baptized April. 1642. 
8. Elizabeth, baptized November 9, 1645. 9. 
Simon, hantized March 28, 1647. 10. Benja- 
min, baptized October 29, 1648. 11. Mercy, 
baptized .Ajjril 27, 1650. 12. Nathaniel, bap- 
tized February 29, 1652. 

(H) Joseph, son of William and Elizabeth 
Tuttle, was baptized in New Haven, Connecti- 
cut, November 22, 1640, and died .September, 
ificK), at New Haven. fTe resided in the place 
of his birth all of his life. He was a member 
of the night watch, and was ever on the alert 



for Indians. He was appointed constable, but 
declined to serve. He married. May 2, 1667, 
at New Haven, Hannah, daughter of Captain 
Thomas Munson, baptized in New Haven in 
1648, and died November 30, 1695, at Guil- 
ford, Connecticut. Captain Munson was in 
the Pequot war as sergeant under Mason, 
1642; ensign in 1661-64; lieutenant in 1664- 
76, under Captain Treat, in King Philip's 
war; captain, 1676, of New Haven county 
militia. After the death of Joseph Tuttle, his 
wife, Hannah (Munson) Tuttle, married (sec- 
ond) Nathan Bradley, born in 1638, and re- 
sided in Guilford. Children: Joseph, Sam- 
uel ; Stephen, of whom further : Joanna, Timo- 
thy, Susannah. Elizabeth, Hannah, Hannah 
(2). 

(HI) Stephen, son of Joseph and Hannah 
(Munson) Tuttle, was born May 20, 1673, at 
New Haven, Connecticut, and died in 1709. 
His will is dated October 20, 17 — , and re- 
corded at Trenton, New Jersey, the same year, 
and also at Woodbridge, New Jersey. He 
went to New Jersey about 1700. He was a 
— prominent member of the Hanover Presby- 
terian church, and helped to establish the 
church in his community, and largely sup- 
ported it during his lifetime. He lived in 
Woodbridge, New Jersey, and was constable 
in 1698. His will mentions every member of 
his family, apportioning to each his just share. 
He married, .September 12, 160S. at Wond- 
bridee, Ruth (Higgins) Fitz-Randolph 
(widow of Fitz-Randolph). The Hiegins and 
Fitz-Randolph families were considered the 
gentry in that section nf New Jersey, and she 
was accounted a beautiful woman anri a great 
matrimonial catch by the chroniclers of that 
day. Children : Timothy, of whom further ; 
Joseph, Stephen, Samuel 

(IV) Timothy, son of Stephen and Ruth 
(Higgins-Fitz Randolph) Tuttle, was born 
October 16. 1606. at Woodbridge. New Jersey, 
and died December 31, 1754. at Hanover, New 
Tersey. With his brother Joseph he lived in 
Newark until T730 or 1732. then moved to 
Morris county, where they had previously pur- 
chased land. He was a member of the Han- 
over Presbyterian church, the oldest in the 
county. He was overseer of the poor, assessor 
and justice of peace while living in Newark 
nnfl Hanover. Tie married in 1724, at Mor- 
ristown, Cecilia Moore, who was buried July 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



467 



3, 1768. She was a member of one of the 
old and substantial families of New Jersey. 
He accumulated a good deal of property, 
which was apportioned out among his heirs in 
1755. Children; Daniel, of whom further; 
Thomas, Isaac, Stephen, Abraham, Mary, 
Joanna. 

(V) Captain Daniel Tuttle, son of Timothy 
and Cecilia (Moore) Tuttle, was born January 
13. 1725. at Newark, New Jersey, and died 
October 9, 1805. He was a member of the 
Hanover Presbyterian church ; and was one of 
the organizers of a company to resist the 
British invasion. Although past fifty, he en- 
listed, and was in many battles. An incident 
is given that shows of what stuff Tuttles are 
made: William, the youngest of five sons, 
notified his father that he had enlisted. Cap- 
tain Daniel stejjped to the door and said in 
a peremptory tone : "Here, Tim, Bill has 
'listed and I want you to 'list also to take care 
of him." Timothy enlisted, as did the father 
and the brothers Joseph, John, Daniel and 
William. They were at Middle Brook, Valley 
Forge and Morristown. There were twenty- 
seven of the name of Tuttle in the revolu- 
tionary war. While the men were in the 
army, the women of the family spun, wove, 
made clothes for their soldiers, and gave of 
the fruits of their fields and of their herds. 
Captain Daniel Tuttle married (first) Jemima 
Johnson: (second) Catherine McDowell; 
(third) Mary Plum. Children: Timothy, of 
whom further ; Anna, Phoebe, Joseph, John, 
Mary, Daniel, William, Cecilia, David. 

(VI) Captain Timothy (2) Tuttle, son of 
Captain Daniel and Jemima (Johnson) Tuttle, 
was born September 18, 1748, and died June 
16, 1816 He resided at Whippany, Morris 
county, New Jersey. He enlisted at the same 
time as his father and four brothers, in the 
revolutionary army. He was sergeant, en- 
sign, lieutenant and captain from Morris 
county. His family entertained General \\'ash- 
ington, and received from the commander-in- 
chief of the revolutionary forces the gift of a 
tea caddy which he had used in the army. He 
was a member of the Society of the Cincinnati. 
Captain Timothy wooed and won Mary Ward, 
a belle of Hanover, New Jersey, during the 
revolutionary war, the wedding taking place 
October 14, 177Q. She was the daughter of 
Timothy Cooper and Jerusha Ward. Timothy 



Cooper Ward was born in 1736, died March 
13, 1816, and is buried near his son-in-law 
and daughter at Whippany. His wife, Jeru- 
sha, was born January, 1737, and died March 
21, 181 1, and is also buried at Whippany. 
Mary (Ward) Tuttle died June 5, 1851, aged 
ninety. Captain Timothy was a pensioner of 
the United States government during the lat- 
ter years of his life. Children: James, of 
whom further; Ashbell, Timothy, Ambrose, 
Phoebe, Elizabeth, Lydia, Mary Ward, Am- 
brose Johnson. 

(VII) James, son of Captain Timothy (2) 
and Mary (Ward) Tuttle, was born Jan- 
uary 23, 1782, and died February 6, 1844. 
He held many important local offices, and, 
like his forbears, was a member of the Pres- 
byterian church, and also of the Society of 
the Cincinnati. He married Eliza Farrand, 
daughter of Phineas Farrand, who descendel 
from Nathaniel Farrand, who was in Milford, 
Connecticut, in 1645. Phineas signed the As- 
sociation to support the Continental and 
provincial congresses, signing at Pequannock, 
Morris county. New Jersey, May. 1776. Chil- 
dren : F.loisa Elvira, of whom further; Mar- 
garet. .Ariadne. Martha Ann, Phineas Far- 
rand, Charles Rollin. John Harvey. Ariadne 
(2d). 

(VIII) Eloisa Elvira, daughter of James 
and Eliza (Farrand) Tuttle, was born Feb- 
ruary 14. 1808; died, i860: married Joseph 
P. Gould, born March 10, 1S04 Children: 
Charles Judson ; George Tuttle ; Elvira Tuttle, 
of whom further; Josephine. Mr. Gould de- 
scended from John Gould, one of three broth- 
ers (the other two being Robert and Thomas) 
who came from Devonshire. England, in 1664. 
He established himself on Long Island. later 
moved to Elizabethtown. New Jersey ; mar- 
ried Sarah Extell, in Connecticut ; had six 
children. John, son of lohn and Sarah (Ex- 
tell) Gould, married Widow Martha Frazier. 
Tohn. son of John and Martha (Frazier) 
Gould, was born in 1708, married .Abigail 
Woodruff, born September 12. 1712. Joseph 
son of John and .Abigail (Woodruff) Gould, 
was born Tuly 16. 1737, married, before 1762. 
Rebecca Paxton (born December 16, 17.38, 
died March 4. 1816) : died December. 1810. 

(IX) Elvira Tuttle Gould, daughter of 
Eloisa Elvira (Tuttle) and Joseph P. Gould, 
was born March i. 1840, at Newark, New 



468 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Jersey; married, November 14, i860, at New- 
ark, Isaac Vail Brokaw, born November 27, 
183s, at Metucben, New Jersey. Children: 
Grace, Ernest, Frederick, Isaac Irving, El- 
vira, Howard Crosby, George Tuttle, of 
whom further. 

(X) George Tuttle Brokaw, son of Elvira 
Tuttle (Gould) and Isaac Vail Brokaw, is 
the tenth generation of the Tuttle family and 
the seventh generation of the Brokaw line. 
(See Brokaw VII.) 



(VI) William \"ail Brokaw. 
BROKAW son of Simeon Brokaw (q. 

v.), and Prudence (Vail) 
Brokaw, was born at Metuchen, New Jersey, 
May 9, 1831, and died May 8. 1907. He mar- 
ried, November 8, 1854, Elizabeth Foote 
Gould, born at Newark, New Jersey, Sep- 
tember 29, 1832, and died June 28, 1900, at 
London, England. Children : Florence, mar- 
ried (first) James E. Martin, (second) Dr. 
Preston Satterwhite; Lillia, married H. Bram- 
hall Gilbert, deceased ; William G. ; and Clif- 
ford Vail, mentioned below. 

(VII) Clififor.l Vail, son of William Vail 
and Elizabeth Foote (Gould) Brokaw, was 
born March 8, 1876. Mr. Brokaw is a well- 
known New York capitalist. He married Nan- 
nie Coffin Inman, daughter of John H. and 
Margaret Coffin Inman, on January 9, 1901. 
Children: Clifford Vail, Jr., born January it, 
1902 ; Margaret, died in infancy. 

(The Vail Line). 

There is a good deal of doubt as to the 
origin of the surname. Vail or Vaill. but it 
is generally claimed to be Welsh or English. 
The Vails of Mayfield. Fulton county. New 
York, are said to be descended from Samuel 
Vail, who settled in the Mohawk Valley. He 
had a brother William who settled in the town 
of Galway, now Saratoga county. New York 
Samuel Vail was for a long tine at Albany, 
New York, where he was engaged as a carriage 
btiilder. The immigrant ancestor of the Vails 
of Troy is said to be John Vail, who settled in 
Rye, in 1683, went toSouthhold, Long Island, 
about 1700, and died there previous to 1770, at 
the age of ninety-four years. The family, ac- 
cording to one authority, originally Vaill. went 
into France in 1 513. beginning with John 
Vaill. born in Gloucestershire England, who 



went into France with Henry \TII. as en- 
sign. Another immigrant ancestor of the 
name is Jeremiah \'ail or Vaill, who was a 
resident of Salem, Massachusetts, as early as 
1639, and July that year was a witness in 
the court held there. In 1647 Jeremiah Vail 
became a proprietor, bought land in 1648, 
sold it in 165 1, and removed out of the juris- 
diction. He was a blacksmith by trade, and 
probably followed that trade during his resi- 
dence in Salem. In 1645, his wife Cath- 
arine was admitted to the church there. In 
165 1 he removed to Gardiner's Island, then 
called the Isle of Wight, and took charge, 
with Anthony Waters, of the farm of Lieu- 
tenant Lion r;ardiner of Long Island. Pre- 
vious to his removal he had been granted, in 
165 1, by the town of Southampton. Long 
Island, a lot of land, provided that he set- 
tle there before the following January and 
do all the blacksmith work of the town. This 
offer, however, he did not accept. In legal 
and ecclesiastical affairs, Gardiner's Island 
was subject to the authority of the town of 
Easthampton, and its early records contain 
several brief statements respecting Jeremiah 
Vail. It is quite possible that there was a 
relationship between Jeremiah Vail and 
Thomas \'ail. another immigrant ancestor of 
the \'ail family, mentioned below, but what 
that relationship was. supposing it to have ex- 
isted, has not been ascertained. 

(I) Thomas Vail, immigrant ancestor of 
the Vail family, resided before 1657 in South- 
ampton, Long Island, and in Westchester 
county. New York. He married (first) Sarah 

. and (secoiuH Elizabeth . born 1(157, 

and died November 3, 1747, at Woodbridge, 
New Jersey ; the family names of neither of 
Thomas' wives are on record. Elizabeth, his 
second wife, survived him, and married (sec- 
ond) a man of the name of Gach, and (third) 
John Griffith. Child of Thomas \'ail. by 
first marriage: Joseph; by secotid marriage: 
Samuel, mentioned below; Martha, John, 
Daniel, Arthur and Thomas. 

(II) Samuel, son of Thomas and Elizabeth 
Vail, was born January 21, 1678. and died 
July 26. 1733. at Woodbridge. New Jersey. 
He married (first) Abigail (surname not 
given in records), born 1685. died Novem- 
ber 14, 1724, at Westchester, New York; and 
(second'l April 8, 1725, Sarah, daughter of 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



469 



Matthew Farrington. Children by first mar- 
riage ; John, mentioned below ; Stephen, Sam- 
uel, Phebe, Thomas, Isaac, Joseph, Abigail ; 
by second marriage : Matthew, Sarah and 
Elizabeth. 

(III) John, son of Samuel and Abigail 
Vail, was born May 21, 1708, at Westchester, 
New York, and died August 17, 1754, at 
Plainfield, New Jersey. He was called John 
Vail, ]r., to distinguish him from his uncle, 
the Quaker preacher. He himself also be- 
longed to the Society of Friends. He mar- 
ried (first) in 1731, between November 19 
and December 16 that year, Margaret, daugh- 
ter of John and Elizabeth (Shotwell) Laing, 
born November 9, 1710, at Old Plainfield, Pis- 
cataway township, Middlesex county, New 
Jersey, and died before 1751 ; (second) be- 
fore November 17, 1751, Mary Laing, his 
first wife's sister, born 1717. Children by first 
marriage: Samuel, John, Daniel, Isaac. 
David (mentioned below), Jacob. Abraham. 
Beniamin; by second marriage: Joseph and 
Christianna. 

(IV) David, son of John and Margaret 
(Laing) Vail, was born July 6, 1740. at 
Greenbrook, New Jersey, and died Novem- 
ber 7, 1823, being buried at Plainfield. New 
Jersey. David resided at Greenbrook, War- 
ren township. Somerset county. New Jersey. 
He married. July 23, T766. at Plainfield, 
Phebe. daughter of William and Prudence 
(Smith) Jackson, born January 13, 1747. 
(recorded "at Rahway and Plainfield. Friends' 
monthly meeting) died June 5, 1820. aeed 
seventy-three years, and buried at Plainfield, 
New lersey. Children : William, mentioned 
below; John, Prudence, James Daniel, David, 
Rebecca, Margaret, Smith. Phebe, Margaret 
or Mary, Joseph and Margaret. 

(V) William, son of David and Phebe 
(Jackson) Vail, was born May 4, 1767, at 
Greenbrook, New Jersey, and died Februarv 
2. 1837, at Newmarket. New Jersey, (prob- 
ably). He resided at Greenbrook and was a 
Quaker. He married, February 7, 1790- at 
Scotch Plains, New Jer.sey, (probablv). Je- 
mima, daughter of " James and Elizabeth 
(Frazee) Cole, of Scotch Plains, New Jersey. 
died December 22, 1826 (or 1828). at New- 
market, New Jersey (probably). He mar- 
ried (second) "in 1830. Christiana Clark<;on. 
died in the winter of 1847- Children : Eliza- 



beth Phebe, James, Prudence, mentioned be- 
low; David \V., Rachel. Dennis, Margaret. 
William, Daniel. By the second marriage 
there were no children. 

(VI) Prudence, daughter of William and 
Jemima (Cole) \'ail, was born February 17, 
1795, at Greenbrook, New Jersey, and died 
May 14. 1887, at Plainfield, New Jersey. She 
married, February 6. 1822, at Metuchen, New 
Jersey. Simeon Brokaw, born November 22, 
1792, at Greenbrook, New Jersey, died Feb- 
ruary 3, 1854, at Metuchen, New Jersey. 
(See Brokaw.) 

(The Gould Line). 

Gould or Gold is said by Lower to have 
been a personal or baptismal name, where it 
was known in England or had an English 
origin, for the name occurs in Germany and 
other countries. Golde and Goldus occur in 
the Domesday Book, and Gold, in the Hun- 
dred Rolls, had become a surname. As a 
baptismal name it was in use in the four- 
teenth century in some form that was pos- 
sibly a variation of this name. As a man's 
name. Gold must have been somewhat com- 
mon in England, as many local names, since 
become surnames, are compounded with it. 
Examples of such names are Goldney, Gold- 
ham, Goldey, Goldsbury, Goldsby, Golds- 
worthy and Goldsthorpe. It also appears to 
have given rise to the names of Golden and 
Goulden, Golding and Goulding. The latter 
are probably patronymical. The Golds are 
said to be traceable, in one form of the name 
or another, in the municipal records of Ex- 
eter, to the time of Edward III. 

(I) John Gould, immigrant ancestor of 
the Go"uld family, is supposed to have been 
born at Dartmouth. Devonshire. England, and 
died at Elizabethtown, New Jersey. He re- 
sided on Long Island, and in New York, and 
in Elizabethtown, New Jersey. He married, 
in Connecticut. Sarah Axtell, or Extell. Chil- 
dren : Tohn, mentioned below ; Thomas, Han- 
nah. .Sarah. Mary and Abigail. 

(II) John (2), son of John (i) and Sarah 
(Axtell'or Extell) Gould, resided in Elizabeth- 
town, New Jersey. He married, in 1703. 
Martha Frazier or Frazee. widow of William 
Frazier or Frazee. whose will is dated Aupnj^t 
t6 1703. and proved May 29. I704- Chil- 
dren: Robert: Tohn. mentioned below; 
Thomas. Martha. Sarah. 



470 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



(III) John (3), son of John (2) and Mar- 
tha (Frazier or Frazee) Gould, was born 
September 2, 1708, at Westfield, or Elizabeth, 
New Jersey. He resided at Caldwell, New 
Jersey. He married Abigail, daughter of 
Joseph and Hannah Woodruff, of Westfield, 
New Jersey, born September 12, 1712, at 
Westfield, New Jersey. Children: John; 
Joseph, mentioned below ; Sarah, Stephen, 
Samuel. 

(IV) Joseph, son of John (3) and Abi- 
gail (Woodruff) Gould, was born July 16, 
1737, at Caldwell, New Jersey, and died De- 
cember 7, 1810, at Caldwell, New Jersey. 
He resided at Caldwell, New Jersey. He mar- 
ried, before 1762, Rebecca Paxton, born De- 
cember 16, 1738, died March 4. 1816 (buried 
at Caldwell, in the Presbyterian burial 
ground). Children: Abigail, Sarah, Polly, 
Stephen, John, William, Thomas, Anthony, 
mentioned below ; Joseph. 

(V) Anthony, son of Joseph and Rebec- 
ca (Paxton) Gould, was born October 22, 
1774, at Caldwell, New Jersey (probably), and 
died March 6, 1856, at Caldwell. His home 
was at Caldwell. He married. January 15, 
1797, Mary Sandford, born October 29, 1772, 
died February 23, 1844, aged seventy-one 
years, three months, twenty-six days, at Cald- 
well. Children : Robert, Emeline, Rebecca, 
Horace, Joseph P., mentioned below; Mit- 
chell. 

(VI) Joseph P., son of Anthony and Mary 
(Sandford) Gould, was born Marcli 10, 1804, 
at Caldwell. New Jersey, probably. He re- 
sided for the most part at Caldwell, and in 
New York City. He was called Joseph P. 
in the will of his father and the settlement 
of the estate. He married Eloisa Elvira Tut- 
tie. Children : Charles Judson, George Tuttle ; 
Elvira Tuttle. mentioned below ; Josephine. 

(VII) Elvira Tuttle. daughter of Joseph P. 
Gould, was born March i, 1840, at Newark. 
New Jersey; married. November 14, i860 
Isaac V. Brokaw, born November 27, 1835, 
at Metuchen. New Jersey, (see Brokaw). 



This surname is also found almost 
GRAY as frequently with the spelling, 

"Grey." Some genealogists derive 
the name and the family in some cases from 
Fulbert. chamberlain to Robert. Duke of Nor- 
mandy, who held by his gift the castle of Croy, 



in Picardy, from whence the name is assumed 
to have been borrowed. There is, however, 
no evidence for this pedigree, which is only 
traced in some cases to Henry de Grey, to 
whom Richard Coeur de Lion gave the manor 
of Thurrock, county Essex, England, which 
manor was subsequently known as Grey's 
Thurrock. From the "Recherches sur le Dom- 
esday" of D'Anisy, it appears probable that 
the family came from Grai or Gray, a village 
near Caen, in Normandy. However this may 
be, the first settler of the name in England 
appears to have been Anchitillus Grai, a 
Domesday tenant in Oxfordshire. There are 
numerous Grays and Greys in Ireland and 
Scotland too, but the greater number have a 
(laelic or Milesian origin, the name being an 
English rendering of a more ancient Gaelic 
form. Thus the family name of Gilrea or 
MacGilrea, anglicised in modern times into 
Kilroy, and borne by the Milesian lords of 
Clonderlaw in the territory now called Clare, 
themselves a branch of the great "Guinness" 
family, has in many cases been translated to 
Gray. The surname itself has been derived 
from a chief ancestor called Giolla Riabhach 
(Gilrea), numbering in the ninety-fifth gen- 
eration of the family pedigree, "riabhach" 
(rea), being Gaelic for "grey" or "swarthy." 
Of this family was Sir John Gray, a member 
of the British parliament, who was born at 
Claremorris, county Mayo, in 1816, died at 
Bath, England, in 1875. A great number of 
families bearing the name of Gray or Grey 
are given in heraldic w'orks as having the right 
to bear arms. The coat-of-arms of one of 
these families is thus heraldically described : 
Quarterly, ist and 4th, gules with a bordure 
engraved a lion rampant argent ; 2n(l and 3rd, 
quarterly, ist and 4th, ermine two bars vert; 
2nd and 3rd, argent a fesse azure, between 
an eagle displayed with two heads in chief and 
a lion rampant in base sable. Crest : Out of 
a mural crown a phoenix in flames proper. 
Mottoes: Over the crest: Clarior ct tencbris; 
under the arms : Vixt liber et mortar. 

(I) Alexander Gray, the first ancestor in 
America of the Gray family, was born in Ire- 
land, and came to the United States in 1795. 
He died at Philadelphia soon after his arrival. 
Alexander Gray came of excellent stock and 
occupied a good position both in his native 
country and here. He was a fairly young 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



man at the time of his death, and was at the 
start of a commercial career that promised to 
accomplisli great things. He married Mary 
Little, a lady of the Clinton family, dis- 
tinguished in the revolutionary annals of New 
York, and after her husband's death she be- 
came the second wife of her deceased hus- 
band's cousin, General James Clinton, the rev- 
olutionary soldier. By his first wife, Mary 
De Witt, General James Clinton was the father 
of one of the most famous men of New York 
state, De Witt Clinton, governor of New York, 
and creator of the Erie canal. The ancient 
form of the Clinton surname was MacClin- 
tain, which resolved into its Gaelic elements 
is "Mac giolla Fintain," meaning "the son of 
the votary or devoted of St. Fintain." An 
ancestor of the family appears to have been 
William Clinton or Clintain, who was for some 
time an officer in the army of Charles I. of 
England. His son, James Clinton, married 
Elizabeth Smith, whose father had been a cap- 
tain in the parliamentary army during the 
civil war, and it was their son, according to 
one authority, who came to New York in 
1729, and established the settlement of Little 
Britain in Ulster, now Orange county. New 
York. James Clinton was born in Ireland in 
1690, died in 1773. His most celebrated sons 
were General James Clinton, the stepfather 
of John Gray, and the Hon. George Clinton, 
who was born in 1739, died in 1812, an<l who 
was one of the most prominent and active 
revolutionary patriots during the agitation 
which preceded the outbreak of active hostili- 
ties with England, and a member of the con- 
tinental congress. He afterwards became the 
first governor of the state of New York and 
later vice-president of the LTnited States. The 
children of Alexander and Mary (Little) 
Gray included John, mentioned below. 

(H) John, son of Alexander and Mary 
(Little) Gray, was born in Ireland, died in 
1816, at Little Britain. Orange county. New 
York. He married Kathrine Scott. Among 
their children was John Alexander Clinton, 
mentioned below. 

(Ill) John Alexander Clinton, son of John 
and Kathrine (Scott) Gray, was born in 1815. 
in the Clinton mansion at Little Britain, 
Orange county. New York, died in 1898. He 
received his education in various schools in 
Orange county and New York City, and from 



471 

boyhood was a resident of New York City, 
entering business life at an early age and re- 
tiring in the year 1852. He remained interested 
in various railroad enterprises following his 
retirement from an active commercial life, but 
nnich of his time was passed in Europe and 
devoted to travel. When the original Central 
Park commission was formed Mr. Gray was 
its vice-president. He married, in 1837, Susan 
M., daughter of George Zabriskie, a prominent 
citizen of New York, an alderman of the city, 
and a member of the state assembly. Mrs. 
Gray was a descendant in the sixth generation 
of Albrecht Zaborowsky, a native of Poland, 
who came from Prussia to New Amsterdam 
in 1662, and took up his residence in New 
Jersey, purchasing lands at Paramus. His 
son, Jan, married Margaretta Duryea. and his 
grandson, Joost, married Annetje Terhune, 
daughter of John Terhune, while his de- 
scendants have been since prominent both in 
New Jersey and New York and have become 
allied with the oldest families in both states. 
Children of John Alexander Clinton and 
Susan M. (Zabriskie) Gray: i. George Za- 
briskie, born in New York, July 14, 1838. He 
graduated at the University of New York in 
1858, and studied at the Theological Seminary 
at Alexandria until the outbreak of the civil 
war, when he concluded his course at the the- 
ological school in Philadelphia anrl was grad- 
uated in 1862. He was admitted to the 
diaconate by Bishop Horatio Potter in the 
same year and ordained to the priesthood in 
1863. After doing temporary clerical duty in 
several parishes he was appointed rector at St. 
Paul's Church, Kinderhook, New York, in 
1862, and rector of Trinity Church at Ber- 
gen Point, New York, in 1865, resigning in 
1876 to become dean of the Episcopal 
Theological School at Cambridge. Massachu- 
setts. Dean Gray was a loyal, broad and 
liberal-minded churchman, and as such left a 
strong impression of his personality upon the 
theological school of which he was so long 
the head. For many years he was one of the 
acknowledged leaders of the Episcopal church. 
He was of a genial temperament and acquired 
the respect and personal aflfection of the stu- 
dents with whom he came in contact, as he 
did of all others who knew him. He was 
benevolent and gave great and unostentatious 
assistance to many a young man who needed 



472 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



help at the beginning of a career. In 1862 
he married Kate, liaiigliter of George Forrest, 
of New York. He pubHshed besides poems, 
sermons and addresses, "The Children's 
Crusade : An Episode of the Thirteenth Cen- 
tury" (1871); of which the "Saturday Re- 
view" wrote: "If we cannot think highly of 
Mr. Gray as a critical historian, we are 
obliged to him for giving us in an accessible 
form all that is known from various sources 
of this weird tale, which has never we believe 
been told so fully before." "The Scriptural 
Doctrine of Recognition in the World to 
Come" (1875) ; "Husband and Wife: or The 
Theory of Marriage and Its Consequences" 
(1885); and "The Church's Certain Faith," 
Baldwin lectures from 1889 (Boston, 1890). 
2 .Alhert Zabriskie, born at New York, March 
2, 1840. died at Sharon Springs, New York, 
August 4, 1889. He was also a clergyman of 
the Protestant Episcopal church, having grad- 
uated from the General Theological Seminary, 
New York, in 1864. He served as chaplain in 
the field for the Fourth Massachu,=etts Cavalry 
during the civil war, and after holding various 
pastorates became warden of Racine College, 
Wisconsin. In 1889 he received the degree 
of Doct r of Divinity from Columbia College. 
He was associated with church reform work 
and reunion in Europe, that was undertaken 
by his church, and he was a delegate to the 
general convention in 1886. 3. John Clinton, 
mentioned below. 

(IV) John Clinton, youngest son of John 
Alexander Clinton and Susan M. (Zabriskie) 
Gray, was born in New York, December 4, 
1843. He received part of his education at 
the University of Berlin, Prussia, and grad- 
uated in 1864 from the University of the City 
of New York with the degree of A. M. He 
was graduated from Harvard Law School in 
1866, and practiced in New York from 1866 
to 188S, earning the highest honors of the 
legal profession in New York. In 1888 Gov- 
ernor Hill appointed him to fill the vacancy in 
the court of appeals, caused by the death of 
Judge Charles A. Rapallo, and at the election 
held that year he was chosen for the full term 
of fourteen years. Judge Gray was a mem- 
ber of the Har .A^^^ociation. and of the Metro- 
politan, Manhattan, Century, and Union 
I.eague clubs, and of the National Academy 
of Design and the Metropolitan Museum of 



Art. He married Henrietta Gunther. Chil- 
dren: I. John Clinton, Jr., born in New York 
City, March 16, 1874. He was educated at 
Racine College Grammar School, Racine, Wis- 
consin, from 1884 to 1888, and went to Law- 
renceville School. Lawrenceville, New Jersey, 
from 1889 to 1890. From 1890 to 1892 he 
was at the Pension at Hacius, Lancy, Switzer- 
land, and was at the Albany Academy, Albany, 
New York, from 1892 to 1893. From 1893 
to 1897 he was at Harvard College, receiving 
the degree of A. B. in 1897, and attended the 
Harvard Law School in 1897 and 1898. He 
is a stock broker by occupation. In religion 
he is an Episcopalian, and in politics a Dem- 
ocrat. He is unmarried and belongs to the 
Knickerbocker. University, Racquet and 
Tennis, and Harvard clubs of New York City. 
2. Henry Gunther, born in New York City, 
October 4, 1875. Educated at Racine College 
Grammar School. Racine, Wisconsin, 1884 to 
1888; Lawrenceville School, Lawrenceville, 
New Jersey, 1889 to 1890; Pension at Hacius. 
Lancy, Switzerland, 1890 to 1892; Albany 
Academy, Albany, New York, 1892 to 1893 ; 
Harvard College, 1893 to 1897; and Harvard 
Unixersity Law .^oliool, 1807 to 1900, having 
attained at Harvard the degrees of A. B. in 
1897, of A. M. in i8g8, and of LL. B. in 
igoo. He is by profession a lawyer, having 
been admitted to the bar in 1900. He was 
deputy assistant district attorney under W. 
T Jerome from 1902 to 1905; a member of 
tlK- tlrin of Sage. Kerr & Gray from 1905 to 
1907: the firm being consolidated in 1907 with 
Zabriskie, Burrill & Murray under the firm 
name of Zabriskie, Murray. Sage & Kerr. He 
is a member of the Knickerbocker, University, 
Racquet and Tennis, and Harvard clubs, and 
of the New York City Bar Association. 3. 
Pauline Mary, married, October 29, 1906, 
Thomas Franklin Witherspoon, born at Louis- 
ville, Kentucky, April 30, 1880. 4. Edith 
Romeyn, married, December 2. 1902, R. S. 
Reynolds Hitt, born at Paris, France, June 7, 
1876, now United States minister to Guate- 
mala. 5. -Albert Zabriskie, mentioned below. 
(\') Albert Zabriskie, son of John Clinton 
and Henrietta (Gunther) Gray, was born at 
Newport. Rhode Island, July 15, 188 1. He 
received his education at the .Albany Academy, 
St. Bartholomew's School; St. Paul's School, 
Concord, New Hampshire ; and at Harvard 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



473 



University. He is at present a member of the 
stockbroking firm of Gray & Wilmerding, No. 
5 Nassau street, New York. He is an Inde- 
pendent in politics, and an Episcopalian in re- 
ligion. He belongs to the Porcellian Club, 
Harvard ; the Harvard Club, New York ; the 
Racquet and Tennis Club, New Y^ork ; and 
the Knickerbocker, Metropolitan, Meadow 
Brook, and Piping Rock clubs. He is also a 
member of Holland Lodge, No. 8, Free and 
Accepted Mason. He married, at New York, 
June 12, 1907, Marian Anthon, born at Gar- 
rison, New York, August 2, 1S80, daughter 
of Stuyvesant and Marian G. (Anthon) Fish. 
They have one child: Marian Natalie, born 
in New York City, March 2, 19 12. 



This family name has been vari- 
WILDE ously spelled in such ways as 
Wild, Wilde, Weld, Welde, 
Wyld, Wylde, Wilds and Wildes. As a con- 
sequence one who is interested in this fam- 
ily's record must make the research among 
the archives of the old New England towns 
not for Wild or Wilde alone, but seek descend- 
ants who have employed the many different 
spellings of the name. The family has had 
existence in this country now approaching two 
centuries, and started as New England settlers 
in Colonial days. 

The first of the name in America were John 
and William Wilde or Wild. They were pas- 
sengers aboard the "Elizabeth," whose captain 
was William Stagg, sailing from London, Eng- 
land, in 1635, for New England, as appears by 
the ship's list. According to the entry made 
therein. William Wild was thirty years old. 
John was put down as aged seventeen, and 
with them was one Alice Wild, subscribed as 
being forty years old. This variance in the 
ages, seventeen and forty years, would show 
that John and Alice were not brother and sis- 
ter ; but she could have been his mother, and 
again, she might have been a sister of William, 
ten years a senior. William Wild's age is set 
forth also in the records of the London Cus- 
tom House as having been thirty in the year 
1635; hence he was born about 1605, and was 
thirty years old on arrival here. Accepting 
the statement regarding John also as true, he 
was born in the year 1618. 

On account of the relationship of the two 
males by the name of Wild arriving by the 



same sailing vessel, it is interesting to follow 
the course of William. He settled in Ipswich, 
Massachusetts, between the years 1635 and 
1638, the latter being the date on which his 
name is entered on town records, connected 
with a grant of land to Henry Wilkinson, the 
exact date of which is July 25, 1638. From 
this it is natural to suppose he had been resid- 
ing there some time previous. The location 
of this tract, showing where William Wild or 
Wilde had his place, is described as follows 
in an old deed: "Granted to Henry Wilkinson 
by the company of freeman, 1635, three acres 
of planting ground on the south syde the 
Towne River. Also hee is possessed of three 
acres adjoining unto the same, the which latter 
three acres hee bought of Robert Hayes, and 
was granted unto ye sayde Robert Hayes at 
the same tyme the whole six acres, having a 
plaining lott of Ixobert Cross on the East, and 
a house lott of John Dayne's on the west, also 
on the same syde a planting lott of William 
Wildes, buting upon the north end upon the 
river. Also three acres of planting ground 
lying upon Sogamore Hill, having .Vndrew 
Story's lott on the Southeast, and Michaell 
Williamson's lott on the Northeast.'' 

William Wilde removed to the town of Row- 
ley as early as 1643, for the records show that 
he had a house-lot on Bradford street, "con- 
taining an Acree and an halfe bounded on the 
South by Thomas Palmer's house-lott ; part of 
it lying on the \\'est side and part of it on the 
East side of the streets." He likewise received 
the same year, grants of 48 acres of pasture 
land, marsh and upland in Rowley, and that 
he accumulated much wealth is shown by the 
various deeds. Most of it was bordering on 
the Merrimac river, and described as excellent 
pasture land. He was entered a freeman of 
Rowley, January 31, 1646. After that time, 
he apears to have owned property at Ipswich, 
and there worked as a carpenter. In this con- 
nection he was engaged by the selectmen in 
January, 1656, to build a wharf for the town's 
use, and for "the oversight and caring on of 
the carpenter's work." He was appointed fence 
viewer in 1658. His will was drawn Septem- 
ber 30, 1662, and names Theophilus Willson. 
William White and Robert Lord as executors; 
his wife. Elizabeth, the sole executrix. Among 
the curious pieces of property he bequeathed. 
are: "One ewe lamb, fowling-peece. one bed- 



474 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



sted strawbed flock boulster blankett & cover- 
lett, 4 paire of stockens; 6 old axes; three 
oxen." Whilst the name of Elizabeth, his 
wife, is mentioned by him in his will, her name 
rarely is found on any other record than the 
document signed by her in 1652, when she con- 
sented to a sale of land in Ipswich. William 
Wilde died some time between the signing of 
his will. May 6, and its probation, September 
30, 1662. His widow married, November 6, 
1662, Richard Moore, of Lynn, Massachusetts, 
whicli was barely five weeks after his burial 
hail taken place. 

William and Elizabeth Wilde had a son 
named Ephraim. He removed from the fam- 
ily home to Topsfield ; married, and had a fam- 
ily of size, sixteen children. Ten of these were 
sons and six were daughters. It is reported 
that the entire population of his family, these 
sixteen children, were gathered at one time 
about his table and made a charming circle 
about his hearth, although they had separated, 
each seeking fortune in other localities. 

Of the children of Ephraim Wilde, his son 
of same name, either had no family, or re- 
moved. The second child. Jacob, married 
Ruth Foster, by whom Jacob, John, Ephraim, 
Mary, (who married Ebenezer Emmons), 
Ruth (who married Jacob Rhodes), and Doro- 
thy (who married Gideon Merrill). Ephraim, 
the son of Ephraim and grandson of William 
Wilde, having for his first child Jacob, the 
same married Abigail Stevens, by whom Sarah, 
who married Christopher Gillpatrick ; Jacob, 
died young; Jacob (again), died young; Jacob 
(third child of same name) died at sea; Lucy, 
who married Jacob Durrell ; Israel, who mar- 
ried Betsey Penisks ; William, who married 
Mar\' I.nvewell : Joseph; a child, died young; 
Jacob Wilde, father of these children, re-mar- 
ried T,ydia Ranks, by whom no children. 

John Wilde, the third son of Ephraim and 
grandson of William Wilde, married Jane 
Stone and had children: John, died young; 
Lydia, married Alexander Thompson ; 
Thomas ; Dixey, married Theodosia Bragdon. 
and moved to Boston. 

Ephraim Wilde, the fourth son of Ephraim 
and grandson of William Wilde, married Tem- 
perance Downing; and had children: Ephraim, 
died young; Mary, married (first) Thomas 
I,ec. married (second) Mr. Neally ; Lydia. 
died young; Ruth, married Cephas Smith; 



Phoebe, married John Taylor; John, died at 
sea; Jacob, married Ruth Smith. 

Samuel Wilde, the fifth son of Ephraim and 
grandson of William Wilde, was employed 
several years as a schoolmaster. His children: 
Samuel ; John, died at sea while aboard a 
Salem privateer engaged in the Revolutionary 
war ; Hannah, married Peter Deshon ; Sally, 
married Mr. Pitts ; Betsey, married James 
Deshon ; Mary, married Dagger Mitchell ; 
Susannah, married Nicholas Weeks.- 

Samuel \\'ilde Jr., first-born of Samuel and 
great-grandson of William Wilde, who came 
to America in 1635, married Olive Deshon, by 
whom: Mehitabel, Samuel, Ephraim, John, 
Persis, Jacob, Isaac, Polly, Sally. 

Such is the descent of William Wilde from 
the time of his arrival in 1O35, until the rev- 
olution, or down to the year 1800. It is note- 
worthy and peculiar that in this line and in 
the one to be considered next, almost every 
generation's family had children named John, 
Samuel and Sarah, and this has led to some 
confusion in separating the lines. 

(I) John W'ilde, supposedly the younger 
brother of William, and who had come to 
America in the ship "Elizabeth," in 1635, when 
recorded as being seventeen years old, was 
born in England in 1618. He chose Ipswich, 
Massachusetts, as his place for settling. In 
the year 1637, the settlers were engaged in a 
fierce struggle with the Pequot Indians, and 
he was one of the men of Ipswich who served 
in the patriotic cause. For this service he re- 
ceived three shillings ; but his name also ap- 
pears as one having done somewhat greater 
duty, or at least as being the recipient of 
greater reward than that trivial sum, for his 
name is on the list of soldiers to whom it was 
agreed that each soldier for his service to 
tlic Indians shall be allowed 12 shillings a day, 
dated December 4, 1643. 

He removed to New Meadows, or Topsfield, 
between 1645 and 1648, or near the time he 
married Priscilla, daughter of Zaccheus Gould. 
His first public record there which he left to 
us is of a deed dated July 15, 1654, given by 
John Wilds, carpenter, to Robert Andrews, for 
twentv acres of upland. It lias been previous- 
ly shown from records that the William Wilde, 
with whom he had come to this country, had 
removed, after 1646. to Ipswich, and was a 
carpenter there when elected an overseer of 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



475 



carpenter work upon the wharf. The families 
of the two men, WilHam and John, first emi- 
grants of the family, therefore kept together 
in selecting localities in which to reside. 

John Wilde shared in the "Common," in 
1661. He was chosen to view fences, in 
March, 1677-78; took the oath of allegiance 
the same year; served on the committee to 
lay out the land, as a surveyor, and was dele- 
gated eleven times between 1663 and 1686, to 
run bounds ; was chosen juryman for the Ips- 
wich Court, March 2, 1679-80; chosen "to 
looke that men Ring thare swine according 
to towne order," May 10, 1680; made member 
of a committee to confer with Mr. Danforth 
"for his Continuing with us at topsfeeld in 
the work of the minestr," in t68o. John Wilde 
and his wife, Priscilla Gould, were members 
in full communi n of the Topsfield church. 
She died in 1662. and he married, November' 
23, 1663, Sarah Averill. After the death of 
his first wife, his relations with her family 
were no longer amicable, for he became one 
of the principal witnesses against his brother- 
in-law, Lieutenant John Gould, who was 
charged with treason, .A^ugust 5, 1686. During 
the storm against witchcraft which disturbed 
Essex county, the Wilde family members were 
brought prominently into notice, and tlie wife, 
two daughters and a son-in-law of his were 
imprisoned. She, Sarah, was convicted of 
witchcraft, and executed. 

From an entirely different source, we have 
it that John Wilde was a resident of South 
Braintree, Massachusetts, in the year 1688, 
and that in 1690 he married Sarah Hayden, 
granddaughter of Richard Thayer, of that 
place. 

The Braintree vital records, begun by Henry 
Addams in 1643 and covering more than a cen- 
tury, now to be found in printed form, show 
only the following records of the Wilde family. 
Hannah Wild (or Wilde) died November 12. 
1719. John Wild died March 29. 1721. Elijah 
Wild, son of William Wild, died July 29. 1727. 
John Wild died October 14, 1750. Jonathan 
Wild died July 16, 1756, "with an awfull 
Protubernace on his back, attended with a 
cancerous humor that spread on his body and 
rose to nig-h the bigness of a half bushell." 
Esther Wild born September 5, 1762, dausrhter 
of Randell and Jerusha Wild. If John Wilde 
was born in 1618, as it was recorded, it is im- 



possible to Igure that he was one of those 
mentioned above ; but another record gives the 
death of John Wilde at Braintree, whose will 
was dated on June 28, 1727, and who was 
buried October 24, 1732. 

John Wilde married (first) Sarah Hayden, 
who was born March 27, 1663, and died Feb- 
ruary I, 1725. Her gravestone bears inscrip- 
tion of her death as January 29, 1724, aged 
56 years and 1 1 months. It seems likely that 
the person who gave the former date copied 
the date of her interment, reading in some 
record. "February i, 1724-25," and that she 
died January 29. Such understanding would 
satisfy both statements. Sarah Hayden Wilde 
was the daughter of Samuel Hayden and Han- 
nah Thayer. John Wilde married (second) 
Mary Hollis, daughter of John and Susannah 
Hollis ; but had no children by her. The chil- 
dren of John and Sarah (Hayden) Wilde 
were : John ; Samuel, see forward ; William ; 
Sarah ; Jonathan. 

(II) Samuel, son of John and Sarah (Hay- 
den) Wilde, was born at Braintree, Massa- 
chusetts. March 18, 1693. He married, Feb- 
ruary 18, 1716, Bethiah Copeland. She was 
born March 19, 1694, died June 2, 1761, 
daughter of John Copeland (.son of Lawrence 
and Lydia Copeland. a descendant of Law- 
rence Copeland. a Pilgrim father, who landed 
in 1620. at Plymouth) and his wife Ruth, a 
daughter of John and Ruth Newcomb The 
children of Samuel and Bethiah (Copeland) 
Wilde were: i. Samuel. 2. Bethiah. 3. Eliza- 
beth. 4. Seth. 5. Ruth. 6. Lydia. 7. Micah, 

married Deborah . by whom : Micah. bom 

April 22. 1758; Deborah. August 15. 1759; 
Rachel, Mav'15. 1761; Elether. November 13, 
1762. died December 19. 1784: Thomas. July 
3, 1764: Bethiah. July 27. 1766; Pearson, 
April 30. 1768: Barnabas, October 20. 1770; 
Ruth. "Tune to. 1772: Jurisha. May 9, 1774; 
Zenas. ' February 10. 1776: Samuel, .August 
22, 1780: all of whom were born at Braintree, 
Massachusetts. 8. Joseph, see forward. 

(ITLl Tosen'^ <^on of Samuel and Bethiah 
(Copeland) Wilde, was born at Braintree, 
Massachusetts. February 9. 1738, died in 1829. 
He married (fir^tl N^vnibcr ^. \r^^ Rachel 
Hollis. who died the following year; he mar- 
ried (second^ in 17CO. Mehitabie Doublcday. 
She was baptized February 17. 1720. died 
December 24. 1827, and was the daughter of 



4/6 



SUL"T1I1".RX XI-: W YORK 



Elijah Roger Doiibleday and his wife, Dorcas 
Snelhng, daughter of Benjamin and Jemima 
Rule. Children: i. John, born in 1760, died in 
1813. 2. An infant, who died in 1762. 3. 
Dorcas, born June 22, 1763. 4. Caty, or Kath- 
erine. born at Braintree, November 8, 1766, 
died at New York City. April 6, 1855; mar- 
ried, December 25, 1788, Jason Houghton, 
who was born at Milton, Massachusetts, Au- 
gust 25, lyCiS, died September 16, 1843, son 
of Ralph and Ruth (Wadsworth) Houghton; 
by whom : Charles Pierce ; Ralph ; Warren ; 
Jason Wadsworth ; Ruth, born December 12, 
1794, died December 5, 1885, married, No- 
vember 2. 182 1. I'.cnjamin Ckipp ; Esther; 
Joseph; George Washington; Elijah; Oliver; 
Walter ; Catherine ; Charles Warren ; Edwin. 
5. Joseph, see forward. 6. Elijah, born in 1769. 
7. Mary, born in 1772. 8. Rachel, baptized in 
1774- 9- Samuel, born in 1775. 10. Sarah, 
born in 1778, died in 1827. 11. Susannah. 

(IV) Joseph (2), son of Joseph (i) and 
Mehitable (Doubleday) Wilde, was born at 
Braintree, Massachusetts, in 1768, and accord- 
ing to the Dorchester burial records died at 
the latter place, August 8, 183 1. He partici- 
pated in the war of the American revolution. 
He was appointed quartermaster in Colonel 
Mcintosh's regiment, detachment of Sufifolk 
brigade of militia, September 18. 1776; was 
a first lieutenant of a company of militia 
raised to join the United States army under 
command of General Washington, for a term 
of three months, agreeable to a resolution of 
the general court, July 30, 1781 ; commission 
dated August 30, 1781. and signed by John 
Hancock. We also find the name Joseph 
Wilde in Colonel Dyke's regiment. Captain 
Stephen Penniman's company, of Braintree, 
Massachusetts, entered in Muster Rolls, vol 
xxvi. page 427, and the name of John Wilde 
entered in the "true return of the time and 
service of Capt. Eliphalct Sawcn's company. 
Col. Joseph Palmer's Regiment, assembled at 
Braintree, June 14. 1776." 

Lieutenant Joseph Wilde married, March 7, 
1797. Hannah Minot. She was born January! 
1767, and was the daughter of George Minot! 
born November 27, 1755, died September 14! 
1826, the son of John Minot, born 17^8. died 
1805, who married Martha Blake, born Tune 
18, 1730, died August 13, 1797, daughter of 
Nathaniel Blake, of Milton, Massachusetts. 



Children : Hannah, Samuel, John, Mehitable. 

(V) Samuel (2), son of Joseph (2) and 
Hannah (Minot) Wilde, was born at Dor- 
chester, Massachusetts, 1800, and died at his 
home in Brooklyn, New York, February S, 
1862. He came from Dorchester to New "^ork 
City about 1820, and first engaged in the hard- 
ware and looking-glass business. When Elijah 
Whittington came from Boston to New York, 
in 1814, he establi.shed the coffee house at No. 
7 Dutch street, which was for a half century 
both the oldest and largest importing and 
roasting coffee concern in the United States, 
and Samuel Wilde became his partner. He 
took up his residence in Brooklyn, where he 
was a prominent member of the Congregation- 
al church. Samuel Wilde married Sarah 
Jones. She was born at Chester, England, 
May 7, 1810, died at her home on Greene 
avenue, Brooklyn, July 19, 1888. Her father 
was Robert Jones, of Chester. Of their eleven 
children, Samuel, see forward : Sarah, see 
forward ; Robert, died an infant ; Mary, born 
in 1840, died August 18, 1858; Harriet, died 
an infant ; Hannah Hobbs, died unmarried, 
January 19, 1883; .A.lice, see forward; Harriet 
Miriam, see forward ; John, see forward : 
Emma Jocelyn. see forward. 

(Vn Samuel (3), son of Samuel (2) and 
Sarah (Jones) Wilde, was born at Dorchester, 
Massachusetts, October 3, 1831, died at his 
home in Montclair, New Jersey, March 8, 
1890. In 1848 he became a member of the 
firm of coffee roasters, known as Whittington 
& Wilde, of which his father was a partner, 
at No. 7 Dutch street. He was also a director 
in the Meriden Cutlery Company. He served 
as a member of the assembly of New Jersey, 
1871-72. He was a Republican, and attended 
the Congregational church. After his death 
his widow gave the Samuel Wilde Memorial 
Chapel to the Congregational church of Mont- 
clair. and also a chapel in Portland, Maine, 
.'^amucl Wilde Tr. married, at West E;ilninuth, 
Maine. November 17, 1873, Mary Ellen I.unt, 
who died September 19. 1913, aged eightv-four 
years, at Montclair, New Jersey. -She was 
the daughter of Joshua Lunt, of Falmouth, 
and Mercy Shaw, his wife. She gave a library 
of $25,000 worth of books to Cornell, and 
$5,000 in paintings to the Montclair Art So- 
ciety. 

(VI) Sarah, daughter of Samuel (2) and 



SOUTHERN- NEW YORK 



477 



Sarah (Jones) Wilde, was born at Dorchester, 
Massachusetts, March 29, 1833, and resided in 
Brooklyn, New York. She married, at Brook- 
lyn, November i, 1855, David Dnimmond 
Nicholson, who was born at Edinburgh, Scot- 
land, August 18, 1832, died at Brooklyn, May 
15, 1901. Their children were; I. Samuel 
Wilde Nicholson, born at Brooklyn, Septem- 
ber 17, 1856; in 1913 with the firm of Samuel 
Wilde's Sons ; married a Miss Babbington, by 
whom two children. 2. Mary Mehitable Nich- 
olson, born April 27, 1858, died May 4, 1886; 
married, at Brooklyn, January 21, 1876, Jo- 
seph Harper Bross, who was born September 
17, 1856; residing at Nutley, New Jersey, in 
1913; by whom: William Warren Bross, born 
at Brooklyn, November 21, 1876; Elizabeth 
Bross, born at Brooklyn, December 24, 1878, 
married, June 19, 1901, at New York City, 
James W. Eaton, by whom Elizabeth, born 
July 4. 1902. 3. Anne Inch Nicholson, born 
at Brooklyn, February 29, i860, residing 

there ; married, Babbington, by whom a 

son Charles. 4. Simeon Jocelyn Nicholson, 
born January 9, 1862 ; unmarried, residing in 
Brooklyn. 5. David Edward Nicholson, born 
at Brooklyn. March 28, 1864; with the firm 
of Samuel Wilde's Sons ; resides in Brooklyn. 
6. Robert Lincoln Nicholson, born at Brook- 
lyn, July 20, 1866. 7. Joseph Drummond 
Nicholson, born at Brooklyn, May 26, 1868. 
8. Sarah Wilde Nicholson, born January 23, 

1871, at Brooklyn, died there, January 16, 

1872. 9. Lewis Tappan Nicholson, born at 
Brooklyn. June 9, 1873 ; unmarried. 10. 
Sarah Nicholson, born March i, 1875. died 
August 5, 1876. II. Charles Fawcett Nichol- 
son, born February 15, 1879. at Brooklyn; re- 
sides at Newark, New Jersey; married Mary 
Hollvfield. 

(VD Alice, daughter of Samuel (2) and 
Sarah (Jones) Wilde, was born at Williams- 
bure. Brooklyn. New York, August 16, 1843, 
died at East Orange, New Jersey. June 2T. 
1902. She married, at Brooklyn, September 
I, i860. Samuel Larkin Harris, born at Bos- 
ton. Massachusetts. September 16, 1834, died 
at East Orano-e. New Jersev. September 20. 
191 1, son of Ephraim and Margaretta Anna 
Lovering (Locke) Harris. He was an army 
chaplain, then clerk of the city court of Brook- 
lyn ; attorney, and following the civil war a 
bank inspector; appointed post chaplain at 



Beaufort, North Carolina, at outbreak of civil 
war; member of Seventh Regiment National 
Guard, New York, and of the Grand .-Xrmy 
of the Republic. Children: i. Mary Harris, 
born at Brooklyn, died in infancy. 2. William 
Beaufort Harris, born at Beaufort, North 
Carolina, died at age of two years. 3. Wil- 
liam Budington Harris, born at Brooklyn, Oc- 
tober 16, 1871 : married, at East Orange. New 
Jersey, December 2, 1895, Callie Wallis Un- 
derbill. 4. Harry Wilde Harris, born at 
Brooklyn, February 15, 1873. 

(\T) Harriet ^Iiriam, daughter of Samuel 
(2) and Sarah (Jones) Wilde, was born at 
Brooklyn, New York, September 9, 1847, and 
died there, April 6. 1876. She married, at 
Brooklyn, October 13, 1869, Lowell Mason 
Palmer, born at Chester, Ohio, March 11, 
1845, son of Chester and Achsah Smith ( Mel- 
vin) Palmer. He is an officer of the K. I^. 
Squibb & Sons Chemical House, No. 80 Beek- 
man street, New York City ; no issue. 

(\T) John (2), son of Samuel (2) and 
Sarah (Jones) Wilde, was born at his father's 
residence, on Broadway, Brooklyn, New 
York, May 20. 1849. and resides at East 
Orange, New Jersey. He received his educa- 
tion in schools of Brooklyn, and in 1866 en- 
tered the coffee roasting business established 
by his father at No. 7 Dutch street. New 
York City, which was first known as \\'hitting- 
ton & Wilde, then as Samuel Wilde & Sons, 
and at the end of a hundred years, at the same 
locality, as Samuel Wilde's Sons, which for 
this long time of a century has enjoyed the 
highest reputation in its field in the United 
States. In 1878 he was made a half partner 
with his brother, Samuel Wilde. In 1802 the 
firm was reorganized as the Samuel Wilde's 
Sons Company Corporation, and he became 
its president. It prospered greatly then, with 
its usual business reaching into the millions. 
He is a Republican, and attends the Congre- 
gational church. Successively, he has resided 
at Rutherford. Montclair. and now at No. 56 
Watson avenue, East Orange. New Jersey. 
John Wilde married, at Brooklyn. October 4. 
1871 Antoinette Westervelt. bom at Brook- 
lyn and died at East Orange. September 14 
1897. Their children were Herbert \\ . and 
Harriet Palmer, both see fo^^vard. 

(VI) Emma Jocelvn. daughter of Samuel 
(2) and Sarah "(Jones) Wilde, was born at 



478 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Brooklyn, New York, September 9, 1851, 
died at East Orange, New Jersej', November 
24, 1904. She married, at Brooklyn, October 
9, 1873, Amariah Ward Brigham, born at 
Brooklyn, October 14, 1850, son of John 
Clark and Maria (Evertsen) Brigham. He 
is associated with the chemical firm of E. R. 
Squibb & Sons, of New York City, as an of- 
ficer, and resides at East Orange, New Jer- 
sey. Children: I. Lowell Irving Brigham, 
born at Rutherford, New Jersey. June 6, 1875. 
2. Florence Brigham, born at Brooklyn, De- 
cember 9, 1880. 

(VH) Herbert W., son of John (2) and 
Antoinette (Westervelt) Wilde, was born at 
Brooklyn, New York. July i. 1872. He was 
educated at Montclair. New Jersey, and then 
became associated with Samuel Wilde's Sons, 
tea. coffee and spice wholesale house, at No 
7 Dutch street, in 1891, with which firm he 
has been for the past twenty years. In politics 
he is a Republican, and attends the Presby- 
terian church. His home is at No. 65 Rutgers 
place. Nutley, New Jersey. Herbert W. 
Wilde married, at New York. October 26, 
1899, Josephine Brown Whitbeck. born in that 
city. January 30. 1872, daughter of Edward 
E. and Josephine (Brown) Whitbeck. Her 
father died December 22. 1905, and her 
mother, February. 1872. Children: i. Beryl 
Josephine, born at No. 2412 Seventh avenue. 
New York. January 2. 1903. 2. John 
Herbert, born at No. 450 West One Hundred 
and Forty-ninth street. New York. February 
II, 1912. 

(VII) Harriet Palmer, daughter of John 
(2) and .Antoinette (Westervelt) Wilde, was 
born at Rutherford. New Jersey, Aoril 28. 
1875. She married, at East Orange. New Jer- 
sey, April T2. 1904. Albert Gottlieb Voitrht 
Jr., born at Houston. Texas, August 22. 1872. 
son of Albert Gottlieb and Mary (Davey) 
Voight ; no issue. 



This name is obviously 
WHITEHOUSE Anglo-Saxon in origin. 

and is evidently derived 
like a great number of English, and still more 
Norman names, from an obiect on the land- 
scape. It is moreover the name of a town or 
place in the north of England, and some fam- 
ilies bearing the name, thev are not verv num- 
erous, mav ha\'e been associated with that or 



a similarly named locality. For many genera- 
tions the members of the Whitehouse family 
here dealt with were principally clergymen 
of the Church of England, though many bear- 
ers of the name also acquired distinction in 
the navy, the law, the diplomatic service, arch- 
itecture, and in the various branches of art 
and science. 

(I) James Whitehouse. the first American 
immigrant of the family grown up on Ameri- 
can soil, was born at Taunton, Somersetshire, 
England, and came to this country and estab- 
lished himself in New York City, in 1798 
He married, in England, Elizabeth Christiana, 
daughter of Pompey Norman, squire of Taun- 
ton, Somersetshire, England. Children : Henry 
John, mentioned below ; Edward, mentioned 
below. 

(II) Henry John, the eldest son of James 
and Elizabeth Whitehouse, was born in New 
York City, August 19, 1803. died in Chicago, 
Illinois, August 10, 1874. He became famous 
as the first Protestant Episcopal bishop of 
Illinois. He was graduated at Colnnihia in 
1821, and at the Protestant Episcopal Theo- 
logical Seminary, New York City, in 1824. 
He was ordained deacon by Bishop William 
White in St. James' Church. Philadelphia, 
August 26, 1827, and immediately entered 
upon the ministry in Reading. Pennsylvania, 
from which he was called to St. Luke's parish, 
Rochester, New York, where he remained fif- 
teen years, attaining a wide reputation as a 
pastor and preacher ; was rector of St. Thomis 
Church. New York City, from 1844 to 1851, 
when he was elected assistant bishop of Illi- 
nois, to which see on the death of Bishop 
Philander Chase he succeeded on September 
20, 1852. While in England in 1867 Bishop 
Whitehouse delivered the opening sermon be- 
fore the first Pan-Anglican conference at Lam- 
beth Palace, London, by invitation of the 
Archbishop of Canterbury, and it was due 
to the advice of Bishop Whitehouse that in- 
vitations were extended to the American 
bishops. Oxford gave him the degree of Doc- 
tor of Divinity and Cambridge that of Doctor 
of Laws, while Columbia had given him the 
degree of Doctor of Laws in 1865. Bishop 
Whitehouse was one of the most accomplished 
prelates of the Episcopal church, uniting 
versatilitv of talent with great learning He 
was a brilliant orator and controversationalist. 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



"Nor one in ten thousand," says Bishop Henry 
W. Lee, of Iowa, in his memorial sermon, 
"had such ready command of words and such 
precision of diction as mark his written and 
spoken productions." His views had great 
weight in the House of Bishops, and among 
foreign communions his influence did much 
to secure greater consideration for his own 
church. In the Cheney case, which precipitated 
the formation of the Reformed Episcopal 
church, he defended the church's standard of 
baptismal doctrine. He was the first bishop 
of this church to advocate the adoption in this 
country of the cathedral system, which he did 
in his first diocesan address. Though highly 
cultured and deeply learned he left no pub- 
lished works other than his annual addresses 
contained in the journals of the diocese of 
Illinois from 1853 to 1873. His son, Frederick 
Cope Whitehouse, who graduated from Col- 
umbia College in 1861, devoted his life and 
fortune to archaeology and exploration, being 
one of the most eminent Egyptologists of the 
age. His discoveries regarding the situation 
of the classical Lake Moeris are well known, 
and his writings upon that and other subjects 
pertaining to ancient Egypt are of an author- 
itative nature. 

(IT) Edward, youngest son of James and 
Elizabeth Whitehouse. was born in New York 
City in 1806. He married Julia Cammann of 
the Knickerbocker family of that name. His 
children were : Edward M., mentioned below ; 
James Henry : Julia ; Maria, wife of .Alex- 
ander Blake ; Emily ; Adelaide, wife of Charles 
Austin : George Meredith. 

(III) Edward M., son of Edward and Julia 
(Cammann) Whitehouse, was born in New 
York City. His education was received in 
both England and America. He married 
Amelia Stuart Worthington, daughter of 
Henry Rossiter and Sara Jane (Newton) 
Worthington, the latter a daughter of Com- 
modore John Thomas Newton. United States 
Navy, of Virginia. Henry R. Worthington 
belonged to the Worthington family going back 
to 1632, when the first ancestor came from 
England and settled at Colchester. Massachu- 
setts. Henry Rossiter Worthington was the 
only son of Asa Worthington, of Irvington. 
and was the inventor of the hydraulic pump 
■which bears his name. 

(IV) Worthington. son of Edward M. and 



479 

Amelia Stuart (Worthington) Whitehouse, 
was born at Irvington-on-thc-lludson. He re- 
ceived his education in New York, taking a 
course in St. John's School, and then going 
abroad to complete his studies. He spent three 
years in travel, visiting Africa and many other 
places of interest. He then returned to his 
native land and entered the ofiice of Edward 
Sweet & Company, bankers, remaining with 
them three years. He then engaged in the 
real estate business with Edward Ludlow Hall, 
and later formed a partnership with iMr. Mills, 
the firm being known as Mills & Whitehouse. 
This partnership was dissolved and the firm 
became known as Golding & Whitehouse. and 
later as Whitehouse & Porter, his partner, 
Clarence Porter, being the only surviving son 
of General Horace Porter, ambassador to 
France. At present he is the senior member 
of the firm of Worthington W'hitehouse, which 
has transacted much business in renting and 
selling residential properties in New York 
(particularly in the Fifth avenue and Murray 
Hill sections) and also at Newport and other 
fashionable watering places, where they have 
agents. He is very prominent socially and is 
a noted cotillion leader. He belongs to the 
Knickerbocker, Racquet and Tennis clubs, and 
is also a member of the Delta Phi fraternity. 
His summer home is at W^orthington, West- 
chester county. New York. His city address 
is the Knickerbocker Club, New York. 

Edward, the brother of Mr. Worthington 
W'hitehouse, is deceased, but his only child, 
Edwina, survives him. Among the ancestors 
was one Martling, who was noted for his 
bravery in the French and Indian wars, and 
whose body reposes in the old Dutch cemetery 
at Elmsford, within a half mile of the W^orth- 
ington farm. This farm came later into the 
possession of the mother of Mr. Whitehouse, 
who after the death of her first husband con- 
tracted a second alliance, this time with 
Thomas Whiteside Rae, of the United States 
navy. Mr. Rae is deceased, and his widow 
resided on the farm situated in the town of 
Greenburg. W^estchester county, with her sons, 
Worthington W^hitehouse and Izard Newton 
Whiteside Rae, up to the time of her death 
in 1901. She rests with other members of the 
W^orthington family in the crypt of the Worth- 
ington Memorial Church at Worthinn-tnn 
This church is a fine stone edifice erected by 



4i)0 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



the grandmother, Mrs. Sarah Worthington, in 
memory of her husband, Henry Rossiter 
Worthington. 



The surname Cruikshank 
CRUIKSHANK is Scottish in its history 
and associations, but 
English in its origin. Genuine Scottish names 
are Gaelic in origin, but occasionally these 
names are translated or transmuted into an 
English form, or the family may have des- 
cended into a district where English influence 
was predominating before the establishment 
of surnames, and in course of time assumed 
an English surname. Examples of Gaelic sur 
names translated into an English form are Al- 
lison from MacAlister, Ferguson from Mac- 
Fergus, Anderson from MacAindris or Mac- 
Andrews, Nicholson from MacNicail, Fox 
from O'Sionnach, and so on. Cruikshank may 
in its earlier form have been a Gaelic sobriquet 
applied to a warrior, according to the ancient 
Gaelic fashion, in consonance with some phy- 
sical peculiarity. It may have been a term 
applied in old English. It is probable that its 
origin was in a Gaelic appclation ajijilicd to 
a remote warrior, and this appellation being 
inherited by his descendants as a family name, 
was translated into the invading dialect of the 
north of England and so transmitted to later 
descendants. The name is an honored one in 
Scottish history, and has been distinguished 
in literature, in war, and in the professions. 
There are or have been something like six 
families, according to the notes of "Burke's 
Heraldry," that have borne the name and that 
have been entitled to bear arms. Conspicuous 
among these families is the Cruikshank fam- 
ily of Lanley Park, county of Forfar, Scot- 
land. The arms of this family are heraldically 
described thus : "Or, three boars heads couped 
sa., armed of the field and langued gu within 
a bordure of the last." Crest : An armed hand, 
holding a dagger in pale ppr. Motto : Cavendo 
tut is. 

(I) Theodore Cruikshank, ancestor in Scot- 
land of the Cruikshank family in America 
here under consideration, was born at Boynes- 
ville, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in 1731, and 
died in 1812. He married Jane Allen, who 
was born in 1723, and died in 1816. .'Vmong 
their children was William, mentioned below 

(II) William, son of Theodore and Jane 



(Allen) Cruikshank, was bom at Boynesville, 
Aberdeenshire, ."^.otland, in June, 1760. He 
married, April, 1795, Sarah, born at 80 Wall 
street. New York, daughter of William and 
Phebe (Blake) Allen. William Allen was 
born in Scotland in 1739 and died in New 
York, December 25, 1828. Phebe Blake was - 
the daughter of John and Sarah (Remmick) 
Blake, and was born at Newton, Long Island, 
in 1750, dying December 11, 1830. Sarah 
(Remmick) Blake died in 1809 at the age of 
ninety-nine years. Children of William and 
Sarah (Allen) Cruikshank: i. William, Jr., 
bor February i, 1796, died May 12, 1797. 2. 
Jane, born December 22, 1798, died April 16, 
1882. 3. George, born September 29, 1800, 
died October 16, 1823. 4. William A. born 
January 13, 1802, died June 30. 1825. 5. James, 
mentioned below. 6. Anna Bella, born July 

29, 1806, died October 28. 1831. 7. Edward, 
born October 2, 1808, died September 22, 
1884. 8. John, born November 10, 1810, died 
January 19, 1882. 9. Theodore, born May 5, 
1814, died at sea. 10. Augustus, born March 

30, 1816, died October 5, 1894. 11. Anna 
Eliza, born August 29, 1818. 

(III) James, fourth son of William and 
Sarah (Allen) Cruikshank, was born January 

1, 1804. at 40 Greenwich street. New York, 
and died August 28, 1895. He married, No- 
vember 16, 1841, Mary Ann Wheeler, who 
was born January iz. 1820. in Crutched 
Friars, England, and died August 8, 1892. 
Children: i. Edwin A., born August 11, 1843. 

2. James W., born March 30, 1846, died April 
10, 1846. 3. Augustus W., born May 17, 1847. 
died February 23, 1897. 4. Caroline, born Oc- 
tober 10, 1849. 5. Charles, born October 30, 
1851, died Alarch 10, 1852 6. Harriet, born 
May TO. 1854, died October 10. 1896. 7. 
Robert M., born November 11, 1835, died Oc- 
tober II, 1877. 8. James, born October 31, 
1857, died Tune, 1859. 9. Warren, mentioned 
below. 

(IV) Warren, youngest son of James and 
Mary Ann (Wheeler) Cruikshank, was born 
at Hempstead, New York, May 5, 1861. He 
received his elementary education at the vil- 
lage school of Hempstead. New York, and 
later attended a business college. He entered 
the office of E. A. Cruikshank & Company, 
Real Estate, in 1877, and in 1886 was admitted 
to the firm. He became president of the Cruik- 





0(MI^( 




SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



shank Company, which succeeded E. A. Cruik- 
shank & Company on its incorporation in 1903. 
Warren Cruikshank is a director of the Broad- 
way Trust Company, Irving National Bank, 
and of the Merchants' Refrigerating Com- 
panies of New York. He is a member of the 
Wyandanch Club, Smithtown, Long Island; 
Adirondack League Club; Knickerbocker 
Field Club ; Meridian Club ; Underwriters Club 
and the Historical Society. He is a member 
of the Dutch Reformed Church of Flatbush. 
He married, at Hempstead, Long Island, New 
York, May 20, 1S85. Fannie Augusta, daughter 
of Samuel H. and Fannie (Wiggins) Minshull. 
Children of Warren and Fannie Augusta 
(Minshull) Cruikshank are: i. Russell Ver- 
non, born November 15, 1886; educated at 
Erasmus Hall High School, now with the 
Cruikshank Company. 2. Douglas Maynard, 
born December 9, 1890, educated at Poly- 
technic Preparatory School ; also with the 
Cruikshank Company. 



The family name of Sims is a con- 
.SIMS traction of Simon or Simeon, the 

son of Sim. To arrive at the de- 
rivation of this name with its association to 
the family, one must follow the historical line 
for several generations before William the 
Conqueror made the Norman conquest, 1066, 
and study Scotland's lore. Simon was then 
often written Symon, and its contraction Sym 
or Sime. Symes is another variation, and cen- 
turies ago there was established in Scotland 
the place called Symington, in the northwest 
of Kyle, Ayrshire, Scotland, originally Sym- 
onstown, so called from Simon Lockard or 
Lcckart, who held the lands under Walter, 
the first Stewart. Those of the generation 
living in England at the time the immigrant 
came to America, wrote the name Simm ; but 
when John Simm came to this country, he 
changed the final "m" into "s," and wrote 
his name Sims, which form has been followed 
ever since by his descendants. The Sims 
arms: Gules, a chevron between two spur 
rowels in chief and a halbert in base, or. 
Crest: A demi-lion rampant, proper, holding 
between the paws a battleaxe. or. Motto: 
Fcrio tcgo. The descendants of Thomas Sym. 
of Newton. England, and Anne Martindale, 
about T550 (from whom those in .America 
are descended), are entitled to quarter the fol- 



lowing arms: Martindale: Argent, two bars 
gules over all a bend azure. Brisco: Argent, 
three greyhounds courant in pale, sable. Fal- 
con: Or, a chevron azure, between three fal- 
cons close, proper. Connell: Argent, a chev- 
ron gules between two suprs in chief, and a 
battleaxe in base azure, shaft or. 

The commencement of the history of the 
Sims family takes one back one thousand 
years to Sym of Yetheram Tower, Roxburg- 
shire, Scotland. The name of that place was 
also written Whitram, Wythrop and Yeth- 
throp. His son, known as Sym of Yetheram 
Tower, married Ada, the granddaughter of 
Oswulfe, earl of Northumberland, Thane of 
Gilles Land, in the county of Cumberland, 
England. The sturdy, early Romans had 
erected a wall, indications of which are today 
very apparent, which separated the lands of 
the peoples united by this marriage, and it may 
have the sound of romance, it may be more 
than likely true, that when making their cus- 
tomary raids into another's territory, he, of 
the north, carried back not only booty but a 
bride, for such acts were of common occur- 
rence then. Succeeding generations overran 
the border lands, and finally by intermarriages 
located in Cumberland and Northumberland, 
and were patriots among the English, ready to 
resist invaders with them, for Bueth Sym. 
the son of the parents mentioned, was slain 
in the Norman conquest in the year 1066. 

It is possible to trace the line of descent for 
twenty-five generations, ending wi*^!! the op" 
who came to America, and this will be done 
in briefest form. 

(I) Sym of Yetheram i'owev. Roxburgh- 
shire, Scotland. 

(II) Sym of Yctlieram Tower married Ada. 
granddaughter of Oswulfe. earl of Northum- 
berland, county of Cumberland. England. 

(III) Bueth Sym. thane of Gilles Land, 
killed in the Norman Conquest. 

(IV) Sym. thane of Gilles Land, fled to 
Scotland in 1066. 

(Y^ Bueth Sym. of Whitram Tower, Rox- 
bursjh.shire. time of Henry I.. (1100-11,^5). 

(VI) John Sym, of Roxburghshire, had a 
grant of lands in Dumfriesshire from Mal- 
colm IV.. in 1165. 

(VII) Thomas .Sym, of Dumfriesshire. 
(VIII'I William Sym. of Dumfriesshire, liv- 
ing there in 1191. 



482 



SOUTH r.RX XEW YORK 



(IX) William Sym. 

(X) John Sym. 

(XI) John Sym. 

(XII) William Sym. 

(XIII) Joseph Sym, of Sandbeck House, 
Dumfriesshire. 

(XIV) John Sym, of Sandbeck House, 
1414. 

(XV) John Sym, of Sandbeck House, held 
lands in county Cumberland ; married Eliza- 
beth, daughter and heiress of William Mar- 
tindale, of Newton, county of Cumberland, 
granddaughter of Roger Martindale and of 
the heiress of Thomas de Newton. 

(XVI) John Sym, of Sandbeck House, 
Dumfriesshire. 

(XVII) John Sym, of Sandbeck House. 

(XVIII) Thomas Sym, of Newton; mar- 
ried Anne, daughter and heiress of Nicholas 
Martindale, of Holme Culthram, county of 
Cumberland. 

(XIX) Thomas Sym, of Newton, born in 
1580; died in 1650: married, in 1618, Anne, 
daughter of Joihn Brisco, of Wampool. and 
Dorothy Falcon, heiress of the Falcons of 
Nook Tower, and of the Connells, of Allonby. 
all in county of Cumberland, England. 

(XX) William Sym, of Allonby, died in 
1669, having had the following children: Wil- 
liam, born in 1625, died January 4, 1600, mar- 
ried Anne Beeby ; Rev. John, see forward; 

Launcelot, of Aspatia. married Osmoth- 

erly; Joseph, of Blackdyke, county of Cum- 
berland; Thomas, of Holme Culthram, died 

December 31, 1704, married Martindale; 

Jonathan, of Newton; Nathan; daughter, who 
married Thomas Gaythorn, of Hold Hutten, 
countv of Westmoreland ; daughter, who mar- 
ried Richard Lightfoot, of Holme Culthram. 

(XXI) Rev. John Sim, son of William 
Sym, resided at"Aspatria (Aspatua or As- 
patia), county of Cumberland, England, and 
owned lands at Newton. He married Anne 
Osmotherly, by whom: Thomas, who resided 
at Aspatria, where he died, October 27, 1712; 
Launcelot, see formard. 

(XXIT) Launcelot Sim. son of Rev. John 
Sim, was church warden of .\spatria. in 1687 ; 

died luly 26. 1712. He married Hannah , 

who died May 12, 1723. by whom: Maria, 
baptized August 12, 1688; Daniel, baptized 
December 26, 160S. see forward. 

(XXIII) Daniel Sim, son of Launcelot and 



Hannah Sim, was baptized December 26, 
1695 ; resided at Westnewton, county of Cum- 
berland, England, and was church warden of 
Aspatria, 1731-32. He married (first) May 
29, 1723, Sarah Dobinson, who died Septem- 
ber 22, 1725, leaving one child, Hannah, bap- 
tized August 12, 1725. He married (second) 
Eleanor Coulthard, by whom nine children: 
Anne, baptized November 13, 1728; John, of 
Westnewton, baptized December 30, 1730; 
Launcelot, see forward ; Joshua, baptized 
March 29, 1737; Isabella, baptized July 23, 
1740; Jane, baptized June 12, 1743; Sarah, 
baptized October 6, 1744; Joseph, baptized 
March 7, 1748; Mary, baptized October 24, 
1750. 

(XXIV) Launcelot Simm, son of Daniel 
and Eleanor (Coulthard) Sim, was baptized 
January 9, 1732, died August 6, 1789. He re- 
sided at Cockermouth, county Cumberland, 
England. He married, January i, 1769, Anne 
Fletcher, of Birk Bank, same county. She 
was born in 1741, and died December 23, 
1787. Children: John, see forward; Daniel, 
born February 21, 1772, died October 8, 1777; 
Isabella, born October 4, 1774, married Wil- 
liam Jackson, of Newcastlc-on-Tyne. England ; 
Joshua, born June 5, 1777, resided at Cock- 
ermouth, and died in 1855, married Mary 
Younghusband, of Gilcrux, county Cumber- 
land; Daniel, born April 15, 1780, died, un- 
married, in 1844; Mary, born December 19, 
1782, died in 1784; Coulthard, born October 
16, 1785, died April 13, 1788. 

(XX\') John .Sims, son of Launcelot and 
Anne (Fletcher) Simm. was born at Cocker- 
mouth, Cumberland, England, October 24, 
1769, and died at Uniontown, Pennsylvania, 
July g, 1826, He was the progenitor of the 
family in America, arriving in 1793. .Ml his 
brothers and sisters had spelled their surname 
Simm ; but upon arrival in this country he 
determined to change the final "m" into "s," 
and thereafter wrote it Sims. He married 
(first) Sarah Simpson, by whom no issue; 
married (second) at Burlington, New Jer- 
sey, July 18, 1797, Mary Neale. She was 
born June 29, T774; died February 10, 1867. 
Children: 1. Dr. W'illiam Neale. born .Xpril 
27, 1798, died at Smicksburgh. Pennsylvania, 
March 9, 1872; practiced medicine at that 
place ; married Margaret McKean, who was 
born July 28, 1798, died February 24, 1859; 



SOUTH ERX NEW YORK 



483 



by whom : i. Frances Louisa, born September 
14, 1823; married Samuel Fulton, ii. John 
Arthur, born July 30, 1826. iii. Thomson 
Neale, born July 9, 183 1 ; married, February 
7, 1862, Rebecca Fleck, iv. Isabella Jane, 
born January 2, 1834; married Charles Car- 
rol Gray. v. Caroline Rebecca, born Decem- 
ber 27, 1844; married William Chambers. 2. 
Thomson Neale, born October 17, 1800, died 
October 17, 1830; resided at Mount Holly, 
New Jersey ; married, June 5, 1823, Louisa 
Vanuxem Clark, of Philadelphia, who was 
born August i, 1801, died May 2, 1869; she 
married (second) James Peacock, by whom 
no issue. Children of Thomson N. Sims : i. 
Sophia Marian, born March 25, T824, died 
December i, 1840 ii. .Mfred William, of 
Orbisonia, Pennsylvania, born September 21, 
1826, died April 16. 1895. iii. Louisa Clark, 
born June 10, 1830, died January 15, 1831. 3. 
Mary Anne, born June 23. 1802. died March 
I, 1834; married December 20, 1825, Thomas 
Jones. 4. Launcelot Fletcher, born March 
14, 1805: resided at Mount Holly, New Jer- 
sey : died, unmarried. January 8, 183s. 5. 
John Clarke, see forward. 6. Elizabeth, born 
July Q, 1809: married, December 20. 1825, 
Alfred W'ylie Woods. 7. Sarah Simpson, born 
December 21, 181 1. 8. Martha Neale (twin), 
born December 21, 181 1. 9. Isabella, born 
June II, 1815; died, unmarried, April 17, 
1833. 10. Jane, born July 19, 1817; married, 
March 15, i8s3, Joseph Lees Wilde. 

(XXVI) johii Clarke, son of John and 
Mary C Neale) Sims, was born at Burlington, 
New Jersey, February 11, 1807, and died at 
Mount Holly, Burlington county. New Jersey, 
December 18, 1882. He removed to and con- 
tinued to reside in Philadelphia, where he \yas 
married, December 8, 1830, to Emeline Marian 
Clark, of that citv. who was born October 8, 
1807. and died July i, 1805, at Mount Holly, 
Burlington county, New Jersey 

Emeline M. Clark was the daughter of John 
Lardner Clark, of Philadelnhia. (born March 
20, 1770), and Sophia Marian Ross (born 
November 18, 1770"). who were married Au- 
gust I, 1797. Sonhia M. Ross wa-^ the daugh- 
ter of Dr. John Ross, of Mount Holly, New 
Jersey, who was born there. March 2, 1752, 
being the son of Dr. Alexander Ross, who was 
born in Scotland in I7n. who married Eliza- 
beth Becket. niece of Dr. De Normandie. of 



Bristol, Pennsylvania, and settled at Mount 
Holly prior to 1752. He served some time 
as a surgeon during the revolutionary war, 
and was one of the original members of the 
New Jersey Society of the Cincinnati. Dr. 
John Ross, son of Dr. Alexander Ross, was 
commissioned a captain in the Third New 
Jersey Regiment, February 9, 1776, and major 
of the Second New Jersey Regiment, April 
7. 1779- Subsequently, he was commissioned 
brigade-major and inspector of the Jersey 
Brigade, and on December 18, T782, lieutenant- 
colonel of the Second New Jersey Regiment. 
In these various positions he rendered excel- 
lent service during the revolution. Major 
John Ross married. July 8, 1778. Mary, only 
daughter of the Rev. John Brainerd, who 
succeeded his sainted brother. Rev. David 
Brainerd, as missionary to the Indians of New 
Jersey, and was the originator of the idea of 
an Indian reservation, which he was largely 
instrumental in having established, near Cross- 
wicks, and not far from Mount Molly. This 
was the first reservation of the kind, and was 
significantly called "Brotherton." Children of 
John Clarke Sims: i. Henrv .\ugustus, horn 
December 22, 1832. died at Philadelphia. July 
TO. 1875 : married. June 30. 1864. Mary Jones, 
of Prescott. Canada. 2. ClifTord Stanley, born 
February 2, 1835, died May 5, 1837. 3. Cel- 
anire Bernoudi, born Julv 24. 1837; married. 
November 3. 1850. William Smith Forbes. 
M. D. 4. Clifford Stanley, see forward. 5. 
John Clark, born September 12, 1845, died at 
Philadelphia. Pennsylvania, January 6, 1901 ; 
resided at Philadelphia: married, December 
27. T877, Grace Ledlie Patterson, of Chest- 
nut Hill, Pennsylvania: by whom: i, Grace 
Patterson, born November 28, 1878. ii. Jane 
Cuyler. born December 21. 1870; married, 
November 14. 1006. Dr. .Arthur Newlin. iiJ. 
Dorothy Falcon, born March 5, 1881 ; married. 
Ttme 20, 1904.' Charles Piatt, iv. Emeline 
Marion, born January 22. 1883. v. James 
Patterson, born Julv 3'. '^^4. f''ff' January 
17. T885. vi. John Clark, born September 22, 
1887. vii. Joseph Patterson, born January 6, 
t8oo. C\ Tames Peacock, born November 15, 
1840: died Mav 20, 1882. 

XXVII) Judec Clifl^ord Stanlev Smis. son 
of John Clarke and Emeline Marian (Clark) 
Sims was born at Emeline Furnace, near 
Dauphin, Dauphin county. Pennsylvania, Feb- 



484 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



ruary 17, 1839, died at Trentcn, New Jer- 
sey, March 3, 1896. He was educated at the 
Episcopal Academy, in Philadelphia, and be- 
gan the study of law when only seventeen 
years old, so that when he was admitted to 
the bar. May 6, i860, he was twenty-one years 
of age and entering manhood. His father was 
interested in Philadelphia journalism at fhat 
time, and it was natural that he should be 
inclined to literature, his particular bent at 
that period being history and genealogy. In 
recognition of the latter taste, he was elected 
a corresponding member of the New England 
Historic Genealogical Society. July 3, 1861, 
at an age when few are so enrolled. Even 
earlier than that, March 9, 1857, he had be- 
come a member of the Historical Society of 
Pennsylvania. On July 4, 1861, he was ad- 
mitted to the New Jersey Society of the Cin- 
cinnati, by virtue of his descent from Major 
John Ross. He published his first book in 
1862, "The Origin and Signification of Scot- 
tish Surnames ; with a Vocabulary of 
Christian Names." Joel Mimsell, Albanv. a 
work of 125 pages, carefully compiled. This 
w. rk evinces a degree of scholarship quite re- 
markable in a man of twenty-three. In the 
meantime he had been delving among the 
archives of the New Jersey Cincinnati, with 
the result that on July 4, 1862, he submitter' 
an historical account of the foundation of that 
society, with a list of its original members, 
their successors, and other valuable historical 
data. It was intended to publish this work, 
but the ycung man. starting as an author, 
caught the war fever, and enlisted as a pri- 
vate in the Twenty-fifth Pennsylvania Infan- 
try, September 15. 1862. The regiment vol- 
unterred to repel Lee's invasion of Pennsyl- 
vania : that general haying been repulsed at 
Antietam. the regiment was mustered out of 
service October 1, 1862. Young Sims, how- 
ever, had already entered the navy, having 
been appointed captain's clerk, on the steam 
frigate "Colorado," September 28, 1862. He 
resigned on February 11, 1863. to accept the 
higher rank of acting assistant paymaster of 
the United States Navy, to which he was com- 
missioned March 10, 1863. He did .service 
in this postion for nearly a year, most of the 
time west of the Mississippi river, where he 
took part in a number of scouting expeditions, 
capturing prisoners and intercepting the com- 



munications of the enemy. On January 27, 
1864, he was in a skirmish at Carson's Land- 
ing, Mississippi, where he had charge of a 
twelve-pound field howitzer on the hurricane 
deck of the U. S. gunboat "Queen City," while 
exposed to the fire of a body of Confederate 
infantry at short range. He handled the gun 
with great coolness, and so effectively as to 
disperse the enemy, for which service he was 
thanked by the commanding officer of the 
vessel. He was commissioned lieutenant-col- 
onel of the Fou'rth Arkansas Infantry. United 
States Volunteers, June 22, 1864; but only 
two days later had the misfortune to sustain 
a slight wound in an engagement at Clarendon. 
Arkansas, where he was taken prisoner, and 
consequently was never mustered into ser- 
vice again. He remained a prisoner for some 
time, and was then released on parole ; but 
was not exchanged until the close of the war. 
when he resigned, June 10, 1865. During the 
period of his enforced non-combatancy, he 
was by no means idle ; but turned his attention 
to the study of the laws of Arkansas. So as- 
siduously had he worked that, on September 
13, 1864. he was appointed judge advix-ate- 
general of that state, with the rank of colonel, 
by Governor Isaac Murphy. 

At the close of the war. Colonel Sims re- 
moved to Tennessee, where he was licensed to 
practice law, but various causes induced him 
to return to Arkansas, where he had made 
many friends. .Accordinely. he settled in 
Desha county, and engaged in cotton-planting. 
In 1866. he was commissioned United States 
deputy marshal for eastern Arkansas. Maior- 
General Ord appointed him a iustice of the 
peace in 1867. and he was an active magistrate 
until the completion of the reconstruction of 
the state. On May 18. 1867, he was offered 
the presidency of the board of registrars of 
Desha county; but declined to accept the of- 
fice. Taking a deep interest in the work of 
reconstruction, he was elected a delegate to 
the constitutional convention of .\rkansa';. No- 
vember 5, 1867. and in that bodv his abilities 
as a lawver. a scholar and a man of affairs 
were recognized by his assignment to a dozen 
of the m-^st important committees, of several 
of which be was the chairman. As a natural 
corollary of his service in that body, he was 
appointed. February 12. i8(S8. a commissioner 
to prepare a digest of the laws of the state. 



SOUTHERN XliW YORK 



485 



I 



Three days later, he was named commissioner 
of elections. It was but fitting that one who 
had had so large a share in the framing of 
the new organic law should have a part in 
the passage of the new body of statutes re- 
quisite to carry its provisions int .• effect. Ac- 
cordingly, on March 13, 1868, Colonel Sims 
was elected a member of the House of Rejre- 
sentatives, and in the new legislatu; c was 
chairman of the committee of ways and nw ms, 
and a member of the committee on banks. 
Governor Powell Clayton appointed him judge 
advocate-general of the state, with rank of 
brigadier-general, July 14, 1868. Through 
the personal friendship of Senator Simon 
Cameron and of Senator Roscoe Conkling. 
President Grant appointed him United States 
consul for the district of Prescott. Canada, 
embracing Ottawa, the capital of the Domin- 
ion, April 21, 1869. Besides attending to the 
purely commercial duties pertaining to that 
position, he conducted a correspondence with 
the department of state relative to the action 
of the Dominion parliament regarding the 
treaty of Washington. He discharged the 
duties of this important office with characteris- 
tic ability and fidelity, until 1878. when he re- 
signed, to accept the more lucrative position 
of secretary of the Pennsylvania Company, 
and of the Pittsburg, Cincinnati & St. Louis 
Railway Company, both connected with the 
Pennsylvania railway system. 

In 1 88 1, Colonel Sims was appointed gen- 
eral assistant in the service of the Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad Company. In this capacity he 
prepared a series of volumes containing sev- 
eral thousand pages, containing the legisla- 
tion in Pennsylvania, New York. New Jersey, 
Mar>-land and Virginia, relative to the Penn- 
sylvania railroad and its several subsidiary 
companies. He also spent several years in 
studving and perfecting the legal titles of the 
New Jersey lines of that great corporation, 
and having a more accurate knowledge of their 
charters, leases and grants than any one else, 
his advice was continually sought in their man- 
agement. In 1887 he relinquished this con- 
nection, and became the president of the Dela- 
ware Company, a construction corporation 
which built a number of waterworks in Penn- 
sylvania and Ohio, several of which it prac- 
tically owned and operated. 

When Colonel Sims retired from the Cana- 



dian consulship, he took up his residence at 
Mount Holly, New Jersey, which was asso- 
ciated in his mind with the memories of his 
maternal ancestors, John Brainerd, Dr. Alex- 
ander Ross and Major John Russ. It was at 
that place he spent the remainder of his life. 
He was elected president of the New Jersey 
Society of the Cincinnati, July 4, 1883. over 
whose deliberations he presided with grace 
and dignity, even so late as Washington's 
Birthday, in 1896, when the society met at 
Lakewood, although somewhat of an invalid 
at the time. The report prepared by him in 
1862, relative to the society, was published 
at Albany, under the title, "the Institution of 
the Society of the Cincinnati ; togetiicr with the 
roll of the original, hereditary and honorary 
members of the Order, in the State of New 
Jersey, from 1783 to 1866." This was a hand- 
somely printed octavo volume of seventy-nine 
pages, with rubricated title-page. Under his 
presidency the New Jersey Society became 
one of the most successful, numerically, finan- 
cially and socially, in the country, a result at- 
tributed to his earnest and capable supervision. 

An outcome of his legal studies was the 
publication at Albany, in 1870, of a new edi- 
tion of Noy's "Grounds and Maxims: and 
also an Analysis of the English Laws." with 
a biographical sketch of the author, which edi- 
tion is accepted as a standard work in law 
libraries and schools. His extensive investiga- 
tions into land titles in the southern or western 
section of New Jersey, led to his becoming; 
a member of the Council of Proprietors of 
West Jersey, a body whose existence dates 
back to" the colonial period of New Jersey, two 
centuries ago. 

The court of errors and appeals of New 
Jersey is composed of the nine justices of 
the supreme court, and six other judges spe- 
cially appointed. As a clever satirist put it, 
"Tt consists of six laymen and the court be- 
low." Occasionally a governor has seen fit 
to select as one of the "lay" judges a person 
particularlv fitted by legal attaiiiments, and 
it was with this view that Colonel Sims was 
appointed judge on March 28. i804- He 
brought to the bench a mind thoroughly train- 
ed for the exercise of the judicial function, 
and in every rc-^pect he fulfilled the hiehcst an- 
ticipations of his friends in that position. In 
the same year, he was licensed to practice law 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



in New Jersey, and thus had the pecuHar dis- 
tinction of having been admitted to the bar 
of four diiiferent states. In 1895, he received 
the degree of D.C.L., from St. Stephen's Col- 
lege, New York. He was a deputy from the 
diocese of New Jersey to the General Con- 
vention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in 
1889, 1892 and 1895. 

In addition to his membership in the his- 
torical societies already mentioned, he was 
elected a resident member of the New Jersey 
Historical Society, January 15, 1885, and a 
corresponding member of the New York His- 
torical Society, October 6, 1888. He acquired 
extensive information regarding the families 
of the Lowlands of Scotland and was ever 
ready to place it at the service of others. He 
was also proficient in the art of heraldry and 
numismatics. In politics he was a Democrat, 
and in 1895 was somewhat prominently men- 
tioned in western New Jersey for the nomina- 
tion of governor, his own county, Burlington, 
sending a strong delegation in his favor to the 
state convention, but seeing that the Hon. 
Alexander T. McGill, the able, upright and 
scholarly chancellor of the state, was pre- 
ferred by some other sections. Judge Sims 
gladly threw his strength to aid in the nomina- 
tion of the chancellor, who was a man after 
his own heart. 

In person. Judge Sims was of medium 
height, somewhat large of frame, yet spare 
of body, giving the impression of rugged 
virility, which was intensified by his square- 
cut visage; this aspect, however, was softened 
by an indefinable gentleness of expression that 
was very winning. There was about him a 
masterfulness, a strength of will, a superior 
mentality, all modified yet strengthened by his 
thorough training and scholarship, that caused 
him to be recognized as a man among men. 
His inflexible integrity, his high-mindedness, 
R'cre the natural outcome of an instinctive 
purity that was childlike in its transparency. 
These qualities won for him a host of friends 
among his social, professional and political 
associates, and his death, while on his way 
to sit in court, came as a terrible shock. 

Judge Clifford Stanlev Sims married, at 
Memphis, Tennessee, August 2. 1865, Mary 
Josephine Abercrombie, of Roseland. Tennes- 
see. She was born at Natchez, Mississippi, 
April 14, 1841, and died at Mount Holly. New 



Jersey, June 3, 1908. Her father was Charles 
Steadman Abercrombie, M. D., of Roseland, 
Tennessee, son of Rev. James Abercrombie, 
of Philadelphia, and her mother was Mary 
Caroline Bowmar. Children: Charles Aber- 
crombie, see forward; Clifford Stanley, see 
forward; Launcelot Falcon, see forward; 
Ralph Abercrombie, born August 23, 1871, 
died July 31, 1886; John Clarke, born March 
25, 1876, died September 27, 1902; James Pea- 
cock, born November 12, 1879, died March 10, 
1888; Thomson Neale, born November 12, 
1879, died in November, 1912; Ross Brainerd, 
born May 11, 1889. 

(XX\TII) Charles Abercrombie, son of 
Judge Clififord Stanley and Mary Josephine 
(Abercrombie) Sims, was born at Memphis. 
Tennessee, June 5, 1866, and resides at Ger- 
mantown, Pennsylvania. He was educated at 
schools in Mount Holly, New Jersey, and filled 
various positions on the Pennsylvania rail- 
road's engineering corps from 1882 to 1886, 
when he was made assistant engineer, having 
charge of the construction of the West Vir- 
ginia Central railroad, for one vear. In 1887 
he was assistant engineer in charge of con- 
struction surveys for the Pennsvlvania rail- 
road until 1890. when he became managing 
partner of Charles A. .Sims &• Company, op- 
erating in railroad construction in the eastern 
states. He was resident engineer in charge 
of the building of the Pennsylvania railroad 
ccinipany's stone arch bridge over the Cone- 
maugh river which stood the test of the great 
Johnstown flood in t88o. Thi-^ same firm built 
the four-track stone bridge over the Delaware 
river at Trenton. He is a member of tlie So- 
ciety of the Cincinnati. Sons of the Revolu- 
tion. T.oval Leeion. and other organizations; 
is an Episcopalian in religion, and in politics 
a Democrat. 

Charle<i .Miercr. mliie Sims married, at 
Mount TTnllv, New Tersev, .April 21, 1897, 
Tulia Watkins, daughter of T. Elfreth Wat- 
kins, of the Smiths nian Institution of W'ash- 
ineton. D. C. 

rXXVTin Clifl'ord .Stanley (2), son of 
Judge Clifford Stanlev d) and Mary Jose- 
phine f Abcrcronibie'l .Sims, was born at .Aber- 
crombie I.andinfr, Dciha countv, .Arkansas, 
Tanuarv 12, 1868. .After receiving his educa- 
tion, he engaeed in the ensrineering depart- 
ment of the Pennsvlvania railroad and other 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



487 



lines, between 1885 and 1888, after which he 
became assistant supervisor of the Cleveland 
& Pittsburgh division of the Pennsylvania's 
lines west of Pittsburgh. Later on he was as- 
sistant engineer and engineer of maintenance 
of way at Toledo, at Allegheny and at Chica- 
go. He was superintendent of Pennsylvania 
lines west of Pittsburgli, at Chicago, 1901-02, 
and general superintendent of the Baltimore 
& Ohio railroad, at New York, 1902-03 ; gen- 
eral manager at Baltimore, 1903-05 ; assistant 
to president of the Erie railroad, at New York 
City, 1905-07 ; second vice-president and gen- 
eral manager of the Delaware & Hudson Rail- 
road Company, located at Albany, since 1907. 
It is through a naturally strong inclination, 
backed by the desire to work hard and the 
energy to execute, that he was made vice- 
president of this important railroad line, and 
his experience has counted for much in the 
successful administration he has achieved. He 
is a director of the Albany Trust Company, 
of the Manufacturers' National Bank of Troy, 
Bank of Lake Placid, Corn Exchange Bank, 
City Bank of Syracuse, Bank of Ausable 
Forks, and of the Ulster & Delaware Railroad 
and the Casualty Company of America. He 
is a member of the American .Society of Civil 
Engineers, American Railway Association. 
American Railway Guild, American Forestry 
Association, New York State Historical As- 
sociation, Lake Champlain Association, So- 
ciety Engineers of Eastern New York, and of 
the following clubs : Engineers, City, Railroad, 
Manhattan of New York City; the Country. 
Albany and Fort Orange of Albany ; Troy, at 
Troy ; Maryland, at Baltimore ; Engineers, at 
Philadelphia; and the Glens Fall, at Glens 
Falls, New York. He resides at No. 62 North 
Swan street, Albany. New York. 

Clifford Stanley Sims married, at Baltimore, 
Maryland, December 8, 1909, Martha Lee 
Jenkins, who was born at Baltimore, and was 
the daughter of Edmund Plowden and Martha 
Lee Jenkins. 

(XXYHT) Launcelot Falcon, son of Judge 
Clifford Stanley and Mary Josephine (Aber- 
cronibie) Sims, was born at Prescott. Canada, 
Tanuarv 5, 1870, and resides at Ro.semont, 
Pennsvlvania. He is a civil engineer and rail- 
road contracter and is largely engaged in rail- 
road construction in the eastern states. 

Launcelot Falcon Sims married, at Mount 



Holly, New Jersey, June 8, 1904, Agnes 
Armstrong Cross, of that place, daughter of 
Benjamin S. and Louisa ( Pitney j Cross. 
Children: Clifford Stanley, 3rd., born at 
Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, June 20, 1905 ; 
Launcelot Falcon, Jr., born at Rosemont, 
Pennsylvania, March 2, 1907; Agnes Cross 
Sims, born at Rosemont, Pennsylvania, Octo- 
ber 14, 1910. 



A history of New York City 
BEEKMAN without a full account of the 
Beekman family, which for 
over two and a half centuries has been promi- 
nently identified with its civic, business, reli- 
gious and social life, would be far from com- 
plete. The coat of arms of this family is a 
bend wavy silver between two gold roses on 
a blue field. The crest is, two wings on a hel- 
met of steel represented in profile. The motto 
is: Mens conscia recti. 

(I) The family is of ancient German an- 
cestry, dating back to Cornelius Beekman, 
who was a prominent citizen of Cologne. He 
married Christiana Huygens of that city, who 
died December 4. 1560. They had two sons: 
Englebert, married Elizabeth de Beyer, and 
Gerardus, mentioned below. 

(TI) Rev. Gerardus (or Gerard^ Beekman, 
son of Cornelius and Christiana (Huygens) 
Beekman, was born in Cologne, May 17, 15.58, 
and died at Emmerich, January 31. 1625. He 
received a University education and studied 
theology at Frankcndael, during the years 
1576-78. He became one of the most learned 
scholars of his time. He is said to have been 
able to "speak, think and dream" in five 
languages. He lived in the stirring times 
succeeding the religious movement begun by 
Martin Luther, when a fanatical warfare was 
waged between the Catholics and the followers 
of the reformed religion. Rev. Gerard Beek- 
man took a prominent part in the support of 
the principles of the new church and was 
chosen one of the delegates to visit the Duke • 
of New Berg, the Elector of Brandenburg and 
King James of England to secure their sup- 
port in behalf of the reformed religion. He 
was one of the distinguished scholars who 
translated the Bible from the original manu- 
scripts into English for King James L of 
England and for his services received especial 
honors from the King. In 1616 the Protes- 



SOUTH I-.RX NliW YORK 



tants were expelled from Cologne by the Cath • 
olics. A little later they returned and built 
churches, which were again destroyed. They 
then went to Mulheini, about three miles from 
Cologne, and built a church of which Gerard 
Beekman served as superintendent. Later the 
church was destroyed and many of its mem- 
bers imprisoned. Mr. Beekman, after losing 
much of his pro])erty, escaped and found 
refuge with the landgrave of Nassau. He 
served for some time as secretary of the Elec- 
toral Chamber at Cleves. He married Agnes 
.Stuning at Cleves. She was born January 13, 
1557, and died at Mulheim, March 10, 1614. 
Children: i. Harmon, died in 1654. z. John, 
became a clergyman, died September 13, 1635. 

3. Catherine, died in 1624. 4. Margaretha, 
married Rev. N. N. Cnoetz. 5. Hendrick, 
mentioned below. 

(HI) Hendrick, son of Rev. Gerard and 
Agnes (Stuning) Beekman, was born in 
Cologne, September 14, 1585, and died at 
Wezel, December 2. 1642. He received a 
liberal education and for some years was sec- 
retary of the city of Hasselden, Oberyssel. In 
1629 he was apointed states-general superin- 
tendent of the magazines in the cities of Wezel 
and Hasselt. He married three times, (first) 
April 15, 1613, Gertryd (Gertrude) Gomens- 
bach, who died September 10, 1619. Four 
children. Tie marriccl (second) Mary Bau- 
dertius, at Zutphen, January 24, 1621. She 
was the daughter of Rev. William Baudertius 
pastor of the Reformed Church at Zutphen. 
Seven children were born to Hendrick and 
Mary (Baudertius) Beekman: i. Gerard, Feb- 
ruary 20, 1622, died in 1678; became a clergy- 
man ; married Joanna Plantius and lived in 
Avcnnor'i, Nrth Holland. 2. \\'illielmus (or 
William, mentioned below. 3. Martin, August 
25, 1624, at Ha.sselt, married Maria de Bois. 

4. John, November 26, 1625. at Hasselt, died 
January 15, 1684; married (first) Alida 
Brouwer, and (second) Catharine Van Rys- 
vort. 5. Andrew, died unmarried in 1663. 6. 
Alida, married Leonard Winnix. 7. Maria. 
married William Harris. 

(IV) Wilhelmus, second son of Hendrick 
and Mary (Baudertius) Bookman was born 
at Statselt, Oberyssel, Holland, April 28, 1623, 
and died in New York City. September 21. 
1707. He made rapid progress in bis studies 
and at the age of twenty-one years was an 



officer in the Reformed Church. At the age 
of twenty-two he was elected a magistrate, 
an unusual honor for one so young, and one 
that showed that he had ability of a high 
order. He became an intimate friend of Pe- 
trus Stuyvesant (q. v.), who invited him in 
1647 to accompany him to New Netherland. 
He accepted the invitation, and through his in- 
fluence, a number of German families who had 
been obliged to leave their native land and 
find an asylum in HoUaiid were allowed to 
accompany them to New Amsterdam. The 
party left Holland in three ships, the "Great 
Gerrit" (Princess), the "Swal" and the 
"Raid." The voyage was a long and tem- 
pestuous one, being longer then usual, as Gov- 
ernor Stuyvesant went via the island of Cur- 
acao, where he had to make a brief visit, as 
he was given charge of that island as well as 
the colony of New Netherland. On this trip 
many of the passengers and crew became ill, 
and Mr. Beekman served as nurse and phy- 
sician. The party reached New Amsterdam 
in May, 1647. Scon after his arrival in the 
colony he obtained a grant of land on the Hud- 
son river for the German families, who had 
accompanied him to the colony. The place 
where they located they gave the name of 
Rhinebeck, so called as a memorial of their 
home district, the Rhine in Germany and 
"heck." the shortened or ancient form of the 
name Beekman, a compliment to their protec- 
tor. Dr. Beekman. On September 24, 1670, 
"Anna Hall, widow of Thomas Hall, by vir- 
tue of a deed dated August 27, 1654. and con- 
firmation of Governor Richard Nicolls. April 
15. 1667, sells to William Beekman a parcel 
of land with a house, brew^ house, brew kettle 
and other brewing instruments, and a mill 
house with a horse mill and other buildings, 
together with an orchard lying at the east- 
ermost end of the .Smiths Valley. Bounded 
west southwest by land heretofore of Corne- 
lius Van Tienhoven, east southeast by David 
Provoost. Stretching in length from the land 
of said Tienhoven to Bestavcr's Swamp, forty 
rods at twelve feet a rod. In length along the 
strand, west southwest, and east northeast, 
sixty-eight rods. Northwest and southeast to 
the land of said Provoost. In length along 
the Sjniths Valley to the fence of the said 
David Provoost. forty-eight rods, deducting 
out of said land for the use of the said Anna 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



4Sq 



Hall, for her life, one half of the orchard, the 
eastermost part thereof, as also three hundred 
and seventy-five rods more for the highway, 
and for a lot of ground which is sold out of 
said lot unto Isaac Allerton." Two days later 
we find William Beekman "inhabitant of the 
\illage of Kingstown in the Esopus," giving 
a mortgage to widow Anna Hall for the same 
lands to secure the sum of fifteen thousand 
guilders. This was paid in 1683. The de- 
scription of this farm as given above might be 
an enigma to one not acquainted with geogra- 
phy of the early city. The south bounds was 
the road along the side of the river, and now 
Pearl street. The east line was a few feet west 
of the present Ferry street ; on the west it was 
bounded by the middle line of the block be- 
tween Fulton and Ann streets. The "Bes- 
taver's Swamp," still called "the swamp," was 
divided among its owners in later years, 
and Jacob street (named from Jacobus Roose- 
velf) runs through it. The southwest corner 
of the farm is at the junction of Pearl and 
Fulton streets. A person standing at Fulton 
street and looking east will perceive a slight 
elevation of land. This is all that now re- 
mains of what was called in ancient deeds 
"The Hill by William Beekmans." The 
whole of it was known as "Beekman's Or- 
chard and Pasture." Here tanneries were 
built and the leather trade developed. A 
street was laid out through this property and 
named Beekman street in his honor. William 
street, running at right angles to Beekman 
street, was also named after his Christian 
name, and thus today two important streets 
in the great metropolis stand as monuments 
to the memory of this worthy immigrant. Dr 
Beekman soon becatue prominent in civil af- 
fairs of the city. In 1653 he was elected as- 
sistant alderman, retaining the office four 
vears. In 1654 he was "schepen," an office 
pertaining both to the duties of a magistrate 
and sheriflf. He was orphan master in i6s8 
and one of the "nine men" to regulate public 
affairs in 1652. He was elected delegate in 
1653, and in 1658 he was made vice-governor 
of the South River colony, the Swedish settle- 
ment which Governor Stuyvesant had con- 
quered and which was sold to New .Amster- 
dam by the Dutch West India Company. He 
was later promoted governor. In 1664 he 
served as sheriff of New Amsterdam and in 



1674 was elected burgomaster, retaining the 
office when the English gained control of the 
city. He served as alderman until 1696, when 
owing to failing health he was forced to re- 
tire from active life. His residence was near 
the center of his farm, near where Pearl and 
Frankfort streets are now located. Here he 
made his home until his death. He was one 
of the ablest citizens of New York and was 
greatly respected and loved by the pe iple of 
the city. He married, September 5. 1649, 
Katrina de Boog. daughter of Hendrick de 
Boog. Children: i. Maria, baptized June 26, 
1650; married, January 5. 1672. Nicholas 
William, son of Governor Peter Stuyvesant; 
she died March 20. 1679. 2. Hendrick or 
Henry, baptized March g. 1632, died in 1716; 
married Johanna, widow of Joris Davidson, 
and daughter of Captain Jacob and Cornelia 
(Molyn) de Loper; his son, Colonel Henry 
Beekman, attained considerable prominence, 
and had a daughter, Margaret, who married 
Robert R. Livingston. 3. Gerardns. mentioned 
below. 4. Cornelia, baptized in Ai)ril, 1655. 
married Isaac Van VIeck, September 19. 1674; 
she died April i, 1679. 5. Johannes, bap- 
tized November 22, 1656. died in Kingston, 
luly 21. 1751: married .Aeltjc Thomas Pop- 
inga : he remained in Kingston and the num- 
erous Beekmans there are descended from 
him. 6. Jacobus, baptized August 21, 1658, 
died 1679. 7. Wilhelmus, born 1661, died 
unmarried in 1702. 8. Martin, baptized July 
10. 1663. 9. Catherine, baptized March 25. 
166S. died about 1707. 

(V) Dr. Gerardus (2) Beekman. son of 
Wilhelmus and Katrina (de Boog^ Beekman, 
was baptized in New Amsterdam (New York 
Citv), August 17. 1653. died there October 
10. 1723. After a liberal preparatory educa- 
tion, he studied medicine and practiced his 
profession in New York and Flatbush, Long 
Island, for manv years. He inherited a large 
property froiu bis father, yet he applied him- 
self to his professional laboss with the zeal 
of a man dependent upon his own resources 
to make his wav in the world. He met with 
marked success in his professional labors, be- 
ing one of the ablest physicians and surgeons 
in the province. He was often consulted on 
medical matters by physicians in the other 
American colonies. At an early date he took 
a prominent part in the civil affairs of his 



490 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



city. <Tnd though possessing great wealth, he 
espoused the cause of the common people in 
opposition to the "aristocratic" party. In 
1685 he was appointed justice of King's coun- 
ty. New York. In October, 1674, Sir Edmund 
New York, and in his zeal to follow his 
"master's instructions" made himself odious 
to the people of the province, winning his 
title of "tyrant." One of his outrageous acts 
was the imprisonment of leading New York 
citizens, among the number being Gerardus 
Beekman. During 1688-91 Dr. Beekman was 
a loyal supporter of Lieutenant-Governor 
Leislcr in his rule of the colony, serving as a 
member of his council in 1690 and 1691. Cap- 
tain Richard Ingoldsby arrived early in 1691 
with a company of regulars and demanded 
that Leisler turn over the government to him ; 
the request was refused, and for several weeks 
the city was stirred by rival factions, "Leis- 
lerians" and "Anti-Leislerians." In March, 
169T, Governor Sloughter arrived in New 
York and Leisler at once loyally turned over 
to him the management of affairs. Acting 
on the advice of the enemies of Leisler, Gov- 
ernor Sloughter arrested Leisler and six ol 
his "inferior insurgents," Abraham Gouver- 
neur, Gerardus Beekman, Johannes Vermilye, 
Thomas Williams, Mydert Cocrtcn and Abra- 
ham Brasher, on a charge of high treason. 
Leisler was executed May 16, 1691, near 
where the Tribuiie Building now stands in 
New York. Dr. Beekman was tried for trea- 
son and sentenced to be hung, but was finally 
pardoned by the King in 1694. He then re- 
sumed the active practice of his profession. 
He regained in a short time his popularity, 
and was regarded by the people as a "martyr" 
to the cause of freedom. At an early age he 
became identified with the military history of 
the province, being commissioned captain of 
the militia at Flatbush in 1681. In 1689 he 
took the oath of allegiance and was appointed 
by the acting governor, Jacob Leisler, major 
of "all the hor^se and foot" in King's county. 
In 1700 he was commissioned lieutenant- 
colonel by Governor Bellomont, and in 1701 
colonel of the militia in the province. He 
served as a member of Governor Cornbury's 
council. 1702-09, and was acting governor 
from September 17, 1709. until June 4, 17 10. 
From this last date until his death he was 
president of the council. In 1700 he was ap- 



pointed judge, retaining the office until his 
death. He was the owner of valuable real 
estate. Besides his estate in Flatbush he 
owned three large farms in New Jersey. 

He married, August 29, 1677, Magdalena, 
daughter of Stofifel Janse and Neeltje Janse 
(Croon) Abell. of Albany. She was born 
in 1657 and died October 20, 1745. Children: 
I. William, born January 25, 1679. died 
young. 2. Christopher, January 14, 1681 ; 
married Mary, daughter of Abraham De la 
Noy ; died January 28, 1704; left descendants 
in Millstown. New Jersey. 3. Adrian, .\ugust 
22, 16S2, was killed in a negro insurrection, 
April 6, 1712. He married Aeltie Lispanaer. 

4. \\'illiam, mentioned below. 5. Jacobus 
(James), August 7, 1687; married .^nn De 
Peyster. 6. Catharine, May 25, 1689; mar- 
ried Charles Le Rnux. 7. Gerardus, June 9, 
1693, married (first) Anna Maria Van Home, 
(second) Catharine Provoost; his daughter, 
Eve, married Samuel Verplanck, of Vcrplanck 
Point. 8. Johannes, June 8. 1696, died No- 
vember 24. 1698. 9. Cornelia, December 23, 
1608; married Richard Van Dam 10. Henry, 
December 11, 1701. died unmarried Septem- 
ber 4, 1773. II. Maria. January 10. 1704, 
married Jacob Walton. 

(VI) Dr. William Beekman, son of Dr. 
Gerardus (2) and Magdalena ('.'Kbcll) Beek- 
man. was horn in New York City, .August 8, 
1684. and died there April 26, 1770. He grad- 
uated from the College of New Jersey, now 
Princeton ITniversity, and subsequently prac- 
ticed medicine in his native city. He became 
one of the most celebrated physicians of his 
time and won a vote of thanks from his na- 
tive city for his heroic work during the small- 
pox epidemic of 1745. He took an active in- 
terest in the civic and public aflFairs of New 
York and was especially distinguished for his 
generosity to the poor of the city. He mar- 
ried, October it, 1707, Catharine Peters De 
la Noy, daughter of .Abraham De la Noy and 
sister of Mary De la Noy, his brother's wife. 
She was born September 20, 1691. died De- 
cember 14, 1765. Children: i. Cornelia. Oc- 
tober 4, 1 70S. married William Walton, * 
prominent citizen of New York ; died May 10, 
1786; no children. 2. Magdalena, January 

5. 171 1, died young. 3. .Adrian. July 2, 1712, 
died at birth. 4. Magdalena. .August 30, 1714; 
died unmarried in 1784. 5. Catharine, Feb- 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



491 



ruary 28. 1717; died unmarried in 1793. 6. 
Gerard William, December 13, 17 18, died Oc- 
tober 6, 1781 ; became a wealthy citizen in 
New York City; married, April 11, 1751, 
Mary Diiychinck. daughter of Gerardus Duy- 
ckinck ; two children. 7. Maria, April 13, 
1723, died unmarried February 20, 1793. 8. 
William, April 13, 1725, died unmarried Oc- 
tober 8, 1795. 9. Elizabeth, April 16, 1727; 
married Robert Rutgers, September 23, 1755. 
10. Abraham, August 4, 1729, died unmarried 
October 19, 1789. 11. James, mentioned be- 
low. 12. Adrian, July 30, 1734, died Septem- 
ber 24, 1747. 

(VII) Hon. James Beekman, son of Dr 
William and Catharine Peters (De la Noy) 
Beekman. was born in New York City, March 
5. 1732, died April 6, 1807. He received a 
liberal education and became one of the promi- 
nent citizens of the city. He served as a 
member of the "committee of one hundred" 
in 1775. and from 1775 to 1777 was a mem- 
ber of the provincial legislature. He inherited 
a large property, which he greatly increased 
through his able management, and owned a 
goodly estate on "Beekman Hill," where in 
1764 he built a line house between "Kissing 
Bridge" and the East river near Fifty-first 
street and First avenue. This house became 
famous during the revolutionary war. Here 
General Howe made his headquarters for 
some time in 1776, and in the greenhouse 
nearby Captain Nathan Hale was tried and 
condemned to be hung. The house was also 
occupied by Generals Chester and Carleton, 
and by Baron Riedsel in 1780. Major Andre 
passed the night at the Beekman mansion be- 
fore proceeding up the Hudson to meet Gen- 
eral Benedict Arnold. George Wa.shington, 
after becoming president, was frequently en- 
tertained by James Beekman at this estate. 
In 1874 the house was torn down and the 
drawing-room mantlepiece with its blue Dutch 
tiles is a cherished relic of the New York His- 
torical Society. 

Hon. James Beekman married, October 8, 
1752, Jane Keteltas, daughter of Abraham and 
Jane Keteltas. She was born October 8, 1734, 
and died February 7, i8t8. Children: i. 
William, July 12, 1754. died unmarried. Au- 
gust 8. 1808. 2. Abraham Keteltas, February 
29, 1756, died November 13, 1816; married 
Johanna, daughter of Gerard William Beek- 



man; no children. 3. James, April 16, 1758, 
died April 8, 1837. 4. Jane, April 16, 1760; 
married Stephen Van Cortland. 5. Cath- 
arine, May 30, 1762; married Elisha Boudi- 
not ; no children. 6. Mary, September 6, 1765 ; 
married Stephen N. Bayard ; no children. 7. 
John, March 2, 1767, died May 4, the same 
year. 8. John, mentioned below. 9. Cor- 
nelia, August 8, 1770, married Isaac B. Cox. 
10. Elizabeth, January 2, 1773, died Septem- 
l^er 3, 1773. II- Gerard, mentioned below. 
12. Samuel, September 18, 1776, died in April, 
1 8 1 6. 

(VIII) John, son of Hon. James and Jane 
(Keteltas) Beekman, was born in New York 
City. April 29, 1768, died there December 
18, 1843. He was educated in the schools of 
his native city, and became one of the most 
wealthy and prominent citizens of New York, 
being identified with all measures pertaining 
to the u])building of the city and state. He 
married, November 3, 1792, Mary Elizabeth 
Goad Bedlow. She was born August i, 1771, 
died April 5, 1S45. Children: i. Catharine 
Bedlow, born September 11, 1798, died De- 
cember 31, 1883: married Abraham Fish, who 
died October 8, 1828. 2. Mary, married Wil- 
liam A. De Peyster. Their dauglUers have en- 
dowed a room at the New York Historical 
Society to their memory, containing portraits 
and relics of the Beekman and Dc Peyster 
families. Her daughter, Mary Bedlow De 
Peyster, born February 13, 1832. married Dr. 
Charles Scott McKnight. who died Septem- 
ber 9, 1895, leaving issue, a daughter Mary, 
who married Theodorus Bailey. 3. John 
Crosby, died at Rural Cove, East river, .\pril 
17, 1863, unmarried. 4. Jane, married Dr. 
Jacob Hallett Borrowe. 5. Lydia. married 
in 1831, Jo.seph Faulke Jr. 6. William Fen- 
wick, mentioned below. 

(IX) William Fenwick, son of John and 
Mary Elizabeth Goad (Bedlow) Beekman, 
was born in New York City. August 4, 1809. 
died there December 17, 1872. He was ed- 
tuated in the schools of his native city, grad- 
uated from Rutgers College and also from the 
School of Physicians and Surgeons. University 
of Pennsylvania; and at an early age became 
prominent in the business and social aflfairs 
of the town. He married. June i, 1841, Cath- 
arine .Alexander Neilson, fjorn December 31, 
1814. died in 1892. Children: I. William Bed- 



492 



SUUTHERN NEW YORK 



low, February 9, 1S42, died March 8, 1898. 
He became a prominent banker and broker in 
New York City; was also a member of the 
Stock Exchange. He married twice, first, 
Alice Keller, who died in 1873, and second, 
Kalherine Morris Parker. By his first mar- 
riage he had two children: Charles Keller 
Beekman, a prominent and successful lawyer 
of New York, and Catherine A., married to 
John Huger, of Charleston. By his second 
marriage lie had five children: Heloise, mar- 
ried to David Leavitt Hough ; Fenwick, mar- 
ried to Sabina Struthers, daughter of Robert 
Strnthers, and has one child. Fenwick ; Cort- 
landt; Gertruydt Van Cortlandt, died March 
5, 1910; Marghreta. 2. John Neilson. born 
at Oyster Bay, August 29, 1843, '^'cd April 
26, 1912; graduated A.B. from Columbia Uni- 
versity in 1864 and the College of Physicians 
and Surgeons in 1868 ; married Annie L. Daw- 
son. 3. Henry Rutgers, mentioned below. 4. 
James Hudc, born May 25, 1848, died Febru- 
ary 22, 1902; married Florence Delaplaine ; 
no children. 5. Neilson, died young. 6. Her- 
man, born October 24, 1852, died unmarried 
August 10, 1897. 7. Fanny Neilson, born 
November 24, 1856, died May 7, 1882; mar- 
ried Robert Adrain, one child, Fanny Neil- 
son Beekman Adrain. 

(X) Judge Henry Rutgers Beekman, son 
of William Fenwick and Catharine Alexander 
(Neilson) Beekman, was born in New York 
City. December 8, 1845, died there December 
17, 1900. He prepared for college in the 
schools of his native city and entered Colum- 
bia University in i86t. graduating in 1865 
with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He then 
entered the Columbia University Law School 
and graduated with honors in 1867 with the 
degree of LL.B. He was admitted to the bar 
in this last year and formed a partnership with 
David B. Ogden, under the firm name of Og- 
den & Beekman. which partnership continued 
until 1894. when he was appointed judge of 
the superior court. In 1895 he was appointed 
justice of the supreme court of New York, 
retaining the office until his death. He met 
with marked success in the practice of his 
jirofession. being one of the ablest attorneys 
in the State. As a judge he performed his 
duties with great dignity and impartialitv. His 
decisions showed a remarkable knowledge of 
the laws of the State. In politics he was a 



Democrat and held many positions of trust, 
i fe was president of the Department of Parks 
(luring the years 1885-87. In this last year 
he was elected to the board of aldermen, 
serving until 1888. He was then counsel to 
the corporation until 1889. He served for 
some time on the commission for promoting 
uniformity of legislation in the United States 
Judge Beekman took a deej) interest in educa- 
tional matters and in 1884 was a member of 
the school board. He was prominent in the 
social affairs of his city, being a member of 
the University. Union and Manhattan clubs. 
Judge Beekman married, November 29, 
1870. Isabella Lawrence, daughter of Richard 
and Josephine (Bayley) Lawrence. She was 
born in New York City, and now resides at 
No. 38 East Seventy-sixth Street.. Four chil- 
dren were born to Judge Henry Rutgers and 
Isabella (Lawrence) Beekman: Josephine 
Lawrence, William Fenwick, Mary Elizabeth. 
Henry Rutgers, resides at No. 38 East Seven- 
ty-sixth Street. 

(VIII) Gerard, son of Hon. James and 
Jane (Keteltas) Beekman. was born in New 
York City. December 17, 1774, and died July 
15, 1833. He received a liberal education and 
at an early date became prominent in the busi- 
ness, civic and social life of the city. He was 
one of the wealthiest and most public spirited 
citizens of New York, and generously gave 
of his time and money to assist in promoting 
the welfare of the city. He was an active 
member of the church and gave generously 
to its various benevolences. He married, in 
.April. 1810. Catharine Sanders, of .Schenec- 
tady, daughter of Captain John and Catharine 
(Sanders) Sanders. She was born October 
TO, 1785, and died October 15, 1835. Her 
mother was a daughter of Hon. Robert San- 
ders, a prominent citizen of .A.lbany, New 
York, serving as mayor of the city during the 
years 1750-54. One child: James ^Villiam. 
mentioned below. 

(IX) James William, .son of Gerard and 
Catharine (Sanders) Beekman. was born at 
553 Broadway, New York. November 22. 
1815, died there June 15. 1877. He was pre- 
pared for college by private tutors and in 
1830 entered Columbia University, graduating 
in 1834. with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. 
He then studied law and was admitted to the 
bar in \St,C\ but never actively practiced the 



SOUTH KRN NEW YORK 



A'Ji 



profession. He made extensive trips tlirough 
the northern states in the summers of 1834- 
2/. In 1838, in company with his college 
classmate, Evert A. Duyckinck, he made an 
extensive trip through France, Holland, Eng- 
land and Scotland, returning in one of the 
first steamships that crossed the Atlantic. In- 
heriting a large fortune he devoted himself 
to the management of his business interests, 
and civic and social affairs of his native city. 
At an early age he became prominent in the 
political aiTairs of the city. He represented 
his district in the New York assembly in 
1848, and during the years 1849-51 served 
in the State senate. He was a member of 
several important committees in both the house 
and the senate, and took a- prominent part in 
securing important changes in the tax laws, 
by which the personal liberty of the dehii- 
quent tax-payers was unrestrained and ex- 
tended time given for payment. He was chair- 
man of the senate committee that reported the 
bill creating the New York Central Park, and 
it was largely due to his earnest advocacy 
that the bill became a law. He was especially 
interested in educational matters and served 
for some time as member of the board of ed- 
ucation of New York. He was also a trus- 
tee of the Medical Department of Columbia 
University from i860 to 1877 and of the imi- 
versity from 1875 until 1877. During the 
trying times of the civil war he proved an 
earnest friend of the government and gave 
liberally of his time and money to aid the 
Union soldiers. In the early part of 1861 he. 
in company with Erastus Corning and Thur- 
low Weed, consulted President Buchanan, in 
Washington, in regard to giving necessary 
protection to the steamer ''Star of the West," 
which had been sent from New York City 
loaded with supplies for the beleaguered gar- 
rison at Fort Sumter, Charleston, South Caro- 
lina. He was an active member of the Dutch 
Reformed Church, Fifth Avenue and Twenty- 
ninth Street, and gave generously to its many 
benevolences. He was greatly interested in 
all matters that pertained to the welfare of 
humanity, and for many years he made a 
study cf hospital construction and administra- 
tion, making many trips to Europe to inspect 
the hospital conditions on that continent. He 
was governor and vice-president of the New 
York Hospital from its foundation until his 



death; president of the Woman's Hospital for 
many years, and trustee of the New York 
Dispensary. He was especially active in the 
club and society life of the city, being one of 
the founders of the Union League Club and 
its vice-president for some time. He was for 
many years a member and ofticer of the St. 
Nicholas Society and the Century Associa- 
tion. He was a popular lecturer. Several 
of his addresses were published, the most im- 
portant being "The Founders of New York," 
delivered before the St. Nicholas Society in 
1869; and "Report on a Village of Cottage 
Hospitals," made to the governors of the New 
York Hospital in February, 1876. This last 
work was an exhaustive study of hospital con- 
ditions, and is regarded as an authority on 
the subject. He was a member of the New 
York Historical Society and its vice-president 
for several years. He was a worthy descend- 
ant of a worthy family. He inherited the 
firm religious faith that distinguished his an- 
cestors in Germany and Holland, the faith 
that made him conspicuous in the church and 
benevolent work of the city. He was tolerant 
in his views and was ever ready to extend a 
helping hand to his less fortunate brothers. 
He was a member of the Sabbath Commit- 
tee and worked to make the Sabbath a day of 
rest. In his zeal in philanthropic work he 
often overtaxed his strength, and while per- 
forming his duty as an officer in the New 
York Hospital he contracted the illness of 
which he died, June 15, 1877. 

He married, March 18, 1840, Abian Steele 
Milledoller, daughter of Rev. Philip Mille- 
d Her, president of Rutgers College, New 
Jersey. She was born November 22, 1815. 
and died January 15, 1877. Five children 
were born of this marriage: i. Catharine, mar- 
ried William W. Hoppin. a distinguished 
lawyer in New York. 2. Gerard, mentioned 
below 3. Philip Milledoller, born June 12. 
1845, 'I'ccl August 15, 1846. 4. James Wil- 
liam, born November 4, 1847, 'l'Cf'> unmar- 
ried. August 7, 1908 : graduated from Colum- 
bia University in 1S69 and the Columbia Law 
School in 1871 ; was prominent in many social 
clubs and patriotic organizations, notably the 
Seawanhaka Yacht Club; was governor of 
the New York Hospital from 1884 until his 
death, and a man of unusual popularity and 
charm. In 1893 was made a Knight of the 



494 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Order of Orange Nassau by the Queen Re- 
gent of Holland. 5. Cornelia. 

(X) Gerard, son of James \N'illiani and 
Abian Steele ( Milledoller) Beekman, was 
born in New York City. He prepared for 
college under private instruction and entered 
Columbia University graduating in 1864 with 
the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and from Law 
School of Columbia in 1867. He is a mem- 
ber of the University Club, St. Nicholas So- 
ciety, and was for many years a trustee of 
Columbia. He has incorporated under the 
laws of the State a society for the benefit of 
the Beekman family ; the education and care 
of any of its members, and other charitable 
purposes, and for the preservation of the fam- 
ily heirlooms. This is called the Beekman 
Family Association. Gerard and James Wil- 
liam Beekman presented a stained glass win- 
dow to the new chapel in Columbia Univer- 
sity on which has been recorded the names 
of former graduates of the family name. 



On both the paternal and maternal 
BULL sides, the Bull family of New 

York traces its origin to several of 
the oldest and most distinguished New Eng- 
land families of the Colonial and Revolu- 
tionary periods, the Bulls, the Lanmans, the 
Trumbulls, the Bolystons, the Coits and oth- 
ers. 

(I) Henry P)ull. a native of South Wales, 
was bom in 161 o, died in 1693. He came to 
America in 1635 and was the progenitor of 
all the Bull families of New England. After 
a .short residence in the Massachusetts Bay 
Colony he went to Rhode Island, being one 
of the followers of Roger Williams. Wtih 
seventeen associates he purchased land in 163S 
and joined in the settlement of Newport, be- 
ing at once one of the leading men of the 
new colony. He was chosen sergeant of the 
town, with the care of the prison included in 
the duties of his office. In i68g. when he 
was nearly eighty years of age, he accepted 
election as governor, when the duty of restor- 
ing the charter privileges of the colony after 
the fall of Andros made the office one of 
arduous labor and heavy responsibilities, so 
much so, in fact, that two others declined to 
serve in that capacity. He was admitted a 
freeman in Massachusetts, May 7, 1637. He 
was one of the first fifty-eight followers of 



Wheelwright and Mrs. Hutchinson, disarmed 
by order of the general court. Henry Bull 
was one of the founders of Portsmouth, 
Rhode Island, having been associated in that 
enterprise with men from Boston and vicin- 
ity; this was in 1638. In the following year 
he became one of the fonuders of Newport. 
He was elected corporal of the train band, 
June 27, 1638, chosen sergeant, November 
24, 1638, and in 1641-42 lie was designated 
as sergeant assistant. In 1655-57 '''^ '^^''^^ ^^"^ 
of the six commissioners from Newport to 
the general court of election at Providence, 
and from 1666 to 1681 represented Newport 
in the general assembly. In 1674-76 he was 
assistant, and in 1685-86 and 1689-90 gover- 
nor of Rhode Island. 

Henry Bull, according to the Friends' Rec- 
ords "aged about eighty-four years, departed 
this life at his home in Newport, he being 
the last man of the first settlers of this Rhode 
Island, 22nd, iimo. 1693-4". He was buried 
in the Coddington ground, the old Quaker 
cemetery on Farewell Street, in Newport. 
The records of deeds indicate that he owned 
considerable property. The house that he 
built on the easterly side of Spring street is 
still standing and is in the possession of his 
descendants, it being the only one remaining 
of those built by the original settlers. On 
July 18. 1906, the Rhode Island Historical 
Society unveiled a tablet, attached to the house 
and inscribed : "The Gov. Bull house, the old- 
est house in Rhode Island. Built in part in 
1639 by Henry Bull, Governor under Royal 
Charter of the Colony of Rhode Lsland and 
Providence Plantations, in the years 1685-6 
and 1690." 

He married (first) Elizabeth , who died 

October i, 1665, and was buried at Newport. 
He married (second) at Sandwich, Massa- 
chusetts, Esther Allen, born December 18. 
1648, died February 26, 1676. daughter of 
Ralph and Esther (Swift) Allen. He mar- 
ried (third) March 28, 1677, Ann Clayton, 
widow of Governor Nicholas Easton. She 
died January 30, 1707, and was buried in the 
Coddington cemetery at Newport. Children. 
Jiroli, mentioned below: Elizabeth, married 
.Allen; .\mey, married Edward Rich- 
mond. 

(II) Jireh, son of Henrv Bull, was bom 
at Pi rtsmouth, Rhode Island, September, 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



495 



1638, died in 1684 in Kingstown, probably 
He was one of a company who purcliased 
land in the Narrangansett Country, June 29. 
1660, and he signed articles relating to the 
Westerly lands, March 22, 1661. He bought 
five hundred acres at Pettequamscott and 
thereafter seems to have resided on the west 
side of the bay except during King Philip's 
war. He and two others were appointed on a 
commission to the Indians, August 19, 1669. 
By appointment of the governor he was a con- 
servator of the peace in 1669-70, 1678 and 
1683. He was assessor or rate-maker for 
Pettequamscott in 1670; was appointed lieu- 
tenant and took the oath of fidelity. May 19, 
1671 ; was appointed one of the commissioners 
to adjust the Connecticut boundary line. May 
14, 1672. Roger Williams in a letter dated 
June 27, 1675, to John Winthrop, written from 
Richard Smith's at Narragansett, says : "Just 
now comes in Sam Dier in a catch (ketch') 
from Newport, to fetch over Jireh Bull's wife 
and children and others of Pettequamscott." 
This was on account of King Philip's war and 
in December following Bull's garrison house 
was burned, ten Englishmen and five women 
and children were killed, but two escaping. 
After the war Jireh Bull returned to his home 
and five hundred acres of land were laid out 
to him, December 5, 1679. During the war 
he was probably at Newport, for he was on 
a commission appointed April 4, 1676, to make 
a census of the island, and August 24, 1676. 
he served on a^ court-martial to try Indians. 
In 1683 services of the Church of England 
were read at his house. He died in 1684. 

The name of his wife is unknown. It is 

thought she was Katherine , on whose 

estate administration was granted August 16, 
1713. Children: Henry, of Kingstown, born 
1658, died 169 1 ; Jireh, mentioned below; 
Mary, 1663, died June 13, 1754, married John 
Coggeshall ; Ephraim, of Kingstown, born 
1669, died 1721 ; Ezekiel, of Kingstown, born 
1671, died September 7, 1727. 

(HI) Jireh (2), son of Jireh (i) Bull, was 
born in 1659, died July 16, 1709. He married 
(first) Godsgift, born August 27, 1658. died 
April 23, 1691, eighth child of Governor and 
Damaris (Westcott) Arnold. He married 

(second) Sarah . Children, born at 

Westerly, by his first wife: Jireh, 1682, died 



1709; Benjamin, married, December, 1710, 
Content James ; Benedict, mentioned below. 

(IV) Benedict, son of Jireh (2) Bull, was 
born in 1687 in Rhode Island. He settled in 
Milford, Connecticut, about 171 1. He married 
Sibella Bryan. Children, born at Milford: 
Benedict, 1717, killed in childhood by a fall; 
Sibella. February 14, 1719-20; Jireh, men- 
tioned below; Benjamin, October 10, 1721, 
twin of Jireh, married (first) December 22, 
1748, Esther, daughter of Solomon Baldwin, 
(second) April 11, 1754, Anna Piatt; they 
lived at Milford; Godsgift. February 24, 1724; 
Content, about 1725, married a Mr. Bryan, of 
Milford. 

(V) Jireh (3), son of Benedict Bull, was 
born at Milford, Connecticut, October 10, 
1721. He married Sibella, daughter of Jere- 
miah Peck. Children, born at Milford: Si- 
bella, married Daniel Buckingham ; Jabez, 
mentioned below ; Jerusha, married David 
Noble ; Content, married David Baldwin ; 
Henry, born 1754; Jeremiah, born March 10, 

1757- 

(VI) Jabez, son of Jireh (3) Bull, was born 
at Milford, Connecticut. January 19. 1747. 
In 1700 Jeremiah Bull was head of a family 
at Milford, according to the first federal cen- 
sus. Anna Bull (doubtless widow of Benja- 
min) was living with one male over sixteen 
and two females in her family, in 1790. Ben- 
jamin and Temperance Bull were also heads 
of families in Milford. Hinnian calls Jabez 
"Benedict Jabez," as if he had assumed the 
name. Jabez Bull married Naomi Bridge. 
Chilflren. born at Milford: James, married 
a Miss Bryan; Lucy, married William At- 
watcr : Tirch. mentioned below. 

(VII) lirch (4), son of Jabez Bull, was 
born in Milford. Connecticut, about 1770-80 
He married Elizabeth .Atwater. who married 
T.ucy Bull. One child. Frederic, mentioned 
below. 

(Vlin Frederic, son of Jireh (4) Bull, was 
born in Milford. Connecticut. July 17. 1800, 
died in 1871. He was a prominent business 
man in New York City for more than a third 
of a century preceding his death at his coun- 
try seat in Montclair, New Jersey. He was 
head of the New York family bearing the 
name. He married Mary Huntington T.an- 
man, born May 28, 1804, at Norwich. Con- 
necticut, and died in 1880 (sec Lanmanl. The 



496 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



ceremony was performed in 1829. Children: 
Sara, Elizabeth, Mary H., Caroline W., Abi- 
gail T., Frederic, William Lanman, mentioned 
below ; Anna C. 

(IX) William Lanman, seventh child and 
youngest son of Frederic and Mary Hunting- 
ton (Lanman) Bull, was born in New York 
City, August 23, 1844. After a good prepara- 
tory education he completed his studies in the 
College of the City of New York, from which 
he was graduated in 1864. He then began 
his business career by entering the banking 
house of Edward Sweet & Co., the senior 
partner of this firm being a brother-in-law of 
Mr. Bull. In 1867 he became a partner in 
the firm, a relation that he has maintained 
uninterruptedly down to the present time, a 
period of forty-five years. Outside of his 
banking business Mr. Bull has been otherwise 
prominent in business and social life. Twice 
he has been president of the New York Stock 
Exchange, and his important railroad connec- 
tions have included membership in the direc- 
torates of the Northern Pacific, the East Ten- 
nessee, Virginia & Georgia, the New York, 
Susquehanna & Western, and the Atchison. 
Topeka & Santa Fe railroads. He is a valued 
and appreciative member of the following 
prominent organizations : The Chamber of 
Commerce, Society of Mayflower Descendants, 
Museum of Natural History, Metropolitan 
Museum of Art, Historical Society, Sons of 
the American Revrlution, New York Zoologi- 
cal Society and others ; and he is affiliated with 
the following clubs : Century Association, 
Grolier, Union, Metropolitan, Republican, 
.Ardsley, Church, City Midday, Alpha Delta 
Phi, Manhattan Society, and the Phi Beta 
Kappa honorary fraternity. The Bull home 
is at No. 805 Fifth Avenue, New York. 

William Lanman Bull married, February 15, 
1871, Sarah Newton, born March 28, 1851, 
daughter of Henry Rossiter and Sarah (New- 
ton) Worthington, and granddaughter of Ad- 
miral Newton, of the United States Navy. 
The father of Mrs. Bull was one of the most 
successful inventors and manufacturers of his 
generation. He invented the steam pump and 
was the pioneer in the manufacture of pump- 
ing machinery. He was born in New York 
in 1817, died in New York in 1880. His 
father was Asa Worthington. a prominent 
merchant of New York, was was for many 



years in the South American trade and was 
United States consul at Lima. Peru. The 
American founder of the Worthington family 
came over in 1649. He was descended from 
Sir Nicholas Worthington, of Worthington, 
England, who fell at Naseby. defending the 
cause of King Charles. The mother of Mrs 
Bull was a daughter of Commodore John T. 
Newton, United States Navy ; Commodore 
Newton had a long and notable career. Born 
in Alexandria, Virginia, in May, 1793. he died 
in Washington. D. C, in July, 1857. He was 
appointed midshipman in 1809, lieutenant in 
1813. commander in 1857. He saw service on 
the "Hornet" in the war of 1812. commanded 
the steamships "Fulton" and "Missouri," had 
charge of the Pensacola, Florida, and the 
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, navy-yard<^. and 
was flag officer of the home squadron in 
1848-52.'" 

Children of Mr. and Mrs. Bull: i. Frederic, 
born December 11, 1871; educated at Cutler 
.School, New York City, and Stevens Tech- 
nological School, in which he took a mechani- 
cal, engineering course. For five years he 
practised his profession in New York Citv, 
in the employ of the Henry R. Worthington 
Company. He became a clerk in the banking 
house of Edward Sweet & Co.. No. 34 Pine 
Street. New York City, in 1898. and in the 
following year was admitted to partnership in 
the firm, continuing in that capacity to the 
present time (1013'). Mr. Bui! is a member 
of the Union. Racquet. City Midday. West- 
minster Kennel and Knickerbocker clubs ; the 
Brook Club of New York ; New England So- 
ciety of New York ; Metropolitan Club of 
\\'ashington. D. C. In politics he is a stalwart 
Republican, and in his religious faith is a com- 
municant of Grace Protestant Episcopal 
Church of New York. He married. October 
2. 1895. Helen, born in Brooklyn. New York. 
October 13. 1871. daughter of Jeremiah Pot- 
ter and Margaret Downing (Lanman) Robin- 
son. Children: i. Frederica, born June 30, 
1896. 2. Helen, November 6. igoo. 3. Henry 
Worthington. of whom further. 4. William 
Lanman. Jr.. born July 16, i88o: married 
Matilda K. Hcppenheimer. in 1004; they have 
one child. Elizabeth W.. born November 25, 
1904 

(X) Henry Worthington. son of William 
Lanman and Sarah Newton (Worthington) 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



497 



Bull, was born in Montclair, New Jersey, 
March 27, 1874. He was educated at the 
Lavvrenceville and Cutler schools, and at 
Columbia University, of the class of 1896. He 
entered upon his active career in the employ- 
ment of the banking and brokerage firm of 
Edward Sweet & Co., New York City, in 1895, 
the year in which he attained his majority, 
and in 1899 became a member of the firm, in 
which he is yet associated. This is one of the 
oldest financial houses of the metropolis, dat- 
ing back to 1854. Mr. Bull has made a notable 
record in the National Guard of New York, 
and is a veteran of the Spanish-American war. 
He served five years as a private of Company 
K, Seventh Regiment, and in 1898, at the 
beginning of hostilities with Spain, enlisted 
in the First United States Volunteer Cav- 
alry Regiment, Colonel Roosevelt's "Rough 
Riders," at its organization, as trooper, and 
was promoted to corporal of K Troop at San 
Antonio, Texas. His regiment took the field 
in Cuba, and he participated in the engage- 
ments at Las Guasimas, San Juan Hill and 
the siege of Santiago. At the close of the 
war and the disbandmcnt of the regiment he 
was mustered out of service with the rank 
of sergeant. He is a member of various 
prominent social organizations — the Delta Psi 
I Columbia) Club, and the Knickerbocker, 
Union, Racquet and Tennis, New York Yacht. 
St. Anthony, Meadow Brook Hunt, of New 
York City, and Metropolitan of Washington 
City. His business address is No. 34 Pine 
Street, New York City, and his residence at 
Hauppauge, Tong Island, New York. 
(The Lanman Line") 
The Lanman family, to which Mrs. Frederic 
Bull belonged, was of English origin. Its 
founder in this country was James Lanman, 
of London, 1692-1775, who came to America 
about 1700 and settled in Boston. In 1714 
he married Joanna, daughter of Dr. Thomas 
and Lucy (Gardner) Boylston. of Roxbury, 
Massachusetts. He removed to Plymouth, 
Massachusetts, in 1724, and there his son, 
Peter Lanman, 1725-1804, was born. Peter 
Lanman married, in 1764. Sarah Spalding, 
daughter of Colonel Samuel Coit, of Preston, 
Connecticut. During most of his life Peter 
Lanman was a prominent shipping merchant 
at Norwich, Connecticut, where he died. The 
Coit family was derived from the oldest set- 



tlers in Connecticut. Colonel Samuel Coit, 
the great-grandfather of Mrs. Frederic Bull, 
was a resident of Plainfield and Preston (now 
(iriswold), Connecticut. He was born in 
Plainfield, in 1708, and his wife, whom he 
married, in 1730, was Sarah Spalding, daugh- 
ter of Benjamin Spalding, of Plainfield. He 
was several times a member of the general 
assembly of the state and judge of the 
county court. His daughter Sarah was born 
in 1743. The parents of Colonel Coit were 
the Rev. Joseph and Experience (Wheeler) 
Coit, of New London, Connecticut. The Rev. 
Joseph Coit, born in 1673. was the son of 
Josc])h Coit. of New London, who died in 
1704. and his wife. Martha Harris, daughter 
of William and Edith Harris, of Wethersfield, 
Connecticut ; he was a grandson of the founder 
of the family in America, namely, John Coit, 
who came hither from Wales, in 1630, and 
settled in Salem, Massachusetts, afterward 
rem ving to New London. The wife of John 
Coit was Mary Gennes. He died in 1659, 
and his wife died in 1676. 

Peter Lanman, of Norwich, Connecticut, 
1771-1854, was a son of Peter and Sarah 
Spalding (Coit) Lanman. His wife was Abi- 
gail Trumbull. 1781-1861, daughter of David 
Trumbull, whose father was Jonathan Trum- 
bull, governor of Connecticut from 1769 until 
1783, and through the whole period of the 
.American revolution a trusted supporter and 
confidential adviser of George Washington. 
The wife of Governor Trumbull was Faith 
Robinson, a direct descendant of John Alden 
and Priscilla MuUins. Mary Huntington Lan- 
man, who married Frederic Bull (see Bull 
VHI), was the daughter of Peter and Abigail 
( Trumbull ) Lanman. 



The old Irish or Gaelic form 
McCALL of the modern name. McCall 

or MacCall, was Mac Cathm- 
haoill, which has been anglicized into various 
other forms such as MacCaul, Cowell, and 
Campbell, etc. There is a great mass of gen- 
ealogical literature in existence relating 
to this family, which is a branch of the 
royal stem of the O'Neills, nionarchs of 
Ireland, kings of Ulster, and princes and 
earls of Tyrone. The McCall family 
was originally seated in Tyrone, and their 
official title for many centuries was "Mac 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



Cathmhaoil, Lords of Cinel-Fearadhaiaigh," 
or Kinel-Farry. The territory of Kinel- 
Farry, the patrimonial inheritance of the Mc- 
Call family, the members of which were 
descendants of Fergal, brotlier of Fergus 
Mor, conqueror and first king of Scotland, 
both sons of Murrough, son of Eoghan 
(Owen), son of the celebrated Niall of the 
Nine Hostages, high monarch of Ireland as 
well as parts of Britain and Gaul, was nearly 
co-extensive with the barony of Clogher in 
Tyrone. The Kinel-Fearadhaigh, or in mod- 
ern terms, the Farry Clann, viz., the Clan 
Aengus (Magennis), Clan Duibhinreacht, 
Clan Fogarty, all of the principality of Tyrone, 
and the Hy-Kennedy, and Clan Colla, both of 
Fermanagh at that time, were under the lead- 
ership of the Mac Cathmhaoil, or the MacCall, 
prince and chief of Cinel-Fearadhaigh. The 
Hy-Kennedy (Hy. Kinel. Clan, Mac, and O 
have all the similar meaning of "children" or 
"brethren" in Gaelic) gave name to the barony 
of Tir-Kennedy, in the east of Fermanagh, 
adjoining the barony of Clogher in Tyrone. 
The family and the name of MacCathmhaoil 
or McCall are still numerous in the ancient 
territory that once was theirs, but is now in 
other hands. In "O'Neill's of Ulster," by 
Matthews, there is contained a topographical 
poem by the famous poet or bard, O'Duggan, 
written in 1350, a. d., which says: 
The festive Cinel Fearadhaigli 
Constantly noble are tlieir genealogies 
A clan wifliotil disgrace from their arms 
And the warlike Clan Cathmhaoil 
The two eastern septs are of ev'ry trihe 
In the high Cinel Fearadhaigh. 
Cinel-Fcaradhaigh or Cinel-Farry, now the 
barony of Clogher, Tyrone, was the patrimiony 
of the McCalls, who, apart from their military 
and politic station, were also Brehons (judges 
in the Brehon law) in Tir-Owen or Tyrone, 
and are celebrated in Irish history for their 
wide learning and the nutTiber of high digni- 
taries they supplied to the church. About 
1300, A. D., the MacCalls were also hereditary 
advisers to the high king of Ireland, and in 
that capacity make a rcinarkable figure in the 
military historv of the period. Irish annalists 
say that a noble belonging to the family, con- 
verted by St. Patrick, proceeded to the Isle 
of Man, and converted the people of the 
islatid to Christianity. His name was Maug- 
hold, and a town in the island is called by his 



I'ame and was the seat of his bishopric. The 
family of Campbell, in Scotland and Ireland, 
is a branch of the MacCathmhaoil family, and 
the Campbell arms, the gyronny of eight, is 
the cominon property of the McCalls. Re- 
peated confiscati(jns in Ulster deprived the 
McCalls of their property, and they and other 
ancient Irish families have become tenants 
where they were for so many centuries abso- 
lute lords of the soil. The "Annals of Ulster" 
and the "Annals of the Four Masters" give 
graphic accounts of numerous events in the 
history of this family. The following is a 
skeleton jiedigree of the family taken from 
"Irish Pedigrees" by O'Hart: 

1. Fearach, brother of Murtogh Mor (Murtogh 
the Great), i3Tst king of Ireland, Xo. 90 on the 
O'Neill (princes of Tyrone! pedigree, brother also 
of Fergus Mor. conqueror and tirst king of Scot- 
land, all sons of Muredach and Earca, king and 
queen of Ireland. 

2. Fiachra, his son. 

3. Fichna, his son. 

4. Suibhneach Mean, ancestor of 0'Meannai,ghe or 
Meanny. 

5. Fdalach, his son. lie had an elder brother 
named Cuaghain, who was ancestor of the O'Cuagain 
family, the name being now anglicised, Coogan, 
Cogan, and Coggin. 

6. Donchar, .son of Edalach. 

7. Cugabhana. 

8. Conan. 

g. Donachar. 

10. Cathmhaoil, the ancestor after whom the Mac- 
Cathmhaoil or McCall, etc., family call themselves, 
prefixing the Mac, thus MacCathmhaoil, the "sons of 
Cathmhaoil." 

11. Breasal, son of Cathmhaoil. 

12. Murtogh, his son. 
1,3. Fogartach. his son. 

14. Maoilcolum or Malcolm, meaning the "servant 
or votary of St. Columbia," the Irish apostle of Scot- 
land. 

I ^. Suibhneach. 

16, Colla. 

I". Ranal MacCathmhaoil or MacCall. the first of 
the family to assume this surname. Ranal was seven 
generations removed from the ancestor whose name 
he chose to bear. 

The chief arms of the family are thus hcr- 
aldically described: Az. a lion rampant ar. 
on a lal)cl with three points gu. nine bezants. 
Crest : On a chapeau gu. turned up ermine 
a lion passant or gorged with a label of three 
points on the first. 

(I) John McCall, immigrant ancestor of the 
McCall family, was born in Ireland, and died 
at Albany, New York, in 18R7. He was a 
prominent citizen in that city for a period of 
fully fifty years, and was held in high esteem 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



499 



by his neighbors and fellowtownsmen, and 
was frequently honored by public office. He 
married Catherine McCormack. 

(II) John Augustine McCall, son of John 
and Catherine (McCormack) McCall, was 
born in Albany, New York, in 1849. He at- 
tended the Albany public schools, and was 
graduated from the Albany Commercial Col- 
lege in 1868. Starting at once into commer- 
cial life, he became connected with an Albany 
business house, and soon after secured a posi- 
tion as bookkeeper in the general agency for 
New York and Albany of the Connecticut 
Mutual Life Insurance Company. This was 
the beginning of his connection with the in- 
surance business, and the experience he gained 
in that position practically determined his 
career. Giving up his position as bookkeeper, 
Mr. McCall engaged for a time in the real 
estate and insurance business, and then became 
a clerk in the State Insurance Department, 
under Superintendent George W. Miller. 
From March, 1870, to May, 1872, when Mr. 
Miller resigned his position, Mr. McCall was 
employed in the actuarial branch of the de- 
partment. For than twenty years his connec- 
tion with the department remained unbroken, 
and was a record of steady advancement. In 
the spring of 1872 he was put in charge of 
the statistical work of the department's re- 
ports, and a few months later became an ex- 
aminer of companies by appointment of the 
new superintendent, the Hon. O. W. Chap- 
man. In 1876, when the deputy superintend- 
ent of insurance, William Smythe, became the 
acting superintendent. Mr. McCall was ad- 
vanced to be the deputy superintendent, and 
held that position for several years under sev- 
eral superintendents. Mr. McCall's long serv- 
ice made him thoroughly familiar with many 
evils that had crept into the in.surance depart- 
ment under previous lax administrations. He 
also had a perfect knowledge of the conditions 
of the different insurance companies doing 
business in the state, some of which were of 
a dishonest character. To expose fraudulent 
practices and to reform existing evils in the 
supervision of the insurance business of the 
state was a Herculean task, but to this work 
Mr. McCall addressed himself with energy 
and uncompromising fidelity. Political and 
other influences were brought to bear to stop 
his investigations, but in spite of all the diffi- 



culties that were placed in his way, he pushed 
his work to the end, with the result that many 
fire insurance companies and eighteen life in- 
surance companies in New York state, and 
fifteen companies outside of the state were 
forced to go out of business, while three pre- 
viously prominent officials of insurance com- 
panies were brought to the bar of justice, 
charged with fraud and were convicted and 
punished by severe sentences of imprisonment. 
This valuable service to the state won further 
promotion for Mr. McCall, and when the of- 
fice of superintendent of insurance became 
vacant in 1883, Governor Grover Cleveland 
elevated him to that position. As was easy 
to foresee, his administration of the depart- 
ment was a distinguished success. During his 
term of office many reforms were instituted, 
and a healthful condition of the insurance 
business maintained throughout the state. No 
insurance company in the commonwealth 
failed in that time, and the department not 
only paid the expenses of its maintenance, but 
was able to turn over a handsome stun to the 
state treasury. Upon the expiration of his 
term of office, Governor David Hill tendered 
a reappointment to Mr. McCall, but he de- 
clined the offer, and accepted instead the office 
of Comptroller of the Equitable Life Assur- 
ance Society. In 1892, upon a change in the 
management of the New York Life Insurance 
Company, Mr. McCall was invited to take 
the presidency of that institution. Under his 
administration the rebuilding and extension of 
the company's building at Broadway and 
Leonard Street, making it a conspicuous ob- 
ject in the city's great thoroughfare, was un- 
dertaken and completed. Mr. McCall lived on 
the west side near Central Park, and although 
the cares of his official position left him scant 
time for club life, he belonged to the Metro- 
politan, City, Manhattan. Colonial, Merchants' 
and Lawyers' clubs. His death occurred on 
February 18, 1906. 

He married Mnry T.. daughter of John and 
Rose (Smythe) Horan. Children: i. Mary 
K., born at Albany, July 5, 1871 ; married at 
No. 54 West Seventy-second Street, New 
York City, May 3, 1899, Albert McClave. 2. 
Josephine I., born at ,\lbany, March 14. T873 : 
inarricd. at No. 54 West Scvcnty-sccnnd 
Street New York City. December 3, 1895. 
Darwin P. Kingsley. 3. John Chapman, see 



500 



SOUTH KRN NEW YORK 



forward. 4. Ballard, born at Albany, New 
York, April 19, 1877. He was educated in 
private schools in New York City and also 
at Phillips Academy, Exeter, New Hamp- 
shire, lie was appointed assistant secretary 
of the National Surety Company of New 
York, June i, 1879; promoted to the position 
of secretary, December 28, 1897, and to the 
second vice-presidency, September 23, 1904. 
February i, 1908, he was appointed vice-presi- 
dent of the Massachusetts Bonding and Insur- 
ance Company, but in 191 1 he returned to 
the National Surety Company, where he now 
(1913) occupies the position of treasurer. He 
married, at No. 124 West Seventy-second 
street. New York City, January 30. 1901, 
Charlotte Louise McClave. 5. Leo H., born 
at Albany, June i, 1879; married in New 
York, June 10, 1902, Mary Caldwell Burke. 

6. Sidney C, born at Albany, April 23, 1886. 

7. Clifford H., born in New York City, Feb- 
ruary 6, 1892. 

(Ill) John Chapman, son of John Augus- 
tine and Mary T. (Horan) McCall, was born 
at Albany, New York, January 24, 1875. He 
was educated in private schools in New York 
City and also at Phillips Academy, Exeter, 
New Hampshire, from which he was gradu- 
ated i.i 1895. He then entered Harvard Uni- 
versity, and was graduated from the institu- 
tion in 1899 with the degree of Bachelor of 
Arts. After graduation he entered the office 
of the New York Life Insurance Company, 
in the agency department. In the same year 
he became secretary of the club organization 
of the company. He was appointed assistant 
•secretary, December 15, 1900; secretary, May 
13, 1903; and was elected to the second vice- 
presidency of the company, October 12, 1909, 
an office he is filling at the present time. He 
married Mary Lambert, at Germantown, Phil- 
adelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 5, 190Z. 

(Ill) Adam Janse Van 
VAN NORDEN Norden, fourth son of 

Jan Pieterse (q. v.) and 
Elizabeth (Rees) Van Norden, was born 
about 1681 in New York, died about 1718 
in Hackensack. and resided in that vicinity. 
Very little has been discovered concern- 
ing him. He may have been named for 
an uncle, as there was an Adam Rees 
at Niskayuna, Schenectady county. New 



York. The baptism of the eldest child of 
Pieter Casparszen Van Norden was wit- 
nessed by Elizabeth, daughter of Captain 
Cregier, of Niskayuna, and there was prob- 
ably visiting between the Rees and Van Nor- 
den families. Adam's step-cousin, Jan Pie- 
terse Mabie, resided at Schenectady. Adam 
Van Norden married, at Hackensack, July 27, 
1700, Abeltie Slot, born at Esopus, daughter 
of Peter Jansen and Marritie Waling (Van 
Winckle) Slot, of Esopus. She was baptized 
September 15, 1678, at Esopus, and married 
(second) at Hackensack, March i, 1719, Cor- 
nelius Epke Banta. Children of Adam Janse 
Van Norden : Elizabeth, baptized May 24, 
1701 ; Jan, died in infancy; Jan Adamse, men- 
tioned below; Peter, born July 12, 1707; Ja- 
cobus (James), May 23, 1710; Albert, Sep- 
tember 19, 1713; David. July 3, 1716. The 
first two baptisms are recorded in the Hacken- 
sack Dutch church. 

(IV) Jan Adamse (John), second son of 
Adam Janse and Abeltie (Slot) Van Norden, 
was born May 7, 1704, and baptized in the 
Lutheran church at New York City. He mar- 
ried, August 3, 1729, Theodosia Earle. He 
resided at Hackensack, where they had chil- 
dren : Abigail, born June 25, 1730; John, 
mentioned below; Elce, January 30, 1735; 
daliriel. November 25, 1737; Elsjc, Septem- 
ber 17, 1742; Adam, July 30, 1745; Annatje, 
February 3. 1747. 

(V) John (2), eldest son of Jan Adamse 
(John) (i) and Theodosia (Earle) Van Nor- 
den, was born March 2. 1732, at Hackensack. 
He was an extensive landowner and operated 
a grist mill in the upper portion of Hacken- 
sack in the locality known as New Bridge. 
There he died and was buried in 1810. His 
farm consisted of eighty acres, on which was 
a stone house, and he was a slave owner. He 
married Rebecca Eaton, baptized May 15, 
1736, died 1816 Children: John, born July 
14. 1755; David, March 20, 1757; Lucas, 
March 20, 1759; Theodosia, June 29, 1761 ; 
Gabriel, April 3, 1763: Mary, December 26, 
T764; Theodore William, mentioned below; 
Ilannah, February 6, 1769; Abigail. Novem- 
ber 16. 1770; Elizabeth, October 29. 1772; 
Richard and Elsje (twins"). February 8. 1774: 
Richard, June 28, 1775; Jain, January i, 1777: 
Richard. August 12. 1778. 

(VI) Theodore William, fifth son of John 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



501 



(2) and Rebecca (Eaton) Van Norden, was 
born January 4, 1767, at Hackensack, New 
Jersey. He resided in New York, where he 
was a wholesale grocer. He was a man of 
considerable ability, accumulated a compe- 
tence, and his death occurred in New York, 
March 15, 1836. He married there, March 27, 
1796, Aletta Langdon, born May 31, 1777, 
died September 13, 1857. Children, born in 
New York: Elizabeth, January 7, 1797; 
Sarah, April 20, 1798; John, May 4, 1800; 
Thomas Langdon, mentioned below ; Caroline, 
November 4, 1806; Eliza Ann, September 21, 
1810; Theodore, October 7, 1814. 

(VH) Thomas Langdon, second son of 
Theodore William and Aletta (Langdon) 
Van Norden, was born October 2, 1802, in 
New York, died there, August 29, 1871. He 
was the type of citizen which, in his ancestry 
made Holland great. He was of powerful 
physique, tall, broad and muscular, indefati- 
gable as a walker and no less as a worker, a 
merchant of great skill and shrewdness, of 
unquestioned probity and marked sobriety. 
His religious nature was fervid, orthodox and 
almost puritanical. For a number of times he 
served in the capacity of deacon or elder in 
the powerful churches of his day, in Dr. Mac- 
Auley's on Fifth Avenue and Twenty-first 
Street, and in Rev. Hervey D. Cans', com- 
monly called "The Church of the Holy Pepper 
Boxes," on Twenty-third Street, Sixth and 
Seventh Avenues, New York City. He was 
a devoted, patient and loving husband and 
father, ever mindful of the comfort and 
needs of those dependent upon him. He was 
well read in the standard English literature, 
especially Addison and Shakespeare, was an 
exceedingly caustic and' gifted letter writer 
and a good talker He was very fond of back- 
gammon and checkers. 

He married, October 28, 1828, at No. 52 
White Street, New York City. Margaret 
Hoghland Warner, born October 9, 181 1, died 
July 9, 1876. Children, born in New York: 
Theodore \\'illiam. April 17. 1832: Margaret 
Warner, August 4. 1834; Thomas Langdon, 
March 16, 1837; Cornelia Clark, February 7, 
1839; Warner, July 2, 1841 ; Charles, men- 
tioned below; Aletta Langdon, September 19, 
1846; Mary Van Nest, August 20. 1850. 

(VHI) Rev. Charles Van Norden. D.D 
LL.D, fourth son of Thomas I^angdon and 



Margaret Hoghland (Warner) Van Norden, 
was born October 10, 1843, in New York 
City, died at East Auburn, California, May 
12, 1913. He was reared in his native city, 
and there received his primary education. En- 
tering Hamilton College, he was graduated 
valedictorian of his class with the degree of 
Bachelor of .Vrts in 1863, following which he 
entered the Union Theological Seminary, from 
which he graduated in 1866. In that year he 
was ordained to the Congregational ministry, 
and was pastor of a church in New Orleans 
for two years succeeding. From 1868 to 1873 
he was in charge of the Congregational church 
at Beverly, Massachusetts, and for ten years 
following at St. Albans, Vermont. From 1883 
to 1886 he was pastor of the North Street 
Congregational Church of Springfield, Massa- 
chusetts, and for a year following was stated 
supply at Chicopee Center, ^Lassachusetts. 
From 1890 to 1893 he was president of Elmira 
(New York) College, and for the following 
ten years he was engaged in a business enter- 
prise, being resident director of the South 
Yuba Water Company and the Central Cali- 
fornia Electric Company (California) from 
1893 to '905' when he retired to private life, 
and engaged extensively in literary activity. 
.'Xmong his publications are: "The Outermost 
Rim and Beyond," 1882; "The Psychic Fac- 
tor," 1894: "Jesus, an Unfinished Portrait." 
1906; "Yoland of Idle Isle" (a romance), 
1907. He was a contributor for many years 
to magazines and periodicals. In 1887 New 
York University conferred upon him the de- 
gree of Doctory of Divinity, and in 1892 he 
received from Hamilton College the degree of 
Doctor of Laws. Trained to the ministry he 
was, from his first pastorate in 1868. a 
preacher of much force and spirituality, and 
a great power for good in his cviinmunity. 
When president of Elmira College, and later 
as resident director of the South Yuba Water 
Company and the Central California Electric 
Company, both large California enterprises, he 
showed ingenuity, courage, executive ability 
and foresight of a very high order. In those 
pioneer days of electrical development ( 1894) 
at a time when even electrical experts doubted, 
he projected and built one of the first great 
electrical transmission systems, and may be 
truly said to have been a pioneer in that line. 
An author of note, his courage, strength of 



502 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



opinion, matured judgment, high moral stand- 
ard, sympathy, and uprightness of Hfe made 
him a leader in his community, and won for 
him the love and lasting respect of all who 
knew him or came in contact with him. He 
was a type of man of whom all might say it 
was good that he had lived. 

He married (first) at Chazy, New York, 
October 15. 1873, Annie Hubbell Mygatt, of 
that town, born November 29, 1841, in New- 
ark, New Jersey, died at East Auburn, Cali- 
fornia, July 31, 1896, daughter of Frederick 
Tliomas and Martha Anne (Hubbell) Mygatt. 
He married (second) August 2, 1902, Ruth 
Spilman, of Sacramento, California. Chil- 
dren: Carl, born July 17, 1874, at St. Albans, 
died at birth ; Rudolph Warner, January 4, 
1876, at St. Albans, married, at Sacramento 
California, October 17, 1904, Rowena Fay 
Jackson ; Ottomar Hoghland, mentioned be- 
low ; Maximilian Langdon, September 14, 
1880, at St. Albans. 

(IX) Ottomar Hoghland, the third son of 
Rev. Charles and Anna Hubbell (Mygatt) 
Van Norden, was born June i, 1878, at St. 
Albans, Vermont. He went to California with 
his father in March, 1893, and resided at 
Auburn. In September. 1895, ^ic entered Le- 
land Stanford Junior University, Palo Alto, 
California, and graduated from there in June, 
1899, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. 
During his college course he was a member of 
the Kappa Alpha (Southern) fraternity. 
After completing his college course, he became 
associated with the Central California Elec- 
tric Company at Sacramento as business man- 
ager. In November, 1902, he removed from 
Sacramento, California, to New York City, 
and made his residence there. In 1903 he be- 
came secretary and treasurer of the Van Nor- 
den Safe Deposit Company, and also filled the 
same offices with the Fifth Avenue Estates 
Company, retaining these positions until the 
latter part of 1908, when he resigned and 
shortly thereafter entered the business of in- 
vestment securities, with offices in the financial 
district. As a member of the Camp Fire Club 
of America, he became a member of the con- 
servation committee of that club, and became 
active in the promotion of legislation calcu- 
lated to protect the game and forests of the 
state. In T910 he became president of tlic 
Long Island Game Protective Association, an 



organization active in both nation and state 
in advocating better laws for the protection 
of the "Wild Lue of Long Island," and for 
the better enforcement of the game laws 
there. 

He married, December 18, 1907, Jeanie 
Belle Duncan, a resident of New York City, 
born in New York, January 11, 1878, daugh- 
ter of John Paterson and Susan (Stuart) 
Duncan, of Scotch ancestry. Children : Hogh- 
land, born March 5, 1909, at New York City; 
Duncan, born December 2, 1910, at New York 
City. 



The fact is well known that 
POLHEMUS surnames were in but par- 
tial use among the early 
Dutch settlers in America. Some show no trace 
of ever having had surnames ana are recorded 
only under patronymics. This soon became 
inconvenient, and it is improbable that such 
a usage could have long continued after the 
Dutch colonies passed under the sway of Eng- 
land. Thus, very soon after the settlement 
by the Dutch, we find surnames coming into 
regular and universal use. Not, however, in 
general can this be said to have been a re- 
sumption of a surname formerly used by the 
family in Holland, and temporarily laid aside 
in America. Two large classes of Dutch 
surnames in America may be easily traced in 
the early history of the colonies, or among 
the families of Dutch descent at the present 
day. Many changed the use of their patrony- 
mics into that of surnames, handing them on 
to their descendants as family designations 
really only appropriate to themselves ; for ex- 
ample, Remsen, originally designating an indi- 
vidual as the son of a man named Rem. has 
now become a family name. Others took 
their surnames from the places of family abode 
in Holland, often prefixing the preposition 
"van," meaning from ; thus. Van Horn. In 
some cases two or more surnames are found 
today among the desccndents of the same im- 
migrant ancestor, not all the children, or not 
all the dcscendents, having assumed the same 
kind of surname .'\ striking instance of this 
is found in the Lent family, which is a part 
of the family more commonly denominated 
Riker. But the present family belongs to 
none of these classes. Perhaps it is due to 
the superior education and social position of 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



503 



their immigrant ancestor that they have con- 
tinually used in America, a surname which 
may be found in Holland, and was eminent 
in that country long before the discovery of 
America, for this name has for a long time 
held a distinguished place among officers of 
state and men of letters in the Netherlands. 
Some of those of this name enjoyed celebrity 
in the cities of Antwerp and Ghent; in Ant- 
werp, Eleazer Polhemus, a learned jurist, held 
the office of burgomaster as early as 
13 10. The family is in Holland an armor- 
bearing family. 

(I) Rev. Johannes Theodoras Polhemus 
died June 9, 1676. By him the name was 
spelled Polhemius, and among his descendents 
have been found such forms as Polhemes, 
Polmes, and Polhemels. Of all the Americans 
of this name, however spelled. Rev. Johannes 
Theodoras Polhemus is the progenitor. A 
probable line to some of his descendents in 
Rockland county. New York, at the present 
day, is given herewith. Rev. Johannes Theo- 
doras Polhemus was a minister of the Re- 
formed church of Holland, and emigrated, in 
the employment of the Dutch West India 
Company, from the Netherlands, to Itamarca, 
Brazil. Thence he came, in 1654, to New 
Amsterdam. Immediately he accepted a call 
from the Dutch church at Flatbush, and took 
up his residence at that village, on long Island. 
New York. His connection with the churcn 
at Flatbush ceased in 1665, and from that 
time till his decease his services were given 
to the Brooklyn congregation. June 25, 1662. 
he obtained a patent for twenty-five morgens 
of land at Flatbush, and he bought, about two 
years later, an adjoining patent of twenty-four 
morgens. In recording the death of their 
"worthy and beloved pastor," the members 
cf the Brooklyn church deplored the loss of 
his "pious instructions, godly example, and 
edifying preaching." He married, in Holland 
or Brazil, Catherine Van Werven, who sur- 
vived him many years. Children : Theodoras, 
married, October 14. 1677, Aertie Bagart; 
Daniel, of whom further; Elizabeth, married 
Denys Teunisz ; Adriana, married John Roel- 
ofse Seubering; Anna, married Cornelius 
Barentse Van Wyck : Lammetie, married Jo- 
hannes Willemse; Margrietje, married Wil- 
liam Guilliamse Cornell; and (probably) 
Catrina. 



(II) Daniel, son of Rev. Johannes Theo- 
dorus and Catherine (Van Werven) Polhe- 
mus, died, probably in New York City, in or 
just before 1730. He resided at Flatbush; 
there he was on the patent of 1685, took the 
cath of allegiance to the English in 1687, and 
was cornet of horse in i6(K). He was cap- 
tain of the Kings county troop, and, in 1705, 
supervisor of Flatbush; afterwards he was 
county judge. He probably removed at a 
later time to New York City, as he and his 
wife Cornelia joined the Dutch church in 
New York on certificate. He married (first) 
August 13, 1685, Neeltie. daughter of Cor- 
nelius Vanderveer, of Flatbush ; (second) Cor- 
nelia . Children, probably all by first 

wife: Johannes; Catherine; Cornelius; Jacob, 
of whom further; Daniel, baptized December 
2, 1698, married Cornelia Evertse Hendrick. 
baptized October 6, 1700; .Xbrani ; Margaret, 
baptized April 18, 1704, married Dcrick An- 
derman. 

(III) Jacob, son of Daniel and Neeltie 
(Vanderveer) Polhemus, settled at Haver- 
straw, Rockland county. New York. The 
town of Haverstraw included, till 1791, what 
has since that date been Clarkstown. He 
married (first) Marritje Remse, perhaps the 
daughter of Joris and Sarah (Polhemius) 
Remsen, which daughter was baptized in 
Brooklyn, September 21, 1701 ; he married 
(second) Rebecca Sncdeger; (third) Lam- 
metye, daughter of Joris Remsen, probably 
by his first wife. Lammetie (Bergen). Chil- 
dren, first-named two by first, next by second. 
last-named two by third wife; T.ainmctie. born 
May 18. 1733, married Isaac Remsen; Joris. 
of whom further; Jacob, born August 13. 
1730: .Abraham, born July 21. 1748; dcertje. 
born July 5, 1758. 

(IV) Joris, son of Jacob and Marritje 
(Remse) Polhemus. was born Novenihcr i, 
1734. He married Elizabeth Titus. Children: 
Marritje. born November T7. 1761 ; Tietie C ?), 
born May 30. 1763: Jacob, of whom further: 
Jannitje, born October 9. 1767. died young; 
Jannetje, born July. 1773; Joris, born June 
II. 1775. died young; Elizabeth, born Febru- 
ary 23. 1777; Antje. born May 2$. 1779; An- 
naetje. born October 25, 1781 ; Joris. born 
August 4, 1783. 

(V) Jacob (2), son of Joris and Elizabeth 
(Titus) Polhemus. was born October 15. 



504 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



1765, probably at Clarkstown, as this was the 
place of his baptism. He married, at Tappan, 
Rockland county, New York, December 8, 
1786, Elizabeth Eckerson. This date is, how- 
ever, probably that of the registration and 
not that of the actual marriage. According 
to the church record both he and his wife were 
of New Hempstead, which is now Clarkstown. 
Child: Thecdorus, of whom further. 

(VI) Theodorus, son of Jacob (2) and 
Elizabeth (Eckerson) Polhemus, was born 
April 22. 1 791, baptized and therefore prob- 
ably born, at Clarkstown. He married, at 
Tappan, May 21, 1817 (date probably that of 
registration) Elizabeth DeClark, who also was 
of Clarkstown. Child: Jacob, of whom 
further. 

(VH) Jacob (3), son of Theodorus and 
Elizabeth (DeClark) Polhemus, was born at 
Waldberg. now called Congers, in the town- 
ship of Clarkstown. He was a farmer and 
also a carpenter. In politics he adhered to 
the Democratic party. He was a member of 
the Dutc li Reformed church. He married 
Catherine Sarvent. Children: Harvey Ed- 
mond, of whom further; and Leah Louise. 

(VIII) Harvey Edmond, son of Jacob (3) 
and Catherine (Sarvent) Polhemus, was born 
October 12, 1846, and died in 1894. For 
more than twenty-eight years he was a dairy- 
man. He was a Democrat and a member of 
the Dutch Reformed church. He married, at 
Waldberg, Anna Amelia, daughter of George 
P. and Rachel (Polhemus) Felter, who was 
born April 19, 1848. Children: Wilbur Or- 
ton, of whom further; ?Ierbcrt Sinclair; Ros- 
coe; Violet; Byron Strang; Alarion Lavinia ; 
Ethel ; Russell Earle. 

(IX) Wilbur Orton, son of Harvey Ed- 
mond and Anna Amelia (Felter) Polhemus, 
was born at Waldberg, June 16. T870. He 
first attended the district school at Valley Cot- 
tage, until the fall of 1884; he then took a 
three years' course at Rockland College, from 
vvhicli he graduated in June, 1888. Next he 
went to the Wesleyan Academy, at Wilbra- 
ham, Massachusetts; after remaining at this 
institution for one year, he entered Lehigh 
University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and 
took a course in civil engineering. At the 
death of his father in 1894 he gave up, how- 
ever, his college course, and took up his fath- 
er's business as a dairyman. He finally pur- 



chased the business and continued it for about 
eleven years. In 1905 he sold this business, 
and purchased the old established business of 
the late J. Eckerson Demarest, a prominent 
civil engineer, of Nyack and Rockland county, 
who had died a short time previously. To the 
civil engineering business Mr. Polhemus added 
real estate and insurance, operating largely in 
his own real estate properties, and has con- 
tinuer to the present time with marked success. 
He makes his home at South Nyack. Mr. Pol- 
hemus is a member of the Nyack Business 
Men's Club, having served for two terms as 
secretary, and has also been a member of its 
board of directors. He is also a member of 
the Board of Education of District No. 4. of 
Orangetown, and was elected secretary dur- 
ing the second and third years. In politics 
he is active, being a Republican, and a mem- 
ber of the district committee of this party. 
The family are members of the Dutch Re- 
formed church, in which Mr. Polhemus is a 
member of the consistory of the Nyack 
church. 

He married, at Valley Cottage, Rockland 
county. New York. March 4, 1898, Mabel, 
daughter of John and Sophia Frances ( Har- 
ing) Ryley, who was born at Pearl River. 
Rockland county. New York. July 6. 1876. 
Her mother is still living. Children of John 
and Sophia Frances (Haring) Ryley: Mabel, 
married, March 4, 1898, Wilbur Orton Pol- 
hemus, of whom herein ; Edna ; Carrie. Child- 
ren of Wilbur Orton and Mabel (Ryley) Pol- 
hemus : Harvey Francis ; Earl Ledyard ; and 
.Mma. 



The name Ostrom occurs in the 
OSTROM early records of Kings coonty 

and Schenectady, New York, as 
borne by settlers of Dutch descent. It was 
variously written as Ostrom, Ostrum, Os- 
troom, Osstrom and Astrom. The various 
branches of the family played a prominent 
and lasting part in the development of the 
townships with which they were connected. 
Several members figured in the revolutionary 
war. giving tlieir blood and treasure in the 
cause of American independence. The de- 
scendants bearing the name have not been 
numerous, but they have always taken a lead- 
ing part in the industrial, commercial and pro- 
fessional life of the state and ration. Three 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



505 



unmarried brothers (one of them named 
Ruliff) came to this country from Holland, or 
Sweden, and located at Poughkeepsie, New 
York. 

(I) Roelof Ostrom, the first of the line 
here under consideration of whom we have 
definite information, died in Canada, 1803. 
He was a man of substance and influence, 
respected and honored by all who knew him. 
He married. May 23, 1761, Elizabeth Yelver- 
ton, a member of a Dutch family of promi- 
nence. They were the parents of three sons 
and several daughters, one of the sons being 
John, of whom further. 

(H) John, son of Roelof and Elizabeth 
(Yelverton) Ostrom, was born in Schenec- 
tady, New York, September 20, 1763, died 
March 27, 1831. He was thirteen years of 
age when the revolutionary war broke out, 
but it had not progressed very far before he 
was doing his share in the good work of de- 
fending the country. There is a record in the 
manuscript of the state and colony of New 
York in which he is mentioned for services 
rendered during the war. The record runs : 
"Received of Col. Phil. P. Schuyler of militia 
the sum of one pound three shillings and eight 
pence, two-thirds in certificates, signed Gerard 
Bancker, treasurer, being for services per- 
formed as a militiaman in the course of the 
late war. John Ostrom, The 28, March 
1787." John Ostrom was a farmer and lived 
until his death on the farm at or near Hege- 
man's Mills. He married, in Schenectady, 
January 21 or 22, 1788, Esther Hegeman (see 
Hegeman V), born September 8, 1766. died 
October 14, 1833. Children: Ralph; .Anthony 
P., of whom further; Joseph, and three or 
more daughters, names unknown. 

(HI) Anthony P., son of John and Esther 
(Hegeman) Ostrom, was born in Schenec- 
tady. January 31, 1804. died September i. 
1882. He was educated in the schools of 
Hegeman Mills. New York, and when twenty- 
one years old moved to Brooklyn, New York. 
There he entered into the building material 
business and continued at the same until he 
was about forty-three years old, working up 
from a clerk to the control of the liiisincss. 
owning at one time five yards in Brooklyn and 
New York. He made a success of this business 
and some thirty-five years or more prior to 
his death, which occurred in his seventy-ninth 



year, retired from active pursuits and there- 
after enjoyed a retired life. He married, 
April 19, 1828, Maria Weeks, of Oyster Bay, 
New York, born September 11, 1805. died 
January 21, 1876. Children: Theodore, born 
in Brooklyn, 1830; Charles; Annie; John, 
born in Brooklyn, 1845: Edward, of whom 
further; George Edwin. Minerva. Emma. 

(IV) Edward, fifth child of Anthony P. 
and Maria (Weeks) Ostrom, was born in 
Brooklyn, New York, in 1847. He was edu- 
cated in the public and high schools of Brook- 
lyn, graduating in his teens. On leaving 
school he engaged in various lines of business, 
retiring from same at time of his father's 
death. He married, in Brooklyn, in 1870, 
Eliza Laurestina Rogers, born in Brooklyn, 
New York', 1850. Children: Arthur Harris, 
of whom further: Edward, born 1881. 

( \') Arthur Harris, eldest son of Edward 
and Eliza Laurestina (Rogers) Ostrom, was 
born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1872. He 
received his elementary education in the pub- 
lic schools, subsequently attending the high 
school, the curriculum of which he followed 
until he was eighteen years o.f age. His first 
em[)loyment was with the L. W. Minford 
Company, a firm of sugar brokers, with whom 
he remained for about two years. He then 
went into the banking business, becoming re- 
ceiving teller of the Eifth .Avenue Bank of 
Brooklyn, retaining that position for five years. 
He was later for a period of eleven years 
cashier and assistant treasurer with Emerson 
McMillin & Company, New York bankers, re- 
signing that position to enter the firm of I^- 
marche & Coady. brokers. He is a member 
of various associations and clubs, among them 
the Crescent Athletic Club of BrooklvTi. the 
Glenwood Country Club, the Northport Yacht 
Club and the Huntington Yacht Club, and a 
veteran. of Company C. Twenty-third Regi- 
ment, of Brooklvn. He married in Brooklyn. 
Tune II. TO02. Marion, daughter of Dr. Henry 
and Elizabeth (Robbins) Richfer. of Brooklyn. 
New York. Children: Ethel, born in 1903. 
died August 6. 1004: Elizabeth, born June 22. 
1905; Warren, born June 3. 1906. 
(The Hegeman Line.) 

The surname Hegeman is of Teutonic 
origin and was brought to this country in the 
seventeenth century by Dutch families, the 
members of which have had a large part in 



5o6 



SOUTHERN NEW YORK 



the development of the townships identified 
with and adjacent to the former Dutch col- 
onies. The name is well known in Holland 
and particularly in the city of Amsterdam, 
where the name is frequent among the offi- 
cers of the municipality and whence the family 
here dealt with departed for this country. The 
name has also become well known in the 
United States where several members of the 
family have long been among the most promi- 
nent citizens in the professional and commer- 
cial life of the country. 

(I) Adrian Hegeman, the common ances- 
tor of the family and the descendants of the 
family that emigrated from .'\msterdam to 
the New Netherlands, was born about 1639 
in the city of .'Xmsterdam, died in .'Vpril, 1672, 
in Flatbush, Long Island. Immediately on 
his arrival he settled at Flatbush, where he 
bought, April 15, i66t, a farm of a hundred 
and eighteen acres, which he proceeded at 
once to cultivate. He must have been a man 
of considerable education for he was chosen 
repeatedly to fill responsible positions in the 
public life of the town. He was, for example. 
town clerk from 1639 to 1661, auctioneer 
from 1670 to 1672, and sheriff of the county 
in 1664. He was schout fiscal of the five 
Dutch towns in 1661, and secretary of Flat- 
bush and Flatlands. He was masfistrate of 
Flatbush in 1654, 1655. 1656, 1657, 1658, 
t66o and 1663, and his name appears among 
the patentees of the town in 1667, three years 
after the Dutch government of the district 
hacl been displaced by the English. He mar- 
ried Katrina . Children : Joseph, born 

in Holland, emigrated from Amsterdam with 
his father, married October 21, 1677, Fem- 
metje (Phebe) Remsen of New Albany, born 
August I, 1657, daughter of Rem Jansen Van- 
derbeeck, common ancestor of the Remsen 
family in America; Ilendrick, mentioned be- 
low; Jacobus, of Flatbush, born in Holland, 
baptized March 9, 1653, married, October 14, 
1683, Jannetje Ariens ; Abraham, born at 
Flatbush, married, August 30, 1690, Getruy 
Jans of New Albany; Denyse, of Flatbush, 

married Lucretia , and died prior to 1713 ; 

Isaac, born at Flatbush, married February 15, 
1687, Mayke Roelofse Schenck; Benjamin, 
born at Flatbu.sh, married, April 9, 1688, 
probably Larentia (or Barentje) Janse of 



New Albany; Elizabeth, married, April 27, 
1684, Tobias Ten Eyck. 

(II) Hendrick, second son of Adrian 
Hegeman, was born in Holland, died at Flat- 
bush about 1710. He was a farmer and 
owned several lots of land. He took his share 
in the public servi(!e of the town and occupied 
one or two municipal positions. He married. 
April 12 or 26, 1685, Ariaentje (or Arrietta) 
Bloodgood, who belonged to a family living at 
Flushing. They had several children, but 
there is a record of the name of only one, 
Joseph. 

(HI) Joseph, son of Hendrick and Ariaen- 
tje (Bloodgood) Hegeman, was born at Flat- 
bush, about 1687, died in 1741. He owned 
a great deal of land and speculated to some 
extent in it. For eight hundred and twenty- 
four pounds, Charles Van Dyck, April 6, 
1724, conveyed two hundred acres of land to 
Joseph Hegeman, and May i, 1734, for five 
hundred pounds, the said Joseph Hegeman 
conveyed the same to Cornelius San ford. 
After Joseph's death there is a record of a 
transaction by Derrik Bergen who, June i, 
1745, bought the seat of Joseph Hegeman in 
the Reformed Dutch Church. Joseph Hege- 
man married, February 6. 1714, Sarah Vander 
\niet, daughter of Jan Dinbse Vander Vliet. 
They had a son, Hendrick, mentioned below. 

(IV) Hendrick (2), son of Joseph and 
Sarah (Vander Vliet) Hegeman, was born at 
Flatbush, 1717. died in 1750. There is very 
little record of the incidents of his life, but 
he is known to have been a farmer and to 
have owned considerable land. He married, 
about 1739, Centje Borendji, by whom he had 
a son, Joseph, mentioned below. 

(V) Joseph (2). son of Hendrick (2) 
and Gentje (Borendji) Hegeman, was born 
in T740, died in 1817. Hegeman's Mills, near 
Schenectady. New York, were named in honor 
of its founder, Joseph Hegeman, who settled 
there in 1777. This was in the period of the 
revolutionary war. when the stirring events 
of that time broke up the old Incal communi- 
ties that had grown naturally from the first 
settlements, and sent tbcir members drifting 
in various directions. Mr. Hegeman married, 
February 15, 1764, Elizabeth Van Wagnen 
Bop, of Poughkcepsie, New York. Child : 
Esther, married John Ostrom (see Ostrom 
II). 



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